Dyslexia vs a Speech Sound Disorder
In our words, a speech sound disorder is trouble saying the sounds of speech. Dyslexia is a name for a pattern of trouble reading words, spelling, or both. In our view, raise speech that is hard to follow with your child's doctor. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
TL;DR
- In our words, a speech sound disorder is trouble saying the sounds of speech. We hold no professional definition of a speech sound disorder. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
- One study followed children who had early trouble saying speech sounds (Hayiou-Thomas and colleagues, 2017). Those children were more at risk of trouble with spelling and reading words. They were also more at risk of trouble with the sounds inside words. The authors found the risk was greater when children had other risks too.
- One study followed children who had early trouble saying speech sounds (Hayiou-Thomas and colleagues, 2017). In that study, also having language trouble was "strongly predictive" of later reading and spelling. Dyslexia in the family also helped predict later reading and spelling. That is a finding about many children.
- We hold no study of whether speech therapy changes reading. Reading improves with reading instruction. In our view, a child may need help with speech and help with reading. One does not replace the other. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
- In our view, raise speech that is hard to follow with your child's doctor. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
Dyslexia is a name for a pattern of trouble reading words, spelling, or both. Struggling to read says nothing about how smart your child is.
”DyslexiaTwo different jobs
In our words, a speech sound disorder is trouble saying the sounds of speech. We hold no professional definition of a speech sound disorder. Dyslexia is a name for a pattern of trouble reading words, spelling, or both. Struggling to read says nothing about how smart your child is. In our view, the two names point at different things. Dyslexia is about reading words and spelling. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
What one study followed
One study followed children who had early trouble saying speech sounds (Hayiou-Thomas and colleagues, 2017). Those children were more at risk of trouble with spelling and reading words. They were also more at risk of trouble with the sounds inside words. The authors found the risk was greater when children had other risks too. In that study, also having language trouble was "strongly predictive" of later reading and spelling. Dyslexia in the family also helped predict later reading and spelling. That is a finding about many children. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
What to tell the doctor
In our view, raise speech that is hard to follow with your child's doctor. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
Has anyone else in your family had trouble with reading or learning? If so, say so when you ask for help.
Speech help and reading help
We hold no study of whether speech therapy changes reading. Reading improves with reading instruction.
In our view, a child may need help with speech and help with reading. One does not replace the other. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
When to ask for help
Each of these is a reason to ask for help on its own.
- Little change, even with steady practice and good teaching.
- Reading well below what school expects.
- A teacher who raises a concern about reading.
- Extreme upset about reading.
- Complete avoidance of reading.
- Hopelessness about learning.
- Sadness or worry that lasts.
- Significant delays in speech, language or motor development.
- A skill that was there and has gone. Our position is that a lost skill goes to a doctor first, not a tutor.
If no skill has gone, start with the teacher. Say what you are seeing at home, and what you have tried. Beyond the teacher, the right person depends on what it turns out to be about. If the work is too hard, someone who works on that school skill. If worry or mood is the thing, someone who works with children's mental health. In our view, delays in speech, language or movement are worth raising with your child's doctor. In our view, if you are worried enough to ask, a professional evaluation is worth asking about.
Any talk of hurting themselves is a same-day call to your doctor or a crisis line.
In the classroom
If a child's speech sounds are hard to make out, note which sounds. Suggest the family raise it with the child's doctor, and ask about hearing.
Check for a missed step early. Teach it again, and see what the child does with it.
Two sentences for an email home: "Some of your child's speech sounds are hard for me to make out in class. What do you hear at home?"
Key Takeaways
In our words, a speech sound disorder is trouble saying the sounds of speech. We hold no professional definition of a speech sound disorder. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
One study followed children who had early trouble saying speech sounds (Hayiou-Thomas and colleagues, 2017). Those children were more at risk of trouble with spelling and reading words. They were also more at risk of trouble with the sounds inside words. The authors found the risk was greater when children had other risks too.
One study followed children who had early trouble saying speech sounds (Hayiou-Thomas and colleagues, 2017). In that study, also having language trouble was "strongly predictive" of later reading and spelling. That is a finding about many children.
In our view, raise speech that is hard to follow with your child's doctor. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
We hold no study of whether speech therapy changes reading. Reading improves with reading instruction. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
Look at a picture book together. Ask your child to name things in the pictures. Note any sounds that come out unclear. Take the note when you ask for help.
”What to do tonightWhat to use next
A set of questions you answer about what you see at home. A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing, or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too — that's the only route to those supports.
A short reading and spelling practice. Each word appears letter by letter. The picture comes only once the word is complete. So guessing from the image is not available. It includes writing words from memory. That practices the spelling and the writing of a word at the same time.
Common questions from parents
Is it a speech sound disorder or dyslexia?
In our words, a speech sound disorder is trouble saying the sounds of speech. Dyslexia is a name for a pattern of trouble reading words, spelling, or both. In our view, the two names point at different things. We cannot tell you which of these names fits your child. In our view, raise speech that is hard to follow with your child's doctor. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
Is trouble saying speech sounds linked to reading trouble?
One study followed children who had early trouble saying speech sounds (Hayiou-Thomas and colleagues, 2017). Those children were more at risk of trouble with spelling and reading words. They were also more at risk of trouble with the sounds inside words. The authors found the risk was greater when children had other risks too. In that study, also having language trouble was "strongly predictive" of later reading and spelling. That is a finding about many children. In our view, raise speech that is hard to follow with your child's doctor. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.
Will speech therapy help my child's reading?
We hold no study of whether speech therapy changes reading. Reading improves with reading instruction. In our view, a child may need help with speech and help with reading. One does not replace the other. In our view, raise speech that is hard to follow with your child's doctor. Ask your child's doctor whether hearing has been checked recently.