why you shouldn’t ‘wait and see’ for children with speech sound disorders

Why don't I recommend that parents 'wait and see' for kids who have a speech sound disorder?

First of all- you might be asking what a speech sound disorder is. A speech sound disorder is when a child mispronounces sounds that are expected to be correct by certain ages. This can be due to a misunderstanding of when to use what sounds or the inability to produce certain sounds. Many children with speech sound disorders have a phonological disorder, which means they don't understand the 'rules' of when to use which sounds. They could also struggle to learn new words and develop the phonological awareness skills they need to read. Research indicates there is a connection between speech sound disorders and spelling, coding, and social–emotional deficits (Farquharson, 2019).

So, even if a child would have maybe fixed their articulation errors on their own, or if a child only has 1-2 sound errors, they could still benefit from intervention. Therapy helps them fix their mistakes earlier and avoid falling behind in literacy and language skills. Many parents believe that if their child only has 1-2 sound errors that intervention isn’t necessary. But now we know that helping children even if they have a few errors can make a bigger difference in their future than you may think at the time.

This means that if you have concerns about your child's articulation or language skills, don't wait! It's always better to address deficits earlier rather than later.

Source:

Farquharson, K. (2019). It might not be “just artic”: The case for the single sound error. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_pers-sig1-2018-0019