  Information & Practice
Speech and language therapy is used
to treat a wide variety of communication difficulties. Visit the sections
below to
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ANATOMY (top) Anatomically, the speech mechanism consists of: • the respiratory system (e.g., lungs) which produces the air we speak with, & • the articulators (e.g., tongue, lips) which shape that air into sounds/words These same parts are also involved in swallowing. - RESPIRATION ANIMATION Learn about & view respiration (breathing) by clicking through the animated prompts (American Lung Associaiton, 2010) - SWALLOWING ANIMATION Click the play button to view animation of the speech mechanism during a normal swallow (John Hopkins University, 2002) - SPEECH ANATOMY Scroll around to see names and descriptions of your speech articulators. (University of Iowa, 2005) - SPEECH ANIMATION Compare "t" production to"k" production. The tongue goes to the front of the mouth for "t" and the back for "k!" *Click the "ARTICULATION" links in the next section to view the articulators in action for other sounds! Try finding differences in how the tongue, vocal cords, uvula, lips, and jaw move for different sounds!" *For more information about the anatomy and physiology that allows humans to talk and swallow, check out NPR's article,
"From Grunting to Gabbing: Why Humans Can Talk" by Kathleen Masterson, 2010. ARTICULATION (top)Speech production involves the precise coordination of anatomical structures, including: the vocal cords, uvula, tongue, and lips. For some people, coordinating these intricate movements is a difficult process. In these cases, direct instruction and practice in speech therapy can be beneficial. Below is a list of links to view the production of English consonants in lateral (sideview) animation and front view video (from Phonetics: The Sounds of Spoken Language, The University of Iowa, 2001-2005). - B View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "b" View a mouth speaking "b" words - CH View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "ch" View a mouth speaking "ch" words Practice - Medial CH jeopardy - D View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "d" View a mouth speaking "d" words - F View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "f" View a mouth speaking "f" words - G View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "g" View a mouth speaking "g" words - H View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "h" View a mouth speaking "h" words - J View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "j" View a mouth speaking "j" words - K View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "k" View a mouth speaking "k" words - L View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "l" View a mouth speaking "l" words - M View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "m" View a mouth speaking "m" words - N View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "n" View a mouth speaking "n" words - NG View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "ng" View a mouth speaking "ng" words - P View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "p" View a mouth speaking "p" words - R View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "r" View a mouth speaking "r" words - S View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "s" View a mouth speaking "s" words - SH View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "sh" View a mouth speaking "sh" words Practice - Medial SH jeopardy - T View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "t" View a mouth speaking "t" words - TH (voiced) View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "th" View a mouth speaking "th" words - TH (voiceless) View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "th" View a mouth speaking "th" words - V View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "v" View a mouth speaking "v" words - W View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "w" View a mouth speaking "w" words - Y View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "y" View a mouth speaking "y" words - Z View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "z" View a mouth speaking "z" words - ZH View Animation of how the tongue moves to produce "zh" View a mouth speaking "zh" words HEARING (top)Hearing can affect speech and language. When we cannot hear certain sounds well, or have missed out on hearing them for a period of time, these sounds can be difficult to replicate. Sounds that are high in frequency (also known as pitch), such as /s/, or low in loudness level (measured in decibels or dB) can be particularly difficult to learn when there has been a disruption in normal hearing. The following image shows degrees of hearing/hearing loss as well as environmental sounds and speech sounds that correspond with these pitch & loudness levels. The yellow shaded area that shows the speech sounds is called the "speech banana". LANGUAGE (top)Language is a complex, dynamic and evolving structure. It's rules have many subtleties and exceptions that can make it challenging. Students facing difficulties with language comprehension and use may benefit from explanation, demonstration, and practice with language structure during therapy. However, practice at home, in class, and in other settings is key to improving success. Click the links below to play language games from quia.com (Quia Corporation, 2010) - ANALOGIES Analogies, Jeopardy game Analogies, Millionaire game - ANTONYMS Antonyms, Matching game Antonyms, Flash cards Antonyms games - CATEGORIZATION Categorizing, Find the oddball - GRAMMAR "Mr. Morton" (video) School House Rock Rap, by Skee-lo about subjects and predicates. - INFERENCES Inferences, In paragraphs Inferences, Multiple choice 1 Inferences, Multiple choice 2 Inferences, Millionaire game 1 Inferences, Millionaire game 2 - IRREGULAR PAST TENSE VERBS Irregular past, Millionaire 1 Irregular past, Millionaire 2 Irregular past, Jeopardy Irregular past, Flash cards - MAIN IDEA Main idea, Multiple choice quiz Main idea, Multiple choice level 6 Main idea, Multiple choice find the main idea Main idea, Millionaire game - PREFIXES Prefix flashcards Prefix Memory matching game 1 Prefix Memory matching game 2 Prefix Word search game 1 Prefix Word search game 2 Prefix Millionaire game - SEQUENCING Sequencing Games - SYNONYMS Synonyms, Millionaire game 1 Synonyms, Millionaire game 2 Synonyms, Match up game 1 Synonyms, Match up game 2 - VOCABULARY Freerice.com (adjusts to your vocabulary level while you help to fight world hunger) - "WH" QUESTIONS Wh Questions, Millionaire game 1 Wh Questions, Millionaire game 2 Wh Questions, Multiple choice STUTTERING/FLUENCY (top)Stuttering, or fluency disorders, are high frequency interruptions in the smooth forward movement of speech. These interruptions can include inspirations, repetitions, blocks, tension, and many other characteristics. Students that stutter may benefit from learning strategies to help them use smoother speech with appropriate breathing patterns. Additionally, people that speak with students who stutter may also benefit from learning strategies, such as allowing the student plenty of talk time with out interrupting, giving the student advanced notice when they will be called upon to answer a question in class, etc. - The site listed below includes a wealth of links for students that stutter as well as their teachers, friends, parents. The Stuttering Homepage - Stuttering Jeopardy Game Test your knowledge about stuttering facts, tips, and strategies - Famous People Who Stutter This site gives information on celebrities & historical figures that stutter - Poem to use for choral reading with a friend or family member One bright day in the middle of the night (download) Site updated: September 22, 2011 |