Pediatric Speech Therapy for Phonological Disorder
When a child struggles to form words clearly, it can impact many areas of their life, from making friends to sharing their thoughts confidently. Phonological disorders affect a child’s ability to produce certain speech sounds, which can make communication difficult.
At Fluens Children’s Therapy, our specialized speech therapy program is designed to support children’s speech development. We help children build the skills they need to communicate freely through fun, evidence-based techniques that work.
What Is a Phonological Disorder?
Phonology is the study of the sounds of a language and the way these sounds are used to form words. It comes from the word “phono-“ meaning “sound, voice, or speech.” A phonological disorder is when a child has difficulty organizing and using the sounds of speech in the correct way.
This may sound a lot like articulation, and the two topics are very similar, but not the same:
- Articulation is about the physical production of sounds. If a child has an articulation issue, they might say “wabbit” instead of “rabbit” because they have difficulty pronouncing the “r” sound correctly. Here, the problem is with producing a specific sound.
- Phonology is about sound patterns and rules. If a child has a phonological issue, they might consistently replace all sounds produced in the back of the mouth (such as “k” and “g”) with sounds produced in the front of the mouth (like “t” or “d”), (e.g. “cat” becomes “tat,”). These patterns are normal when children first start talking, but they should stop after a certain age.
Common Signs of a Phonological Disorder in Children
The key sign of a phonological disorder is that your child continues to use these speech simplification patterns past the expected age, which can vary depending on the pattern but typically all of them should be stopped by 6 years of age. Common signs of this include:
- Replacing one sound with another (saying "tat" instead of "cat")
- Omitting certain sounds in words (saying "og" instead of "dog")
- Simplifying complex sounds (saying "boo" instead of "blue")
- Trouble using words with more than one syllable
- Difficulty being understood by those outside the family
What Causes Phonological Disorders?
The cause of phonological disorders is unknown, but the condition may be linked to other developmental delays, hearing loss, or a family history of speech sound disorders.
No matter what the cause is, we do know that early intervention is key to helping your child overcome these challenges and develop clear, confident speech.
How Pediatric Speech Therapy Can Help Children With a Phonological Disorder
At Fluens Children’s Therapy, our Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) work with children to help them recognize, learn, and use speech sounds correctly. We start with an evaluation to determine which speech sounds and patterns your child struggles to use.
From there, we use proven activities, exercises, and games to help your child become more aware of the sounds they produce and the patterns they need to practice. Our goal is to provide a positive, encouraging environment that lets each child build essential communication skills with confidence.
Reach Out Today to Get Started
Ready to help your child speak clearly and confidently? Our team at Fluens Children’s Therapy is here to help your child reach their full communication potential!
Reach out to our team in University Place, WA, at (253) 212-3502 or our team in Columbia, TN, at (931) 982-6092 to schedule an evaluation today.