Phonological Disorders in Preschoolers

Phonological Processes are patterns of sound errors which preschoolers use to simplify speech as they are learning to talk. These processes are considered normal unless they continue beyond the age when most preschoolers have stopped using them. These types of errors may include: deletion of final consonants, cluster reduction, voicing voiceless consonants, fronting and/or backing sounds, to name a few. If the phonological process persists past when it is expected to be extinguished, the preschooler may have a Phonological Processing Disorder. Speech therapy for phonological processes will often target a class of sounds (i.e. the “k” sound and the “g” sound simultaneously) while still moving through the hierarchy until mastery is achieved.