How to Deal With a Lisp

According to Dr. Peter Wang, there are many different kinds of lisps, as well as ways to treat them. The physiological cause of a lisp is an incorrect use of the speech apparatus when making a sound. For example, people with a lateral lisp allow air to flow on both sounds of the tongue when pronouncing a "z" or "s" sound. However, people may experience lisps for psychological reasons.

Instructions

• 1

  Attend to the lisp early. If you are an adult with a lisp, contact your doctor about it as soon as it starts to bother you. If you are a parent, listen carefully to your child's speech for lisps, even if he is just beginning to talk. Speak correctly to your child and do not tell him you think the lisp is cute, according to Baby Center. Bring up your child's lisp when meeting with doctors and teachers, and get varying opinions about whether speech therapy would help.

• 2

  Enroll in speech therapy. Speech therapists provide exercises that teach you to correct your lisp by making sounds correctly. Complete the exercises as assigned by your speech therapist. Repeat each of the exercises as often as recommended by your speech therapist. According to Dr. Wang, speech therapy is designed to be repetitive.

• 3

  See a psychologist. Because some lisps may be caused by psychological issues, a psychologist can help you understand why you are not speaking correctly. Even if your lisp is not related to mental health, a psychologist can help you learn to improve your confidence when speaking or how to handle others' derogatory comments about your speech.

• 4

  Speak deliberately. If you have tried to cure your or your child's lisp, and it has not worked, plan public-speaking events carefully by writing and practicing your speeches. When possible, choose other types of communication. For example, instead of a conference call, chat with your clients over the Internet. However, do not be afraid to continue speaking.