Lisp?

Leave him alone...he'll grow out of it.

It wouldn't hurt to speak to the school and have their specialist take a look at him. I'm surprised the teacher hasn't mentioned it. Same with the pediatrician. It could be something, it could be nothing. I would start with some very low key evaluation to see if it's just a habit with all that spit, or if he's got some dental changes going on, or if he needs a little therapy. I wouldn't stress him out over it, but if he's learning to form words this way, he will get past the point when he can learn new speech patterns and correct this.

L.,

I had a lisp as a child. I was evaluated and did have speech therapy at school for it when I was young... maybe 1st through 3rd grade.

I am very glad that my parents and the school had it corrected. As an adult, on occasion it still slips out, and it's embarrassing for me. I prefer to speak correctly.

I'd bring it up and ask for speech therapy if it's available. Especially since he's a boy, a lisp might be something other kids would pick on as he gets older.

Just my opinion.

J

As far as outgrowing it, I think it partially depends on what kind of lisp it is. My daughter is 4.5 and has one in which she says "th" sounds instead of "s" or "z" sounds. Speech evaluators I've talked to indicated that she isn't expected to master those sounds until around age 6, so right now they don't consider it an issue. Her other language skills are fine and the lisp doesn't impede her communication. If she still has the lisp when she turns 6 I can ask for an evaluation through her school. Hope this helps.

I would talk to your child's teacher or your pediatrician, but I wouldn't worry too much. I was "Mithy Thue" until I was about your son's age. I did have a major overbite and could stick my tongue part-way out of my mouth through clenched teeth and I also sucked my fingers constantly, but my real problem was that I just didn't place my tongue in the right place to make an "S" sound. My mom talked to my teacher in Kindergarten or 1st grade and they had me evaluated by the school's speech therapist, but the therapist said I'd grow out of it and didn't need therapy. My mom was very confused and was a bit angry at first, even made the therapist evaluate me again, but I did fully grow out of it within a year or so. Have him evaluated, but don't stress too much about it.

L.,

Articulation issues that do not effect the educational performance of the student are not addressed by the vast majority of public schools. If the teacher were to bring it up, the school would be obligated to do an evaluation, even if they know that the child will not quailfy for services, tecnically, if a teacher brings it up, they have to test them, so it is highly unlikely that you will ever hear a teacher mention it.

You can ask for an evaluation, but it is probably not going to get him services, so I would suggest that you contact a private speech therapist and do a little therapy and see if you can take care of it. You may have to pay for the therapy, but you never know, you might have insurance benefits that cover it.

M.

My now 18 year old daughter has a very slight lisp. It's endearing to me, I don't even notice it. I mentioned it to her doctor at around age 3 or 4 and to her preschool teachers and all told me she would outgrow it. She's 18 and still has it. I would guess that by 7 1/2, it's pretty well set unless you put him in speech therapy. As a mom I would question if it is severe enough to put him through therapy for, or if putting him in therapy would cause him to think something was wrong with him, that he was not acceptable. Mostly, I'd just let it go.