Speech problems mainly concern how sounds and words are pronounced. Some children are difficult to understand or omit certain sounds, while others substitute sounds or speak with a rhythm that doesn’t match what’s expected for their age.

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Possible signs of speech problems include:

• Your child is hard to understand, even for people who know them well  

• Sounds are omitted or mispronounced (e.g., saying “air” instead of “chair”) 

• Your child speaks in a way that doesn’t match their age (e.g., continues using ‘baby talk’)  

• Speech is hesitant or requires a lot of effort  

• Your child lisps when speaking  

• Your child becomes frustrated when not understood  

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Speech problems can affect your child’s self-confidence, communication with others, and overall language and reading development.

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If you’re unsure whether your child is easy to understand or you notice they speak differently than other children their age, it’s a good idea to have this assessed.