There are two types of lisp! The first is what we can an interdental lisp which is when the tongue protrudes between the front teeth and the airflow is directed forwards. The /s/ and /z/ sounds begin to sound like /th/. Interdental lisps are common in children developing speech however after the age of 4.5 years old, they are no longer age-appropriate. The second type of lisp is a lateral lisp, which occurs when the air escapes over the sides of the tongue and into the cheeks…. this can occur on several sounds, /s/, /z/, /sh/, /ch/. Parents of children with lateral lisps often describe their child’s speech as sounding “mushy” or “slushy”. Lateral lisp isn’t considered typical in a child’s development and we recommend seeing a speech pathologist.
