Speaking is the basic form of communication. Everyone talks to get their points through to other people. So, happens if a person’s speech is impaired? He has a hard time conveying his messages. Also, he could be subjected to ridicule by people who cannot understand his condition. All in all, a person with a speech impediment may need to fight through each day just to live a normal life.

A lisp comes as a classic example of a discomforting speech impediment. People with a lisp have trouble pronouncing some letters and words. Sibilant consonants like “s” and “z” are not pronounced as they are replaced with ’slushy’ sounds. Vowel sounds are also problem areas. Most of the time, vowels come off as airy and unclear sounds, which is why most of the words spoken by lisped people are hard to understand.

Lisps are common in children. Normally outgrown at the age of five, some people who have misaligned or uncharacteristically long tongues have their lisps until they are given proper therapy. Lisps are generally curable though, an immediate cure has yet to be discovered. A lisp is treated through rehabilitation and speech therapy. Here is a guide on how to go through a successful lisp therapy:
Step 1: Find a Good Speech Therapist

Speech therapists are easy to find since every town only has a handful. Finding the best therapist among the available ones is the real challenge. With some sleuthing and the aid of modern technology, you can sieve your town until you the therapist who provides the most effective lisp treatment.

• Online Forums – The internet is not nicknamed as the “information superhighway” for nothing. With the use of a reputable search engine, you will have no problems locating all the speech therapists in your area. You can proceed to an online forum that provides information about each therapist. There you will see the comments of the previous clients of all the therapists. Just read through the comments and you will be able to adjudge the therapist who you need to visit for your lisp.
• Ask Around – You can play detective and ask all the people you know about the best speech therapist in your area. You can also ask your friends, relatives and acquaintances. With that many people, you can surely find a good therapist. If you are lucky, one of your distant aunts or uncles might be a speech therapist and provide you free service.
• Online Therapists – Some therapists have websites, while others post advertisements on websites that hold online classified ads. Check the websites and read through the scope of service for each. You can go for the ones who provide home service, if you are a busy person. Also, you can also search for therapists in social networking websites since almost every person nowadays has a social networking account.

Step 2: Get the Proper Diagnosis

There are various types of lisps and some of them entail a distinct set of procedures. Once you have found a good speech therapist, you must deal with him properly for him to determine the the type of lisp that you have and the treatment for your lisp.

• Honest Lengthy Answers – You should always give honest answers when the therapist asks you for information. Being shy about a particular question might make the difference, in determining the type of lisp that you have. To make things easier for your therapist, you can give lengthy narrative answers. Remember that long answers can always give away details that can shorten the fact finding process of therapists.
• Provide Additional Information – There are times when therapists get tired from entertaining too many patients. Moreover, fatigue can make therapists miss a question or two in their fact-finding process. Ensure that your therapist is in the right track by providing additional information and supporting answers for most of his questions.
• Follow Directions – Your therapist will have you do several speech exercises to determine the severity of your condition. Follow your therapist’s every direction carefully so that he can customize a treatment that can speed up your process of recovery. If you encounter a tricky procedure, be sure to ask your therapist for some guidance.

Step 3: Show Determination in Therapy

Once your therapist has given you a program for speech rehabilitation, you will undergo a barrage of speech tests and exercises. Some of them can get frustrating since you are not accustomed to pronouncing some letters. You must not give in to the thought of quitting as you finish every single speech exercise that your therapist hands you. Here are some tips to help make therapy a bit easier for you:

• Know Your Lisp – Get familiarized with the letters and words that you have the hardest time pronouncing. You can list the words and letters down on a piece of paper and practice them during your free time. Gradually, the speech tests will get easier since your tongue will be more familiarized with the correct pronunciations.
• Brace Yourself for Braces – In some cases, therapists will require you to wear braces since some types of lisps are caused by misaligned teeth. Installing braces can be painful, which is why you should be mentally prepared for the procedure. You can think about the lyrics of your favorite songs, your crushes or other stimulating thoughts to distract your mind from completely acknowledging pain.
• More Exercises if You Wear Braces – Once the procedure is over, get accustomed to the feel of having braces. Braces realign your teeth, which means your mouth and tongue’s positions should adjust when speaking. Normally, the positional adjustment of your mouth, teeth and tongue can cause speech problems that are independent from your lisp. You can remedy those speech problems and ultimately, your lisp if you practice your speech exercises continuously.

Conclusion

If you have a lisp, you should not worry. Many people have recovered from their lisps. You simply have to display much determination and follow all the treatment procedures for you to get rid of your lisp. Besides, you can always go over this guide if you encounter trouble with any of the procedures.