Developing intelligible speech is not so easy. It means that your child has to correctly produce enough sounds to be understood. So what could be causing your child’s difficulty in producing intelligible speech?
There can be several causes. It may be because he hasn’t learned the correct placement or manner of production for certain sounds. It could be because he is only able to inconsistently produce the sounds he has mastered. It is also possible that your child’s speech is difficult to understand because of structural problems or oral weakness.
The role of a speech pathologist is to evaluate why your child’s speech is difficult to understand. Finding the underlying cause/s for your child’s reduced speech intelligibility is essential to correctly treating the condition. Understanding the cause should aid in the rate of progress toward improved articulation.
If your child is over the age of 3 and their speech remains difficult to understand by you or others, consider consulting with a speech pathologist.