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Yes, it can. Thumb-sucking and speech problems go together like peanut butter and jelly, Bert and Ernie, Charlotte and banking, milk and cookies – you name it. 

Just like milk and cookies, thumb-sucking can be a good thing in moderation. A child who sucks his or her thumb has an effective, instant self-soothing strategy, which is a good thing when the child is anxious or upset. However, if thumb-sucking becomes a habit, speech (pronunciation, or “articulation,” as speech therapists call it) can be affected. The repetitive act of placing the thumb inside the mouth causes the tongue to be pushed backwards, bunching up in the back of the mouth. Over time, this negatively affects tongue position and tongue movement, even when the thumb ISN’T in the child’s mouth. As a result, the child may begin to thrust his or her tongue too far forward during speech (e.g., “lisping” S and Z sounds), may have trouble lifting the tongue up to produce L or R sounds, or may distort other speech sounds.

If a speech-language evaluation determines that a child is not pronouncing speech sounds at age-level, the speech therapist can work with him or her on the specific speech sounds that are troublesome. At the same time, the speech therapist may use some oral motor therapy exercises to help the child’s tongue strength and positioning so the tongue muscles can “recover” from the effects of thumb-sucking.

Speech therapists are often asked how parents can help their children kick the habit of thumb-sucking. Some common approaches include:

• Giving praise or rewards at home when the child is NOT sucking the thumb
• Behavioral therapy – where the child is given alternatives to thumb-sucking, such as squeezing or tapping fingers together
• Nontoxic liquids or salves that coat the thumb, making it taste bad
• A dental appliance in the roof of the mouth – this makes sucking the thumb uncomfortable, and must be fitted by a dentist. Because habitual thumb-sucking pushes the upper  front teeth forward and out, a dental appliance used to stop the thumb-sucking may help prevent additional orthodontic needs later in childhood.