Phonological Disorders

A phonological [fohn-ih-LOJ-i-kul] disorder is a type of speech disorder. Children who have this disorder do not use certain speech sounds that children their age usually use, such as the g, k, or r sound or two consonant sounds together. Instead, they make a different sound or leave sounds out. Because of this, they mispronounce some words and might be hard for other people to understand.

If your child has a phonological disorder, they might not make the g, k or r sound. Instead, they might use a different sound. For example, “red” might sound like “wed,” or “cup” might sound like “tup.”

Or, your child might not make both sounds in words that start with two consonants. Instead, they might only make one of the sounds. For example, “spoon” might sound like “poon,” “friend” might sound like “fend,” or “tree” might sound like “ti.”

Accents and dialects are not considered phonological disorders.

Most children make mistakes when they are learning to talk. This is normal, and children usually outgrow it.

If your child’s speech is not developing normally, you should see their healthcare provider. Here are some signs of normal speech development:

• A stranger should be able to understand half or more of what your child says at age 3.

• Your child should be able to make most speech sounds at 4 or 5, but they might still have trouble with sounds like l, s, r, z, ch, sh, and th.
• By age 7 or 8 your child should be able to make all of the speech sounds correctly.

You should also see your child’s healthcare provider if they are embarrassed about the way they talk or it is causing problems at school or in social settings. 

Phonological disorders can have many causes:

• Hearing loss
• Cleft palate (an opening in the roof of the mouth)
• Dental (tooth) problems
• Developmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder
• Genetic syndromes, such as Down syndrome
• Neurological disorders, such as cerebral palsy 

Sometimes, no cause can be found for a phonological disorder.

Phonological disorders are diagnosed by a speech language pathologist [puh-THOL-uh-jist]. They will listen to your child talk and make sure the muscles in your child’s mouth are working the way they should. If your child’s speech is not developing normally, the speech language pathologist can recommend treatment.

Your child also might be tested for possible causes of a phonological disorder, such as a hearing or learning problem.

Mild phonological disorders might go away on their own.

If the disorder is more severe, a speech language pathologist can help your child. The speech language pathologist will:

• Show your child how to make sounds correctly
• Practice the sounds with your child
• Teach your child the rules of speech to help them say words correctly

Phonological disorders cannot be prevented, but many children with this disorder learn to speak normally or almost normally.

A phonological [fohn-ih-LOJ-i-kul] disorder is a type of speech disorder. Children who have this disorder do not use certain speech sounds that children their age usually use, such as the g, k, or r sound or two consonant sounds together. Instead, they make a different sound or leave sounds out. Because of this, they mispronounce some words and might be hard for other people to understand.