|
 Articulation
refers to the actual speech sounds that make up words (i.e.
"s, l, r"..), as well as how the sounds are put
together to produce syllables, words, and sentences.
Sometimes a child does not make
speech sounds correctly due to incorrect placement or movement
of the articulators (tongue, jaw, lips, velum). There are
many possible reasons why a child could be making incorrect
sounds for his/her age. When children have
multiple/chronic ear infections as an infant/toddler, this puts
them at risk for developing a speech sound delay. A child
may have a hearing impairment, weak muscles, or even a
structural problem (i.e. cleft palate) contributing to the
articulation errors. For some children, the cause may be
related to general developmental delay, delayed cognitive
development, genetic "predisposition", bad speech
habits, or even unknown. These factors are common causes
of speech problems, but not an exhaustive list. The above
problems can co-occur as well. Thus, a thorough
examination by a licensed professional is recommended if you
suspect your child to have any articulation errors.
TALKING
TIPS: HELP YOUR CHILD TO SPEAK CLEARLY BY:
| 1. |
Use
your best listening skills!! Really try
to focus on what the child is telling you, not how
it is said. It is ok to ignore the
mistakes. To improve, your child needs
practice! Thus, frequently correcting,
teasing, laughing, may cause your child to speak
less. It is important to keep your child
confidant about his/her speaking skills. |
| 2. |
Use
your best speech (when talking with your child). Repeat your child's message
correctly when they do make errors. (ie.
"wewe de gog" - "where's the
dog?-he's outside"). children learn by
listening. They don't need to repeat it
directly after you. Just provide a good
model for them to hear and imitate. Speak
slowly. |
| 3. |
Your
child may not say all sounds correctly at first,
and that is okay! It can take up to 8 years for
all children to speak correctly in a typically
developing child. Thus, some errors are to
be expected. See the developmental norms for
speech development. |
| 4. |
Let
your child know when you don't understand them,
don't just "pretend" to
understand. Ask them to show you what they
mean, or tell you again. Admit that you
don't understand. If you understood part of
it, let your child know ("Oh, your talking
about the dog", "what about him?"). |
| 5. |
Monitor
for ear infections, and have them treated
immediately. When a child gets an ear
infection, they may get a temporary, partial
hearing loss. This will cause them to not
hear all the sounds around them, and in speech
which is critical for good speech development (you
have to hear it correctly to imitate it!).
Thus, if your child has an ear infection, speak
clearly, in short and simple sentences. Make
sure they are looking at you when you are
speaking, and minimize background noise (such as
TV or radio). |
|
Amazon
Books: Speech Therapy For Children
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