Speech sound disorders (articulation and phonology): SLP roles, per ASHA
ASHA’s Practice Portal covers speech sound disorders (SSDs) with no known cause, which it says were historically called articulation and phonological disorders, in children ages 3 to 21. It lists the roles SLPs play in screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. This page quotes ASHA only.
Quoted from official pages checked November 12, 2026. Confirm current information on those sites. This page is not medical, legal, or billing advice and does not describe any patient’s care.
Source read on November 12, 2026: ASHA’s Practice Portal page Speech Sound Disorders: Articulation and Phonology.
ASHA’s Practice Portal pages are written for clinicians. Quotes below stop before ASHA’s in-text research citations.
Scope
ASHA states: “Idiopathic SSDs are typically identified in childhood.” It notes that speech sound problems tied to motor or neurological disorders, structural differences, or hearing loss are not covered on that page, and points to its pages on childhood apraxia of speech and cleft lip and palate. On this site, see apraxia of speech and cleft lip and palate.
On error types, ASHA states: “A single child might show both articulation and phonological error types. Those specific errors might need different treatment approaches.”
Roles for SLPs
Among the “Appropriate roles for SLPs” ASHA lists:
- “Screen individuals who present with speech sound difficulties and determine the need for further assessment and/or referral for other services.”
- “Recognize that students with SSDs have heightened risks for later language and literacy problems.”
- “Conduct a culturally and linguistically relevant comprehensive assessment of speech, language, and communication.”
- “Diagnose the presence or absence of an SSD within linguistic profiles.”
- “Develop treatment plans, provide intervention and support services, document progress, and determine appropriate service delivery approaches and dismissal criteria.”
What this page does not do
It does not repeat ASHA’s assessment procedures, error-pattern examples, or treatment approach list. It is not medical advice and does not recommend any treatment, device, or product. Scope of practice is set by state law; check your state board.