Its Fall and apple picking is underway. When gazing down the long rows of trees you will notice signs indicating the vast number of apple types and even apple hybrids there may be in any given orchard, and if you ever decided to make anything with those delicious apples you will notice that different recipes call for different types of apples. We need to know the type of apples to know how to use it. Similarly, speech therapists need to investigate the type of speech sound errors their clients and patients may make in order to best provide the right treatment method. This may be straightforward and understood at the time of the initial evaluation, may need follow up testing to rule in or rule out a suspicion, or it may be a longer process that happens over time as therapists collect patterns of data. One of the more difficult differential diagnoses a speech therapist may have to make is in regards to a motor planning based disorder because hallmark features overlap with two other main speech sound disturbances. Therapists may request additional diagnostic testing periodically as the development of a child’s language itself may reveal characteristics of a speech disorder type that was not previously seen. It is also important that as parents and professionals we are aware that speech sound disorder may not happen in isolation, and that multiple types may be present at one time. What we do know is that good information can help provide the best outcomes as therapists can tailor individual programs to fit the client’s individual needs.