Speech Sound Disorder

A communication disorder affecting the development of accurate speech sound and prosody production in childhood. Children with SSDs struggle with phonological representation, phonological awareness, and print awareness, which can lead to difficulties learning to read and impact communication skills development. SSDs encompass both articulation disorders (difficulty producing specific sounds due to motor control issues) and phonological disorders (difficulty understanding the sound patterns of language). Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a specific type of SSD affecting motor planning for speech. Up to 70% of speech-language pathologists have waiting lists for SSD services, making digital therapy tools an important complement to clinical care.