Lateral Lisp Remediation Protocol: Assessment, Phonetic Shaping & Carryover

This protocol is for school-based and private-practice SLPs who have a child with a lateral distortion on their caseload and feel stuck. You've tried drilling the S, you've heard "a little less slushy," and you've watched progress slide back two steps for every three it gains. The issue is rarely effort. It's that the old lateralized sound keeps getting practiced, and the motor pattern stays strong. Inside, you'll get a phased plan you can follow session by session. It starts with an assessment that separates a motor-based distortion from a structural or functional concern. You'll learn how to check whether the child can brace the sides of the tongue for T, D and N, because that tells you whether you can start now or need to wait. From there you'll build a new, non-lateralized sound using phonetic shaping, and use cognitive reframing to treat it as a new sound rather than a corrected old one. You'll then work through syllables, words and sentences with a strict rule: no lateral airflow is accepted during practice. The final phases cover carryover, data-based decisions, and troubleshooting when progress stalls. This protocol draws on Amy Graham's clinical work as a speech sound disorders specialist and international speaker. She has taught lateral lisp remediation to SLPs through a two-hour course and live webinars. Her approach, shown in her therapy clips, uses a "spray bottle" sound for CH, an "X" through the old sound, and a clear line between the old and new productions. The protocol turns that approach into a structure you can follow, with timing, scripts, success criteria and fixes for common problems.