Apr 13

Top 10 Resources on Speech, Language and Hearing

Top 10 Resources on Speech, Language and Hearing

Discover the importance of early language, listening, and speaking on literacy development. If you suspect that your child or a student is struggling with speech, language, and/or hearing problems, learn more about testing and assessment, accommodations, and additional professional help. You’ll also find tips on reading aloud with children who have speech and language problems or who are deaf or hard of hearing.

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/top-10-resources-speech-language-and-hearing

Mar 06

Resources

/s/

When children misarticulate /s/, it is often in one of two ways:

-a frontal lisp (or ‘interdental lisp), occurs when the tongue comes out between the teeth (much like a ‘th’ sound).

-a lateral lisp, occurs when air comes out of the sides of the mouth rather than through the front of the mouth causing a slushy, distorted sounding /s/.

  • For a frontal lisp, encourage, teach or train the child to keep his/her ‘teeth together’. The following post from experienced speech-language pathologists offer great advice and tips:

https://www.home-speech-home.com/teaching-sound-videos.html                                           (Exclusive /s/ technique)

https://www.thespeechmama.com/2013/03/30/how-to-teach-the-s-sound/

https://heatherspeechtherapy.com/2011/05/correcting-a-frontal-lisp/

  • For a lateral lisp, teach the child to direct the air though the front of the mouth. Some suggested strategies include ‘shaping the tongue like a butterfly’:

Butter fly position:

https://speech-language therapy.com/index.php?                                                     option=com_content&view=article&id=48:butterfly&catid=11:admin

or using a bite block:

https://www.speechlanguage-resources.com/lateral-lisp-therapy.html

  /z/

For the /z/ sound, Carrie Clark from SpeechandLanguageKids.com says to “use the same cues as /s/ but this time your child will need to hum or turn her voice on.  You can have her practice turning her voice on by humming a tune while saying the /s/ sound.”

‘th’

To practice ‘th’ sounds, it is important for the child to protrude his/her tongue out between his teeth.  This is the only time the child is allowed to ‘stick out your tongue’!

 

To learn more about how to make the ‘th’ sounds, visit:

https://www.speechbuddy.com/blog/speech-therapy-techniques/tips-teaching-th-sound/

It’s always worthwhile to practice your child’s speech sounds at home.

Visit https://mommyspeechtherapy.com/#sthash.7WaS5NTh.dpbs for well prepared materials to help your child practice his/her targeted speech sounds.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s speech practice, talk with your school speech and language pathologist!

Feb 17

Good News from The Stuttering Foundation!!

Good News from The Stuttering Foundation!!

Recently The Stuttering Foundation released what it calls the “I Stutter Card”.  It is a small card that can fit in a person’s wallet or pocket and can assist travelers who stutter when going through TSA and/or Customs screenings at airports.  The “I Stutter Card” can be downloaded/printed from The Stuttering Foundation’s website at StutteringHelp.org  or requested by email at info@StutteringHelp.org (the card was requested more than 313,000 times in October 2017 alone).

Pat Feeney, a retired TSA Officer, believes that the card can be very useful for “someone who stutters and is very nervous about the screening process that TSA does at the airport”.  Feeney also added that passengers who need assistance (including those who stutter) “can call TSA Cares (1-855-787-2227… they request at least 72hours notice to arrange for a PSS, contact the passenger. make arrangements to meet them at the airport, and assist them with getting through security) and request a Passenger Support Specialist (PSS)”.

The Stuttering Foundation also notes that travelers needing assistance can email TSA Cares at TSA-ContactCenter@tsa.dhs.gov.  Additional information can be obtained by visiting www.tsa.gov/travel/passenger-support.

NOTE: Information for this post was gathered from the Winter 2017 newsletter from The Stuttering Foundation
Jan 31

Articulation – /b/ and /p/

/b/

To produce the /b/ sound, use the following cues with your child.

  • Watch My Mouth (this will help him see what your lips are doing)
  • Put your lips together
  • Make your lips pop
  • Make your voice hum/Turn your voice on

Help your child push his lips together with his fingers if he’s having trouble getting them closed

​/p/
If your child is having trouble with /p/, use the same cues as for /b/ but you will not tell her to turn her voice on.  You can have her whisper the sound if she’s making it sound like a /b/ instead of a /p/.
 
Jan 31

Articulation – /t/ and /d/

/t/

To produce the /t/ sound, have your child tap her tongue right behind her top, front teeth.  If your child is having trouble figuring out where to produce the /t/ sound, have your child tap her tongue right behind her top, front teeth.  If your child is having trouble figuring out where to put her tongue, use these techniques to show her the right place.

Touch the spot right behind the top, front teeth with a popsicle stick or sucker.  Then tell her to put her tongue in the same spot.

Put a sticky food, like peanut butter or marshmallow cream, on the spot right behind her top, front teeth.  Then, have her lick it off.  When you are describing that spot again, call it the sticky spot.

/d/

To produce the /d/ sound, you can use the same cues as the /t/ sound, but your child will need to turn his voice on.  Tell him this is the loud one.
Dec 09

Early Intervention

Earlier Intervention

By Abby Sakovich M.A.,CCC-SLP

It is very important that parents are aware of speech and language
developmental milestones to help identify any gaps or possible delays
in speech and language development.  The earlier a speech and language
delay is identified, the sooner a child can receive the appropriate
support or intervention.

461_earlierintervention

Nov 22

Let’s Play! Tips for Organizing Play Time for Young Children

Let’s Play! Tips for Organizing Play Time for Young Children

By Erica M. Zollman, M.Ed., CCC-SLP

Super Duper Handouts

“Playing and learning go hand-in-hand, as play provides a natural context for children to practice and reinforce essential skills. Children learn a wide variety of skills during play including cognitive, physical, language, social, and literacy skills. Parents can help facilitate play and learning by arranging playdates for their children. Here are some tips to help your child’s next playdate go smoothly.”

https://www.superduperinc.com/handouts/pdf/415_LetsPlay.pdf

Nov 08

Articulation Modeling

Each speech sound is produced differently with different parts of the mouth (tongues, lips, teeth).  For some kids, it is difficult to get their tongue in the right place to correctly produce a particular sound.  For most sounds you can easily show the child where to place their tongue or how to form their lips, for others it’s difficult to see inside someones mouth to see what they are doing.  A great visual resource to see how different speech sounds are produced in the mouth is the University of Iowa website: