Which phonological error patterns are most appropriate to address first in a treatment program?

• A. Stoppage
• B. Fronting
• C. Gliding
• D. Final consonant deletion

Answer: (B)

Fronting is usually prioritized because it is an early-developing, highly stimulable pattern that affects many spoken words. When a child substitutes velars (like /k/ and /g/) with alveolars (like /t/ and /d/), a large portion of everyday vocabulary sounds distorted, so correcting this pattern yields noticeable improvements in intelligibility across a wide range of contexts. Because the child can often produce the correct place of articulation with cues and supports, you can achieve quick, reinforcing successes and build a solid foundation for addressing additional patterns later. The other patterns—stoppage, gliding, and final consonant deletion—tend to be less impactful on overall intelligibility across many words, may be less stimulable in isolation, or can resolve as children develop, so they are typically tackled after fronting.