General Thoughts about Speech Therapy Services at a School
If a child is receiving speech therapy at school it is most often for an articulation disorder (they have difficulty with the motoric/physical production of certain speech sounds), or a phonological disorder (they have sound substitutions that are not typical for their age). Students may also have have speech therapy in a school to work on stuttering (dysfluency), or in rare cases, voice disorders.
Articulation: Saying the Sounds
Sometimes children need to be taught exactly how to say a sound, by being taught exactly where to put and how to use their articulators. The articulators are the parts of our face, head, mouth, throat, and respiratory system that help us say our speech sounds. The image of the head below shows the articulators or, as the kids may know them, the Speech Helpers. This image is one frequently referenced in our sessions while working on how to produce certain sounds. Click on the Speech Helpers Image for a quick read about how the different body parts help make different sounds when we are speaking! Also, it is important to note that some speech sounds may not be mastered by a typically developing child until around age 8.
Click on this image for a great explanation of the steps typically needed before mastering a sound!
Learning the Sounds: How Long Should It Take??
Just like everything in life, students learn their sounds at different rates. For kids, it can be difficult for them to learn how to make their sounds in a different way; it requires that they are aware of all of the different speech helpers, they need to actively choose to use those small muscles in a completely different way, and they need to overcome the subconscious habit of how they currently make their sounds. The important thing is to never give up, and to keep praising the attempts and the incremental progress!
Click on this image to access lists organized by speech sound! Look for the sound that your child is working on! Start with practicing in isolation, then in syllables (their consonant plus a vowel), then at the beginning of a word, the end of the word, and finally, in the middle of a word.
Phonological Processes: Saying the Wrong Sound at the Wrong Time (For example, saying a /t/ for a /k/, or a /w/ for an /r/)
While phonology (the study of a sound system of a language), is technically a part of language, within our school system, phonological disorders are listed under speech impairment. A phonological disorder means that your child potentially has impaired comprehension and/or use of the sound system of a language and difficulty with the rules that "govern" the possible sound combinations: i.e., they say the wrong sound at the wrong time. Depending on their age, and the type of substitution, a child may be demonstrating a phonological process that is developmentally appropriate (please see descriptions below). While the steps needed for graduation from traditional "articulation therapy" listed above are often still necessary when a child says the wrong sound at the wrong time, those who have sound substitutions also benefit from practice with something called "Minimal Pairs". For example, if they do something called "fronting" which could mean they always make a /t/ when they should say a "k" sound, practicing with cards that compare "tea" versus "key" is really helpful and important. You choose the minimal pair combinations based on the sound substitutions that your child has; if you aren't sure, please ask me and I can let you know!
Click here for more information on what exactly minimal pairs are and how they can be used in therapy!
Tips for Decreasing Stuttering and Increasing Fluency
Stuttering (or disfluency) happens to everybody at some point; some children do it more than others, and it can persist into adulthood. According to ASHA, if you suspect your child is stuttering, you may want to talk to an SLP if it is has lasted for more than 6 months, your child starts to stutter after 3.5 years old, your child starts to stutter more frequently, your child tenses up or struggles when talking, your child avoids talking, or there is a family history of stuttering. There are certain situations during which a person who stutters typically does not stutter which might help to build confidence: singing, talking in a character voice, reading aloud at the same time as someone else, talking to animals or toys, to name a few.
In our sessions we work on understanding what stuttering is (bumpy or stuck speech) and how to self-monitor and recognize stuttering in our own speech, talk about how they feel emotionally and physically when they stutter, and practicing speech with two main strategies: easy onset and light contacts. With the kids, I have visual supports (shared below) to represent bumpy and stuck speech, and a little bit of air (a cloud with a breeze) to represent using a little bit of extra air in the words (a bit of combination of easy onset and light contacts) to achieve "smooth and easy" speech. Below you'll find videos demonstrating a few fluency shaping strategies complete with pauses for practicing them at home. You can watch that video alone and with your child at home to continue to practice and build understanding of the strategies!
The Stuttering Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1947. Click here to visit their website.
*click here*
A quick video that explains the main types of stuttering.
Some Additional Information on Stuttering and Ways Parents Can Help
"This [...] book is a wonderful way for kids to discover more about stuttering in an open and encouraging way. It lets them know that the harder they try not to stutter, the more they may do so. Letters to brothers and sisters, grandparents, teachers, and others let children take the lead in educating the people in their environment." *Click to get the book*
A Video for Parents of Children Who Stutter
A Video with 7 Tips for Talking with a Child Who Stutters
Videos Demonstrating Fluency Strategies: Great for Practice at Home!
A *GREAT* video for practicing two fluency strategies at home: Easy Onset and Light Contact
Another *GREAT* video for practicing two different fluency strategies at home: Pull Outs and Cancellations
APPs and Other General Resources for Practice at Home on Speech Sounds!
Some of these Apps are for adults or are for SLP use only, but most can be used at home by parents too!