Tag: Reading and Language Development

Outgrowing a Lateral Lisp

By Pam Marshalla

Q: Do you think a child should be able to outgrow a lateral lisp? I believe that a FRONTAL LISP is on the normal developmental continuum, but that the LATERAL LISP is not. To me, the lateral lisp is a motor pattern that is moving in the wrong direction, therefore, no matter how much maturity the client has, he will never reach correct production. The lateral lisp is an incorrect motor pattern as opposed to an immature motor pattern. An…

Denial of R Therapy: A Dialogue (R/W)

By Pam Marshalla

Q: Is there a website or document that describes the problem of pronouncing R’s as W’s? My friend’s 7-year-old daughter has this speech problem and she is now having reading difficulties. I feel the school has not diagnosed this because both parents are from Puerto Rico and the teachers probably think it’s an accent. I recognize the problem because my brother had it, and it was also not diagnosed because my parents are German and everyone just assumed it was…