A lisp usually refers to a person having difficulty placing the tongue in the correct position to produce the /s/ and /z/ sound.

Types of lisps

Interdental lisp

The child protrudes the tongue and places it between the teeth when making the /s/ or /z/ sound. For instance “saw” would sound like “thaw”.

Lateral lisp

Air flows laterally over the sides of the tongue instead of “along” the centre of the tongue when making the /s/ or /z/ sound. In this type of lisp, the sound is often described as sounding “slushy”.

Is this age appropriate for my child?

/s/ or /z/ production is mastered by age 4-5 years. If your child is producing an interdental lisp and he/she is younger than 4 ½ years old, then this sound might emerge with maturation. However it is recommended that you seek support from a speech pathologist, especially if your child is older than 5 years of age.

If your child is producing a lateral lisp, then a speech pathologist should be consulted without delay as this is often not considered as something children will ‘grow out of’.

How can speech pathologist help with the lisp?

Speech Pathologist would assess your child and be able to tell you if your child has a lisp, and, if so, the type of lisp it is. The speech pathologist will show your child the correct tongue position and teach your child to produce /s/ and /z/ in isolation, phrases, and sentences.

The speech pathologist will guide you through the various steps and provide you with home practice to ensure the therapy is successful.

Written by Tasneem Abdul Samad, Speech Pathologist.