Lisps, Tongue Thrust & S/Z Sound
Tier 1 articulation support adapted from Heartland Charter School's MTSS Speech/Language Intervention guide for families working on lisps and the S/Z sounds.
What is a lisp?
- A speech pattern that impacts the production of certain speech sounds, most commonly the S and Z sounds.
Types of lisps?
- Interdental (Frontal) Lisp
- What happens: The tongue sticks between the front teeth.
- How it sounds: “sun” → “thun” “zoo” → “thoo”
- Dentalized Lisp
- What happens: The tongue presses against the back of the front teeth, but doesn’t stick out.
- How it sounds: “see” → sounds slightly muffled or dull “soup” → less sharp “s” sound
- Lateral Lisp
- What happens: Air escapes over the sides of the tongue instead of the center.
- How it sounds: “sun” → “shlun” or “slun” “sip” → sounds wet or slushy
What Learning Coaches Can Do To Help?
- Work on correct production of the S and Z sounds use the resources provided below
- Make sure the student is able to see and hear the difference between a correct and an incorrect S or Z sound (use a mirror, have your student listen to your correct production of S/Z.)
- Start small by working on making the S or Z sound correctly in isolation, in syllables (next to a vowel), then words and sentences.
- Set a short amount of time to work on the speech daily instead of correcting your student throughout the day.
- Model correct speech throughout the day.
- Build confidence by focusing on strengths, celebrating small successes in speech improvement, providing speaking opportunities in a supportive environment and remember that many successful adults have lisps.
FAQs
- Will my student outgrow their lisp? Possibly! Some lisps, especially frontal lips, can be developmental. However, most students will outgrow a developmental lisp by the age of 5. As students get older their self-awareness and self-monitoring improve which can also lead to the elimination or improvement of a lisp.
- Is it bad to point out my student’s lisp? No! However, how you point it out matters. Consider the following tips when talking with your student about their speech:
- Find a time to ask your student if they are aware that the way they say the S and Z sounds is different from others.
- Be aware if your student is sensitive about their speech and approach it in a kind, calm manner and in a comfortable environment.
- Praise effort, not perfection! The goal is always to encourage clear, confident speech. We want our students to feel comfortable as they strengthen oral speaking skills.
- Is my student’s teeth the cause of their lisp? No. While there is sometimes a relationship between teeth and/or jaw alignment and speech sound distortions such as a lisp this is rarely the sole cause of a lisp. Lisps are speech sound distortions/errors that are caused by the incorrect position of the tongue. This incorrect position of the tongue can sometimes be attributed to other factors such as: a tongue thrust, prolonged bottle/pacifier use, enlarged tonsils/adenoids and mouth breathing. If you have concerns about any of these or other possible associated factors, it’s best to consult your student’s dentist or doctor. Some additional information as well as a home program to address correct oral resting posture is below:
- Working on Oral Resting Posture At Home
- Oral Resting Posture Video by Peachie Speechie
- Oral Resting Posture Handouts by Peachie Speechie