I have previously commented on disorders in the articulation of speech sounds and the ages at which they are acquired. But there are cases of children who make so many mistakes that parents are unable to identify which sounds are affected. They are such unintelligible children that those around them don't know where to start to help them get better. If this feeling is familiar to you, your child is likely to have not only an articulatory disorder, but also a phonological disorder. This disorder is characterized by the presence of what are known as phonological processes.
What are phonological processes.
Phonological processes are patterns of sounds that all children use to simplify adult speech as they learn to speak. The main cause is the lack of ability to coordinate the lips, tongue, teeth, palate, and jaw to achieve intelligible speech. In response, the most complex words are simplified in the most predictable way until they develop the coordination necessary to speak clearly. For example, a child who is learning to speak can reduce the consonant group pl in the word plate by a single consonant and pronounce duck. Another example could be to omit the atonic syllable of a word such as nano instead of banana. There are many simplification patterns or phonological processes.
The presence of phonological processes is completely normal in the child's speech development. What is unusual is that they persist beyond the age where they would be expected to stop using them. Each phonological process has a different age of disappearance. For example, if your 4-year-old has the phonological process of reduplication (tete instead of pacifier or guagua instead of water), you should be aware that most children stop using this process by the time they turn 3.
A phonological delay can also be considered if the processes that persist in the child are different from those expected of him. For example, if your child omits all of the initial sounds in the words, it might be considered an alteration because the omission of the initial consonant is not a typical speech development process.
What should I expect from my child according to his age?
Excessive use of phonological processes may also indicate the presence of a phonological disorder characterized by multiple processes occurring simultaneously. A treatment plan should be considered as soon as possible.
If you're not sure how intelligible your child is, you should consider his or her age. There is a standard guide that proposes that by age two your child should be 50% intelligible to a listener outside the family setting. By the age of 3, it must be 75% intelligible. By age 4 or 5, you should be close to being 100% intelligible, although it is common for you to still have some age-specific articulation errors.
Remember that as with all speech sound disorders, an early diagnosis can make the difference between a successful child and a child who has later difficulties. Don't waste valuable time and consult with a professional.
In our office we have professionals prepared to accompany you in the process. Contact us!