Lisp is use  to describe the way a child mispronounces words.  It refers to the s sound being pronounced as a th . So a word like sister will be pronounced thithter and seven will be pronounced as theven.

The s sound  is normally pronounced with the tongue behind the top teeth. A child with lisp pushes the tongue out.

Lisp happens to many children and most will outgrow it by the age of 7 with no intervention at all. Pointing out to your child that she has lisp wont help her. It may rather decrease her self esteem.

How can i help my child with lisp

• Treat any allergy, cold or sinus problems so that your child can breath with her lips together  and through her nose. Open mouth breathing can cause the tongue to lie flat and protrude.  Stuffy nose can also be a factor so work on nose blowing
• Try to keep the child’s fingers out of her mouth as much as possible since thumb sucking can contribute to lisp
• Let the child use a straw when drinking juice. It encourages using of your lips instead of putting pressure on the teeth. This kind of sucking motion promotes good oral motor strength  which is important in language development.
• Take the child to the dentist if one of the teeth is accidentally knocked out and have it replaced with a fake tooth. This will stop the  child’s tongue from poking through the gap where the tooth should be.
• Encourage activities that improve oral motor strength.  Such actives include blowing into a party horn with a small round mouthpiece or blowing bubbles
• Have your child look in a mirror and practice putting her teeth together while she makes the s sound. This will help her remember to keep her tongue behind her teeth.