Expected Speech Patterns
When children cannot yet produce certain sounds because their motor skills are still developing, there are some common speech patterns they use to make the words a little easier to say. They may leave the endings off of words because sequencing so many sounds in a row can be challenging for their little systems. They may push a sound that is supposed to be made with the back of the mouth, such as the “k” sound for “cup,” to the front of mouth so it sounds more like “tup” or “pup.”
Sometimes children use a speech pattern called “assimilation” where they use the same consonant sound through the word to make it easier to say- lightening the motor planning load. A common example is saying “wawa” instead of “water” or “kuck” for “duck.”
These types of developmental adjustments are really common. Different children will use different strategies to make words easier for their own systems to produce. This is not a conscious decision on their part- they aren’t thinking, “Oh, that “s” sound is going to be tricky, I better use a “t” instead,” just as they don’t think, ” I better practice sitting up before I start walking.” Their little bodies just automatically do this. As they grow and develop and practice, most of these speech patterns typically go away by 3-4 years old. Some sounds, such as the “r” sound, are more challenging and they may use a replacement sound, such as a “w,” for that until early elementary school.
Unusual Speech Patterns
Sometimes, children use more unusual patterns that actually make words more difficult to say. A child might replace a simpler sound, such as “m” with a sound that is typically more difficult to produce such as a “k” sound. Also, some children may make vowel errors, such saying “so” for “see.” These adjustments are considered a little more unusual and your child may benefit from a little help to correct the pattern. The more unusual patterns do not always go away on their own.
For more complete list of speech patterns (also called Phonological Processes), see this helpful handout by Little Bee Speech.
Broader View of Speech Development
Another broader way to look at your child’s speech clarity is how much do you or friends and family understand of their speech? At 3 years old, people should understand about 75% of what your child is saying. By 4 years old, people should understand close to 100% of what your child says.
Trust Your Gut
Rule of thumb, if you’re concerned, speak to your pediatrician. Trust your intuition, you know your child best. Seeking help when your child is little and perhaps somewhat frustrated can help their communication develop and hopefully help them avoid becoming extremely frustrated when they are older. Having some trouble developing speech sounds is really common. Speech sound development is pretty complicated- an extreme sport of fine motor development. Moving the tongue only a few millimeters when producing a speech sound can completely change how the child says the sound.
Speech Language Pathologists
Speech language pathologists (SLPs), or speech therapists are well trained in helping small children and families. If your child is under three years old, every state has a Birth to Three program. The program typically offers developmental evaluations and services for children who qualify. Here’s a link to all the programs by state: Early Intervention Contact Information by State | CDC
If your child is over three, your local public school system should have speech therapy services. Many systems have information about who to contact on their websites if you have concerns about your child’s development.
If you would like to pursue private speech therapy, you can also find a speech language pathologist in your area by searching the ASHA website: Find – ASHA Certified. ASHA is the national professional organization that certifies speech therapists and audiologists. Many speech therapists and clinics accept health insurance.
There is a lot of help out there if you have concerns. At the root of it all, as a parent, you want to do what’s best for your little. As the saying goes, “It takes a village.” Using the resources out there to help your child is part of finding your support system and figuring out who needs to be in your village.
Speech Development
To learn more about what to expect in Speech Sound Development, see this GLP Blog post!
