Lisping
Lisping is a speech disorder characterized by the incorrect pronunciation of sibilants, specifically the sounds "s" and "z," which are often substituted with a "th" sound. This condition can arise from various physiological issues, dental problems, or missing teeth. There are different types of lisping, such as central or frontal lisp, which occurs when the tongue protrudes too far during speech, leading to the typical "th" sound. Lateral lisping produces a more blubbering sound due to air escaping on both sides of the tongue, often linked to missing upper front teeth. A recessive lisp is identified by the tongue being held too far back, resulting in "sh" sounds instead of "s."
Treatment for lisping generally involves speech therapy, where therapists employ methods like phonetic placement and auditory stimulation to help children learn the correct tongue positioning and sound production. These therapeutic techniques can effectively assist children in transitioning from practicing individual sounds to using them in spontaneous speech. While lisping may be short-term for some, it can also persist as a chronic condition, making early intervention important for effective communication skills.
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Subject Terms
Lisping
ANATOMY OR SYSTEM AFFECTED: Mouth, teeth, tongue
DEFINITION: The defective pronunciation of the sibilants s and z, usually substituted with a th sound.
CAUSES: Physiological defects, dental problems, missing teeth
SYMPTOMS: Mispronunciation of sibilants s and z
DURATION: Typically short-term but may be chronic
TREATMENTS: Speech therapy
Causes and Symptoms
A central or frontal lisp is caused by a child pushing the tongue past the while speaking, which tends to occur in cases of an open bite. This produces the familiar lisp in which s and z sounds are pronounced like th. Sometimes, the child tries to correct the protrusion of the tongue by pulling it in, but lisping still occurs because the correct position of the tongue has not been learned.
A lateral lisp involves the escape of air on both sides of the tongue, yielding an unpleasant “blubbering” sound. A possible cause is missing teeth, particularly the two upper front teeth.
A recessive lisp is caused by holding the tongue too far back in the mouth. The s and z sounds come out sounding more like sh. This mild lisp is often associated in the popular media with the speech of an intoxicated person.
Treatment and Therapy
Speech therapists work with lisping children in two ways. In the phonetic placement method, the child is asked to pronounce the t sound and then prolong it. Once this is learned, the bite is closed, and the child then practices moving the lips in a slightly protracted position; the tongue is moved back and forth until the s sound is achieved. This same process is used in learning to pronounce z; the d sound, however, is used in practice instead of a t. In some cases, asking the child to pronounce sh first and then move the tongue forward along the roof of the mouth will produce an s sound.
In the auditory stimulation method, the speech therapist pronounces the correct sound repeatedly and compares it to the incorrect articulation. This method is very successful in young children with lisps.
After a sound has been practiced by itself, the child attaches it to nonsense syllables and practices pronouncing them. Gradually, the sound is introduced in familiar words, followed by sentences. The final test is the use of the newly acquired sound in spontaneous conversation.
Bibliography
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Brennan, Dan. "What Is a Lisp?" WebMD, 18 Feb. 2024, www.webmd.com/children/what-is-a-lisp. Accessed 2 Apr. 2024.
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