The /s/ sound is one of the most targeted sounds in speech therapy. Many children have difficulty producing the /s/ sound for a multitude of reasons. Typically, children master the /s/ sound in the initial, medial, and final positions of words around 4 years of age. Early intervention is important while working on the /s/ sound so a speech therapist can help a child correctly position the tongue and airflow to produce a productive /s/ sound!
Distortion of the /s/ sound:
Phonological process of stopping: As children are learning to produce the /s/ sound, they may substitute the /t/ sound for the /s/ sound such as “tea” for “see”. This phonological process is typically eliminated by the age of 3 years old.
Frontal Lisp/Interdental Lisp: The child produces the /s/ sound with their tongue pushed too far forward causing the sound to be closer to a /th/ sound. Frontal lisps are never deemed age-appropriate.
Lateral Lisp: Occurs when the child produces the /s/ sound with airflow that escapes out the side of the mouth instead of down the middle. It may sound like a “slushy” /s/ sound. Lateral lisps are never deemed age-appropriate.
How to treat the /s/ sound:
Speech Language Pathologists are trained to evaluate and treat for the /s/ sound. In the evaluation, a speech language pathologist will assess the child’s ability to produce the /s/ sound in a variety of positions and within words and sentences. The SLP will conduct an oral mechanism exam to assess the child’s teeth position and alignment, tongue coordination and possible tongue tie, and the muscles of the mouth. The SLP will create an individualized, treatment plan to best help your child succeed with the /s/ sound. The therapist will start by working on the sound in isolation, then advance to words, sentences, and conversation as the child progresses.
Trick to try at home:
If your child substitutes the /t/ sound for /s/ sound, here is a strategy you can try at home. Draw a slide with a ladder. Take a toy car and have it climb up the ladder then slide down the slide. As you climb the ladder, say “t, t, t” and as you slide down hold out the /t/ sound making a “tsssss” sound. This will help keep your tongue in the right position, and produce the sound by pushing air out the front of your mouth.
If your child produces the /s/ sound with a frontal or lateral lisp, I recommend seeking a professional to assess the cause and treat the lisp appropriately.
My favorite books for targeting the initial /s/ sound are:
Silly Sally by Audrey Wood
Sick Simon by Dan Krall
Just a Little Sick by Mercer Mayer
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle
Today I Feel Silly: And Other Moods That Make My Day by Jamie Lee Curtis
The Bad Seed by Jory John
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