You’ve probably been there—faced with a preschooler whose caregivers are asking about R therapy or a high schooler with an established, distorted R. Maybe your workplace is considering updating its guidelines from the standard “wait ’til 8” (or, yikes… 9), and you need some research to support your position. Today, we’re going to address the age-old question: What’s the ideal age for R intervention? Here, we’ll explore the research to guide your decision-making, from acquisition norms to those tricky timelines. Let’s dive in!
Acquisition Norms: When Do Most Kids Acquire the R Sound?
You might think R isn’t acquired until later in childhood. However, research by McLeod and Crowe (2018) suggests otherwise! They examined data from 64 studies involving 26,007 children across 31 countries in 27 languages and found that 90-100% of children have mastered R by age 5. Yes, before their 6th birthday, friends! This indicates that many kids reach R proficiency earlier than we might expect.
In the U.S., Crowe and McLeod’s (2020) findings echo this, showing that most American kids acquire R between ages 5:0 and 5:11. In fact, plenty of two- and three-year-olds demonstrate impressive vocalic Rs, so it’s not entirely uncommon.
So, why the hesitation to target R early? Perhaps it’s the complexity of R or workload pressures, but this research suggests that waiting until kids are 7, 8, or even 9 may be outdated.
What About Gliding?
According to ASHA, gliding typically resolves by ages 6-7. In other words, those “wabbit” and “wed” substitutions should start to fade out by the time a child is in first grade. Gliding occurs when a child substitutes the “r” or “l” sound with a “w” or “y” sound, such as saying “wabbit” instead of “rabbit.” This is a normal part of early speech development but may require intervention if it persists beyond age 7. This is a helpful guideline for SLPs, as persistent gliding beyond age 7 may indicate a need for intervention.
When Should Treatment Begin? Let’s Talk Ages
Earliest Possible Intervention
Yes, you can target R in preschool! Research by Krueger and Storkel (2022) found that children ages 4-5 can achieve correct R articulation as effectively as 7-8-year-olds. Younger kids may require a few extra minutes per session to reach high trial numbers, but they can still make meaningful progress with the R sound.
Ideal Age to Start
Shriberg et al. (1994) provide a helpful benchmark: speech errors start to “solidify” by age 8.5. Starting R intervention by age 7.5 may improve the likelihood of success and prevent ingrained motor patterns from taking hold. This aligns with research showing that early intervention—even if it’s just experimenting with the R sound—can set kids up for later success.
The “Last Call” for R Intervention
If a student reaches ages 8-9 without an accurate R sound, don’t wait much longer. By middle school, a distorted R can become an ingrained habit, which makes correction harder. But don’t worry too much—there’s still hope, even for teens and adults. With a tailored approach and some patience, progress is achievable at any age.
Putting It All Together
Let’s face it: R therapy can be challenging. But with these age guidelines, you have research-backed insights to help decide when intervention might be most effective:
- Most children acquire R by age 5.5 (Crowe & McLeod, 2020).
- Gliding typically resolves by ages 6-7 (ASHA).
- Consider intervention by ages 4-5 if the child is stimulable (i.e. they are able to produce the R with help) and ready to try.
- Aim to start intervention by age 7.5, as errors solidify around age 8.5 (Shriberg et al., 1994).
Bottom Line: Treating the Whole Child
Krueger and Storkel’s (2022) study reminds us: don’t base decisions solely on age or error type. Consider the “whole child,” including:
- Stimulability
- Motivation
- Maturity
- Family support
According to Crowe & McLeod (2020), we should also consider:
- Production and Perception
- Intelligibility (i.e. how easy are they to understand) and Stimulability
- Phonological Awareness and Spelling/Reading
- Academic and social impact
- Input from the child and important adults
There’s a lot to consider when making these decisions, so don’t underestimate the value of your own clinical experience. Better yet, if the student is already on your caseload, you can start working on stimulability—even before they technically qualify for R intervention based on possibly cough outdated cough guidelines.
Ready for a Handy Guide?
Gearing up to present some evidence to your boss or just want a quick-reference guide? We’ve got one waiting for you in our VIP freebie library. We hope it helps!
Now go Rock the R (when the time is right)! You’ve got this!
References:
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). (n.d.). Typical Speech and Language Development. Retrieved from https://www.asha.org/
- Crowe, K., & McLeod, S. (2020). Acquisition of Speech Sounds in 27 Languages: A Cross-Linguistic Review. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(3), 1159–1177.
- Krueger, B. I., & Storkel, H. L. (2022). The Impact of Age on the Treatment of Late-Acquired Sounds in Children with Speech Sound Disorders. Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 36(10), 887–902.
- McLeod, S., & Crowe, K. (2018). Cross-Linguistic Patterns in the Acquisition of Consonants: Evidence from 27 Languages. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 61(5), 1101–1118.
- Shriberg, L. D., Kwiatkowski, J., & Mabie, H. L. (1994). Developmental Phonological Disorders: Educational and Clinical Issues. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 25, 9–18.
