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Oxygenation is a common condition. It is the most common speech defect in the world. It is also called sigmatism, from the Latin name: sigmatismus. What is lisp? How is it manifested? What are its types? Below are the most important information about lisp.
Oxygenation – around the problem
Lisp it occurs when a given person incorrectly pronounces dental sounds, i.e. those in which the correct alignment of the teeth plays an important role in vocalization. These are precisely the upper and lower incisors which, when approaching each other, enable proper vocalization. It includes such sounds as: s, z, c, dz (included in the sounds of a hissing row), sz, ż, cz, dż (included in the sounds of a hissing row), ś, ź, ć, dż (proclaims a silent row).
Articulation disorder it may concern a different number of sounds. In addition to the above-mentioned, incorrectly vocalized sounds also include: t, d, n, m, f and, less frequently, other sounds. Lisp can be divided into two general sub-types. The first is lisp labo-dental, others that interdental lisp.
Oxygenation and child development
At the age of about three, the child should be able to pronounce such sounds correctly and without problems as: s, z, c, dz. He often utters them in a softened, infantile version – as in the example: “wimp” (instead of the correct version: ” Sun”). A softened way of pronouncing words does not necessarily mean that words have occurred lisp or any other type of inability to pronounce correctly. It may result from the child’s understanding of the world (infantilization of names as an expression of sympathy for what they mean). At about four years of age, children begin to pronounce these sounds correctly, and give up on occasional softening.
At about 4,5 years of age, children usually pronounce the sounds: sz, ż, cz, dż, sometimes in a slightly changed version, as: s, z, c, dz, or in the version: ś, ź, ć, dż.
Children develop the ability to pronounce the sounds correctly: sz, ż, cz, j at the latest. For their correct vocalization, free and vertical movement of the tongue is necessary. This is a difficult move for young children to make. The tongue is muscular in such a way that we can move it freely, especially sideways.
An important moment in a child’s life when attention should be paid to the possibility of development or change of type lispis the moment of milk teeth falling out and permanent teeth erupting. This usually occurs around the age of 8. During this period, the child’s teeth change, which also affects the way of pronouncing certain sounds. There may be some abnormalities related to the use of the “gaps” between the teeth by the child. Namely, the child may acquire the habit of sticking the tongue into gaps left by fallen teeth or between the lower and upper jaw. Both behaviors can be easily perpetuated and result in the incorrect way of pronouncing certain sounds.
The causes of lisp
The causes of lisp can be diverse. The most common are abnormalities in the structure of specific speech organs. Often lisp is the result of a wrong tongue shape, especially if the tongue is too thick, too large, too long or the sublingual frenulum of the wrong length. Also the tongue is weakly muscled or vice versa – excessively tense tongue muscles prevent proper vocalization. Occlusal distortion: open bite, undershot or undershot bite, as well as different dental abnormalities may result in lisp. A cleft palate as well as a soft palate can also cause lisp (nasal).
The following sources belong to a different group lisp: hearing impairment (then lisp is the result of incomplete perception of sounds vocalized by other people), chronic, untreated or frequently recurring diseases affecting the upper respiratory tract, imitation of inappropriate ways of speaking (for example, when a child is raised by people with speech disorders, lisping), feeding your baby with bottle-fed food for too long, as well as a finger-sucking reflex.
What to do when a child is lisping?
If your child is lisping, consultation with a speech therapist and appropriate therapy will be inevitable. The speech therapist will assess the source of the problems with lisp and will examine the correct structure of the speech, bite and tongue organs. On this basis, he will choose an appropriate set of exercises, stimulating our children to develop correct ways of pronouncing certain sounds. Exercises are recommended to be performed both at school and at home (in the mother’s free time with her child), as well as during special activities provided for lisp children. Some of these exercise it has the form of games, so they are a good excuse to spend free time with our children. Systematically and accurately performed exercises is the most effective solution for a lisping child.