''does he need speech therapy?'' I'd say, ''Yes'!'

As a young boy, I had some speech problems, which were easily corrected by early intervention (I was about 6 years old, 2 classes a week, for about 6 weeks) so I speak with some (admittedly, very limited) experience. Kids with impediments tend to be bullied by the other kids. That alone is a good reason for intervention. His family appears affluent, and either they are (IMHO) irresponsible for not handling the problem in a timely manner (speaking like a 3-year-old when 9 years old seems problematic), or the child has serious developmental problems (unlikely, I believe) which precludes effective therapy. Kids like to be like the other kids, as a rule. They WANT to talk like their peers! If the parents are of the "woke" persuasion, they may just be thinking, "That's the way our sweet little darling is, and we just have to accept it, and encourage him," which is (again IMHO) bullshit. I wouldn't place too much stock in DSM-5 classifications - for the most part (again, IMHO, but backed up by some excellent evidence) psychology/psychiatry are, for the most part, bunk. Where are you on the disorder "spectrum" list? Don't forget -- EVERYONE now is in need of immediate, extensive, and usually life-long therapy, according to the "expert" shrinks... Paid for my HMOs, of course. See, we're ALL sick in the head! I'd bet that a competent BoyLover could correct that kids faulty speech habits in just a few months. Given the chance, that is. Which, in today's climate, is highly unlikely. M. I wonder what other strange ideas his parents may have planted/be planting in the poor kids head. Will his pronouns be "they/she/her" in a few years (the kid practices ballet, remember?) when puberty "threatens"? I don't see anything good coming out of that...