Are you aware of Articulation Therapy? Teaching kids to utter speech sounds that they cannot produce is called Articulation Therapy. Some children may have difficulty uttering certain sounds. He or she may omit or improperly alter certain sounds, during the course of their speech. Young children sometimes may have certain issues related to their articulation. They should be able to outgrow these with age. But if these disorders persist even when they grow older then you must approach a Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP) to detect and treat the problem. The sooner the problem is detected the better is the chance of recovery. In this blog we will try to make you aware about misarticulation and how you could have it treated.
Types of Articulation Problems
In order to detect an articulation or voice disorder you need to understand the types of disorders. You need to consider 2 important factors in regard to speech or articulation. These are as follows:
- The type of speech sound error(s) your child is making
- Your child’s age
When it comes to articulation disorders, generally it is common in children in the age groups of 3 and 6 years. Gradually as your child grows he or she develops the ability to pronounce different types of sounds. Studies have shown that for a child of 2 years, 50% of what he or she speaks may be intelligible. By the age of 4 years there must be a considerable improvement in the same. By 7 years a child should be able to articulate much clearly which must be consistent with norms of the community. If you observe that in spite of growing up, your child is still having difficulty to pronounce certain sounds then there is a problem which needs to be treated.
Treating Misarticulation Using Articulation Therapy
Once the problem of articulation is detected by the SLP, decides on the course of treatment. These may depend on the age of the child, number of sounds in errors, and other factors. The first thing the SLP would see if the child is able to utter the sound by him or herself. In case the child is unable to do so correctly, the SLP would pronounce the correct way in which it should be pronounced. He or she would check whether the child is able to do the same correctly. This is called the first level of “isolation“. The second level is called the Syllable level. At this level the SLP would use the long and short vowel sounds along with the target sound. Thereafter the stages are treating so that the child is properly able to pronounce words and sentences properly. These are followed by proper reading and conversation.
You must ensure that the SLP treating your child is competent enough. The progress often depends on the age of the child. The earlier the treatment is started the better the chances of recovery. As a parent your role is critical as well. You need to very patient throughout the period of treatment. You need to be encouraging as well. You must be present while the therapy sessions are being done and try to repeat the same at home. Speechplus has a team of expert SLPs who can provide the best speech therapy to your child. For details about treatment please visit our website.