A Comprehensive Guide to Articulation Disorders in Children
If you have a child struggling to produce the correct sounds when speaking, you may wonder if speech therapy is the right solution. Articulation disorders can be frustrating for both children and parents, but with the help of a speech therapist, your child can start making progress quickly. This guide will discuss articulation disorders in children and how speech therapy can help.
Key Takeaways:
Articulation disorders occur when a child has trouble producing correct sounds in speech, leading to mispronunciations or omitting whole words.
There can be various causes, including neurological problems, developmental delays, or anatomical variations.
Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial, with speech therapy being the most effective intervention.
Speech therapy typically involves one-on-one sessions with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who creates a personalized plan targeting specific sounds.
Therapy can include activities like games, flashcards, or drills to engage practice.
What is an Articulation Disorder?
Possible Causes of Articulation Disorders
How are Articulation Disorders Diagnosed?
How Does Speech Therapy for Articulation Work?
What is the Prognosis for Improvement?
What is an Articulation Disorder?
Articulation disorders occur when a child has trouble physically forming the sounds that makeup speech. This can lead to a variety of issues, including:
Mispronunciations: A child might substitute one sound for another (saying "wadio" instead of "radio"), distort a sound (lisping their "s" sounds), or add extra sounds where they don't belong (saying "puh-lease" instead of "please").
Omissions: Sometimes, a child might leave out a sound they find difficult, especially at the beginning or end of words (saying "at" instead of "cat" or "sleep" instead of "sleep").
Missing words entirely: In severe cases, a child might struggle so much with specific sounds that they avoid saying a word altogether.
These difficulties can make it hard for others to understand what the child is trying to say, which can be frustrating for both the child and the listener.
An articulation disorder is sometimes called a "speech sound disorder." A "phonological disorder" is similar but a different speech problem. Phonological disorders specifically refer to issues with the patterns of sounds in speech, not necessarily the child's ability to produce the sounds themselves.
Possible Causes of Articulation Disorders
There isn't always a single reason a child develops an articulation disorder. However, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have identified several factors that can contribute to these difficulties:
Neurological problems: Conditions like cerebral palsy or developmental delays can affect the parts of the brain responsible for planning and coordinating speech movements. This can make it challenging for a child to precisely control their lips, tongue, and jaw to produce specific sounds.
Developmental delays: Sometimes, articulation disorders occur alongside general developmental delays. These delays may affect a child's overall speech and language skills, including their ability to produce sounds correctly.
Oral motor difficulties: Articulation requires precise lips, tongue, and jaw movements. Poor muscle coordination or low muscle tone in these areas can make it difficult for a child to form certain sounds or sound combinations.
Hearing loss: Being unable to hear speech sounds clearly can make it difficult for a child to learn and imitate them correctly. This can lead to articulation errors as the child relies on what they can feel or see rather than accurate auditory information when trying to produce speech.
Cleft palate: A congenital disease with an opening in the roof of the mouth can make it challenging to control airflow during speech. This can lead to problems with articulation, especially for sounds that rely on proper airflow, like consonants.
Dental issues: Misaligned teeth, overbite, or underbite can affect how the tongue interacts with the teeth and lips when forming sounds. In some cases, these dental issues can contribute to articulation difficulties.
Anatomical variations: Occasionally, variations in the size or shape of a child's tongue, lips, or other oral structures can make it harder to produce certain sounds correctly. For example, an enlarged tongue may make it challenging to create sounds that require a lot of precision, like /t/ or /d/.
How are Articulation Disorders Diagnosed?
If you think your child may have an articulation disorder, the first step is to consult with a speech-language pathologist (SLP). The speech therapist will assess your child's ability to produce sounds.
The SLP will work with you to create a treatment plan to help your child improve their pronunciation. Sometimes, the SLP may recommend a consultation with another professional, such as an audiologist, dentist, or orthodontist.
Articulation disorders can be more challenging to treat in adolescents because many have already developed speech habits that they will carry into adulthood. For this reason, it is essential to seek an evaluation and treatment as early as possible.
How Does Speech Therapy for Articulation Work?
Speech therapy can be an extremely effective way to help your child improve their articulation skills. Articulation therapy usually consists of one-on-one sessions with the therapist to improve pronunciation.
The therapist will first assess your child's speech and identify any areas of weakness. Then, the therapist will develop a treatment plan focusing on specific sounds or words that are causing difficulty for your child. Articulation therapy can be done through various activities, such as games, worksheets, and drills.
In general, speech therapy will involve:
Learning the correct pronunciation of sounds
Exercises to improve muscle coordination and strength
Games and activities that help with pronunciation
Articulation therapy can also involve reading, writing, and listening activities to improve pronunciation.
Your speech pathologist will work with you and your child to create a plan for practice at home, providing you with exercises to help improve your child's pronunciation of their target sounds. Sometimes, it can be challenging to find time to practice, so try incorporating these practice activities while you are on the go (e.g., during a walk outside or while riding in the car).
Articulation disorders in children can be frustrating, but your child can quickly progress with the right therapy approach and the right speech therapist.
What is the Prognosis for Improvement?
Articulation therapy is essential in treating articulation disorders because it helps children develop better communication skills and become more easily understood.
In many cases, speech therapy can help children make significant progress relatively quickly. Articulation therapy typically takes place over several weeks or months, depending on the severity of your child's articulation disorder. If your child is making significant progress during each session, the therapy may be completed sooner. If your child is not making as much progress as you would like, the treatment may continue for a longer time.
Most children who receive articulation therapy make significant improvements in their pronunciation skills.
