“My daughter has trouble pronouncing certain sounds and letters. How can I help her?”
My 8 year old daughter has trouble pronouncing several letters and some sounds. For example, the letter "r" sounds like a "w" and sometimes she just skips the letter completely (ie: "abbit" instead of "rabbit"). Sounds like "Brrrrrrr" (as in, it's cold outside) are impossible for her. She has trouble with other letters and sounds, too -- not just "r." Should I take her to a speech pathologist or to a neurologist? I fear it's more than a speech problem. Sometimes I think it's a brain-related issue. Please advise on how I can help her.
6 Answers
I would definitely start with a hearing test and speech eval.
Your school district should offer speech evaluation and therapy
Yes, request your pediatrician a prescription for a Speech and Language evaluation. In the given case that she will need a neurological referral the Speech Pathologist will recommend it to you.
You’re thinking the right way by seeing a speech pathology expert. They’ll know the different causes and be able to advise accordingly.
Please seek a speech-language evaluation to assess her articulation, phonological processing, and any other speech-language deficit.
Terlenda Lassiter
Speech-Language Pathologist
The brain is involved in the production of speech and we are trained in how the brain coordinates speech movements. I would recommend her to go to a speech language pathologist for an evaluation and treatment. After the assessment, the SLP will provide you with exercises you can practice at home.
