Phonological Processes

Baby talk – so cute, until it isn’t!

You’ve likely heard your little tot saying, “tat for cat,” “tar for star,” or “wawa for water.” These processes naturally occur with young children as they learn to speak, but if it persists, it may be a disorder.

It probably seemed cute at first. Then, you noticed other children the same age didn’t speak that way.

This realization was followed by recognizing other children and adults have difficulty understanding what your child says.

The concern is great.

Lots of questions run through your mind:

Will kids tease your child because of their speech?

Will your child withdraw socially because they become self-conscious?

Will your child fall behind in class because the teacher can’t understand the speech?

Will a speech disorder impact your child’s ability to read and sound out words properly?

You don’t have to fix your child’s speech challenges on your own.

Phonological process disorders occur when patterns of predictable speech errors continue past the age the process should cease.

A child can have a mix of articulation and phonological process disorders, so a thorough evaluation is key in differentiating.

I often get the question, “How do I know if it’s an articulation issue versus a phonological problem?”

An articulation disorder focuses on errors that relate to specific, individual sounds. A phonological disorder focuses on predictable, rule-based speech patterns.

I target phonological processes by embedding oral-motor techniques into the therapy program showing the child how to fix the errored sounds or patterns. I love to use 3D videos and models for my older kids and creative imagery and play for those younger to help them grasp the abstract concept of speech.

Let’s start now to help your child speak to be understood.

If you suspect your child has a speech disorder, either articulation or phonological processing, the earlier the intervention, the better! We’ll be playing games, chatting about a farm or baseball games, all while addressing age-appropriate sounds to increase their day-to-day self-confidence.

I would love to chat with you in a free 15-minute phone consultation.

Call today at (757) 529-0600.