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Neurodevelopmental

Speech sound disorder

Persistent difficulty in producing speech sounds, which causes the child to be poorly understood or which affects their communication, beyond what is expected for their age.

Common signs

Swaps or leaves out sounds ("tat" for "cat")People outside the family find them hard to understandAvoids speaking out of embarrassment

Tips

For you

  1. See a speech therapist
  2. Say the word correctly back to them without making them repeat it
  3. Sound games, rhymes and songs at home

For family and friends

  1. Speak slowly and clearly in front of them
  2. Don't make them repeat words in public

When to ask for help

  1. If at age 4 they are hard to understand
  2. If they withdraw or stop talking out of embarrassment

Test for families

For parents or relatives: answer thinking about the child or person you are worried about, over the last few weeks. There are 8 questions and you get your result straight away. Your answers are not saved or sent.

0 of 8
1. Swaps some sounds for others when speaking
2. Drops syllables or sounds from words
3. People who don't know them find them hard to understand
4. Some sounds always come out wrong
5. You can tell they feel embarrassed to speak
6. Avoids talking to new people
7. Gets frustrated when asked to repeat
8. Their difficulties are greater than those of other children their age

Free resources

Downloadable PDF sheetSigns, tips and resources to print or saveFree guide: Childhood and youthFree resource from Clínica Vivaldi

Related disorders

Intellectual disabilityNeurodevelopmentalGlobal developmental delayNeurodevelopmentalLanguage disorderNeurodevelopmentalStuttering (fluidity disorder of childhood onset)Neurodevelopmental

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Reviewed by María Teresa Fernández Vicente, health psychologist and neuropsychologist (registration no. CV17304), in November 2026. Educational information prepared by the Clínica Vivaldi team based on the DSM-5-TR classification. It does not replace a professional assessment and cannot be used to diagnose.