Understanding frontal and lateral lisps in speech therapy: A parent’s guide

Elizabeth Mays, CCC-SLP

As a parent, you may come across terms like “lateral lisp” and “frontal lisp” when your child is undergoing speech therapy. These speech sound disorders can affect a child’s ability to produce certain sounds correctly. In this blog post, we will explore frontal and lateral lisps, understand their causes, and discuss how speech therapy can help your child overcome these challenges.

What is a Lateral Lisp?

A lateral lisp occurs when a child produces the /s/ and /z/ sounds by allowing air to flow over the sides of the tongue instead of through the middle of the mouth. This results in a distorted sound that may resemble a “slushy” or a “wet” /s/ sound. Lateral lisps can make it difficult for others to understand your child’s speech.

What is a Frontal Lisp?

On the other hand, a frontal lisp happens when a child produces the /s/ and /z/ sounds by pushing the tongue against or between the front teeth. This can cause the sound to be distorted, resulting in a “th” sound. Like lateral lisps, frontal lisps can affect speech clarity and may require intervention.

Sometimes, frontal lisps are developmental in nature and resolve on their own, whereas lateral lisps are never developmentally appropriate and should be targeted with speech therapy. 

Causes of Lateral and Frontal Lisps:

Lateral and frontal lisps can have various causes, including:

1. Tongue Placement: Improper tongue placement during speech production can contribute to the development of lisps. The tongue may rest too far back or too far forward, leading to incorrect airflow and sound production.

2. Muscular Weakness: Weak or poorly coordinated oral muscles can affect tongue positioning, making it challenging for a child to articulate sounds correctly.

3. Habits and Oral Structure: Prolonged use of thumb sucking, pacifiers, or extended bottle feeding can impact oral muscle development and tongue posture, potentially contributing to the development of lisps. Certain oral structures, such as a high palate or a tongue-tie, may also influence lisp formation.

Speech Therapy for Frontal and Lateral Lisps:

Speech therapy can be highly effective in treating lateral and frontal lisps. Here are some common approaches and techniques used in speech therapy:

1. Articulation Therapy: A speech-language pathologist (SLP) will work with your child to develop proper tongue placement and teach them the correct way to produce the /s/ and /z/ sounds. This may involve exercises and activities that target specific muscles and improve coordination.

2. Auditory Discrimination: SLPs help children distinguish between correct and incorrect sound production by providing auditory cues and feedback. This helps train the child’s ear to identify and differentiate the correct sound from the lisp.

3. Visual and Tactile Cues: SLPs may use visual aids, mirrors, and tactile cues to guide children in achieving proper tongue placement. These cues help children visualize and feel the correct tongue position, facilitating accurate sound production.

4. Home Practice: SLPs will provide exercises and activities for your child to practice at home. Consistency and practice are crucial for progress, so encouraging and supporting your child’s practice outside of therapy sessions is essential.

Patience and Support:

It’s important to remember that each child progresses at their own pace, and therapy outcomes can vary. Be patient and supportive as your child works on their speech skills. Celebrate their achievements and offer encouragement throughout the process.

Frontal and lateral lisps can present challenges for children in their speech development, but with the help of speech therapy, most lisps can be remediated with speech therapy. By understanding the causes of lisps and the techniques used in therapy, you can actively support your child’s speech production at home.