Articulation Activities to Practice at Home
The following activities can help you start practicing your child's articulation sounds today. Empower your child by allowing them to choose the day and time to practice. When they feel they have some control, they will be more likely to follow through with practice. Try these tips:
Articulation flashcards
Articulation flashcards are an excellent way for children to practice their speech sounds. Many different flashcard sets are available, and most of them include a variety of words that target specific speech sounds.
Flashcards can be used in various ways, such as during individual sessions with the therapist or at home with parents. Articulation flashcards are also great for reinforcing what is learned during speech therapy sessions.
Articulation sentence strips
Articulation sentence strips can be used in the same way as articulation flashcards. Articulation sentence strips are an excellent way for children to practice speech sounds. Many different sentence strip sets are available, or you can make up your own!
Sentence strips should include a variety of words that target specific speech sounds. This allows for repetitive practice of target sounds. Sentence strips can be used in various ways, such as during individual sessions with the therapist or at home with parents. Articulation sentence strips are also great for reinforcing what is learned during articulation therapy sessions.
5 Fun Articulation Games
If you want some fun articulation games, check out our ideas below. Children can play many different games to practice their speech sounds. Articulation activities don't have to be boring! Articulation games can help children pronounce words correctly and improve their speaking skills.
1) Charades: Act out the word you want to guess. The word should include the target sound that your child is working on. Your speech pathologist can provide a list of appropriate words for your child to work on.
2) “I Spy”: Find items around the room that contain the target sound and have your child say the name of the word aloud. It may help to say the word aloud first to show your child how to pronounce it correctly.
3) Color or draw a picture of the target words: Coloring a picture of a word containing your child's target sound(s) is a great way to practice their speech. When children are coloring, they tend to feel relaxed. When calm, you can easily gain your child's attention and ask them to repeat the picture's name and use it in a sentence.
4) Mystery box: You can have fun helping your child learn their articulation sound by placing small objects containing your child's target speech sound in an empty shoebox. Cut a hole in the shoebox and have your child reach their hand inside, pulling out an object and asking them to say the object's name aloud.
5) “Hide-and-Go-Seek” in the dark: Place stick-it notes with your child's target words on the wall. Turn the lights off, and have your child find the words using a flashlight. Ask them to say the word aloud five times before they can search for the next word!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the most common articulation errors in children?
Lisping: Difficulty producing the "s" or "z" sounds, often replacing them with a "th" sound.
Rhoticism: Difficulty producing the "r" sound, substituting it with other sounds like "w", "l", or omitting it entirely.
2. Can a child outgrow an articulation disorder?
Some children may outgrow minor articulation errors as they develop and mature. However, persistent or severe articulation disorders often require intervention from a speech-language pathologist. Early identification and treatment are crucial for the best outcomes, as untreated disorders can impact social and academic performance.
3. How long does it take to correct an articulation disorder?
The duration of therapy to correct an articulation disorder varies depending on several factors, including the severity of the disorder, the child's age, the frequency of therapy sessions, and the consistency of practice at home. On average, significant improvement can take several months to a few years. Regular assessment and personalized therapy plans help track progress and adjust the approach.
4. When should I be worried about articulation?
Parents should be concerned about articulation if:
A child is difficult to understand by age 3-4.
There are frequent and persistent errors in speech sounds that do not improve over time.
The child shows frustration or avoidance of speaking.
There are concerns from teachers or other caregivers about the child's speech intelligibility.
The child's articulation errors are impacting their social interactions or academic performance.
5. What age should my child start articulation therapy?
Children can begin speech therapy at a young age, depending on their needs. Early intervention is beneficial as it can prevent further complications and support better speech development. If concerns arise at any age, it is advisable to seek an evaluation from a speech-language pathologist to determine the need for therapy.
Finding a Qualified Speech Therapist
Finding the right speech therapist is critical if your little one struggles with an articulation disorder in children.
A qualified speech therapist will evaluate your child and determine the root of the problem. The therapist may also provide specific exercises or drills to help your child improve pronunciation. In many cases, speech therapy can help children make significant progress relatively quickly.
Many qualified speech therapists can help children develop new skills and improve pronunciation.
Connected Speech Pathology offers articulation therapy for children of all ages.
Summary
Articulation disorders make it difficult for children to produce speech sounds correctly, causing mispronunciations or omissions of entire words. While the cause can vary, early diagnosis and intervention are crucial. Speech therapy, delivered by a speech-language pathologist (SLP), is the most effective treatment. Therapists create personalized plans targeting specific sounds and incorporate fun activities like games and flashcards to keep children engaged. Parents can find resources or create their games to support practice at home.
Learn more about the services we provide for children with articulation disorders.
About the Author
Allison Geller is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and the owner of Connected Speech Pathology. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida in Speech-Language Pathology. Allison has practiced speech therapy in a number of settings including telepractice, acute care, outpatient rehabilitation, and private practice. She has worked extensively with individuals across the lifespan including toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged children, and adults. She specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of communication disorders including receptive/expressive language disorders, articulation disorders, voice disorders, fluency disorders, brain injury, and swallowing disorders.
Allison served as the clinical coordinator of research in aphasia in the Neurological Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. She is on the Board of Directors for the Corporate Speech Pathology Network (CORSPAN), a Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) certified clinician, and a proud Family Empowerment Scholarship/Step-Up For Students provider. Allison is passionate about delivering high quality-effective treatment remotely because it’s convenient and easy to access. What sets us apart from other online speech therapy options is—Allison takes great care to hire the very best SLPs from all over the country.
