A lisp is not generally considered a disability. To be qualified as a disability, it would need to be substantially limited in the major life activity of speaking. To explain the over arching concept, you can read a great article from American Institure of stuttering on “The Americans with Disabilities Act: How it relates to stuttering”.
The American Disabilities Act states that an individual is disabled if he or she: (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; (2) has a record of such an impairment; or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment. Speaking and communicating are included in the major life activities. However, in the case of a lisp, unless it can be proven that it substancially limits major life activities, a lisp would not be a disability.
In the United Kingdom, the Equality Act 2010 defines a disabled person when he or she has (1) a physical or mental impairment and (2) the impairment has a substantial and (3) long-term adverse effect on his or her (4) ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. In this specific case also, a lisp is not a disability as it does not meet substancial impairment criteria and thus does not qualify as a disability (example in page 56). However, as it relates to section B6, a minor impairment like a lisp combined with another minor impairment, when combined, could meet the qualifying criteria for disability.
What is the treatment for lisps? How can you get rid of a lisp?
Speech and language therapy is highly effective in helping individuals overcome lisps. Through consistent therapy sessions, individuals can learn to retrain their tongue and speech muscles to produce the correct /s/ and /z/ sounds. With practice and guidance from a skilled SLP, individuals can gradually improve their speech clarity, fluency, and confidence.
However, in more severe cases, additional interventions may be necessary such as orthodontic treatment or surgical intervention may be considered. However, surgical intervention for anatomic diffrences is typically a last resort and is only pursued when all other options have been exhausted.
What would lisp speech therapy involve?
Speech and language therapy is a common treatment approach for lisps. In therapy, a speech-language pathologist (SLP) will assess the individual’s specific speech patterns and develop a tailored treatment plan. The therapy sessions usually consist of targeted exercises and techniques aimed at improving overall speech intelligibility and correcting the lisp.
During therapy, the SLP may focus on:
- developing proper tongue placement, strengthening the muscles involved in producing the /s/ and /z/ sounds.
- increasing awareness of sound production.
- providing feedback and guidance on proper articulation techniques.
The therapist may use visual aids, such as mirrors or videos, to help individuals visualize correct tongue and mouth movements.
Furthermore, speech and language therapy may provide articulation worksheets or articulation apps for families to do therapy between sessions.
Carrie Clark from Speech and Language Kids explains well here how a speech and language pathologist would help with tongue placement for lisp correction:
What do to at home to help treat a lisp?
An assessment with an SLP should always be a first start because correcting a lisp requires professional support. Though accessing services or paying for services is not available to everyone so here are some tips you could try at home :
- Practice proper tongue placement: The tongue should be positioned behind the top front teeth while producing the /s/ and /z/ sounds.
- Use a mirror to observe the mouth and tongue movements while speaking to become more aware of your articulation and make necessary adjustments.
- Practice /s/ and /z/ with a single vowel such as /s/ /o/ or /e/ /s/, trying as many correct repetitions as possible. This may take some time to get proper /s/ or /z/ sound and keep practicing until you get it right before moving to more complex words.
- Then try simple single syllable words, then slowly increasing difficulty to longer phrase and sentences.
The main goal is to ensure proper sound articulation before increasing the complexity of the words correctly pronounced.
It is important to note that while trying to home to improve a lisp may be effective in improving speech clarity, it is always recommended to consult with a speech-language pathologist for a comprehensive evaluation and personalized treatment plan.
Which speech impediment do Daffy Duck and Tweety bird have?
Daffy Duck and Tweety Bird have lisps.
"I tawt I taw a puddy tat!" (Original: "I thought I saw a pussycat!")
When is lisping a concern? Is a lisp serious?
Lisping is a common occurrence in young children as they develop speech and language skills. In many cases, lisping naturally resolves as children grow older and acquire better control over their articulators.
However, if a lisp persists beyond the age of 4 or 5, or if it significantly impacts the individual’s ability to communicate and be understood, you should consider a professional assessment by a speech and language pathologist.
What causes a lisp?
Some individuals develop a lisp because of a tongue thrust, where the tongue pushes against the front teeth during speech. Others may have a lisp due to a misalignment of the teeth or jaw, cleft palate, or oral motor function, causing difficulty in producing certain sounds. In many children, lisping is simply a normal part of a child’s speech development process and will resolve on it’s own by 4 or 5 years old. Lisping can also be a consequence of certain medical conditions, including hearing impairment or neurological disorders.
Identifying the underlying cause of the lisp is essential in determining the most appropriate treatment approach and achieving successful outcomes.
At what age should a lisp go away?
Lisps often disappear without therapy. By age 5, 75% of children will have mastered the sounds /s/ & /z/ according to an in-depth review of multiple studies in “Children’s English Consonant Acquisition in the United States: A Review” Crowe & McLeod (2020).
In the same study, 90% of children will have mastered it by age 8, so there is a wide normal range. A speech and language pathologist might however not recommend to wait until later in that normal range to provide extra support to master this sound.
What are the diffrent types of lisps?
There are several types of lisps, each characterized by a specific speech error. The most common types include:
- interdental lisps occur when the tongue protrudes between the front teeth during the production of the /s/ and /z/ sounds. This results in a “th” sound instead of the intended sound
- lateral lisps occur when the airflow escapes from the sides of the tongue, causing a slushy or “slushy” sound
- palatal lisps, also known as “sh” lisps, occur when the tongue contacts the hard palate during sound production
The specific type of lisp an individual has will guide the treatment approach and therapy techniques recommended by a speech-language pathologist.
The connection between lisping and misaligned teeth
It is not uncommon to find a correlation between lisping and misaligned teeth. The position of the teeth, particularly the front teeth, can influence airflow and tongue placement required for proper speech production. When the teeth are misaligned, it can significantly impact the accurate production of sounds, including the /s/ and /z/ sounds.
Therefore, it is essential to address any underlying dental issues that may contribute to a lisp. Orthodontic treatment, such as braces or other corrective methods, can help align the teeth and improve speech clarity. In some cases, a collaboration between a speech-language pathologist and an orthodontist may be required to achieve the best possible outcomes.
