Speech

Speech is the verbal means of communicating. Speech consists of the following:

Articulation

How speech sounds are made (e.g., children must learn how to produce the "r" sound in order to say "rabbit" instead of "wabbit").

Voice

Use of the vocal folds and breathing to produce sound (e.g., the voice can be abused from overuse or misuse and can lead to hoarseness or loss of voice).

Fluency

The rhythm of speech (e.g., hesitations or stuttering can affect fluency).

When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she has a speech disorder.

Speech Activities

In order to maximize the benefits of speech therapy, practice is needed outside of the therapy room. The speech therapist will provide parents with a sound or list of words containing the child’s target sound for home practice. Home practice material will only be given once a child has mastered a target sound. The speech therapist may also provide some prompts or cues to assist your child as aids for better sound production. Be creative when practicing with your child. (E.g. practice while riding in the car, at bed time, while playing a game.)

A few things to know:

It is generally easier to produce a target sound when it occurs at the beginning of a word as opposed to when it is in the middle or at the end of a word.

It is easier to imitate a sound or word rather than to produce it spontaneously.

It is easier to produce target sounds in single words rather than in sentences.

Producing target sounds in conversation is the most difficult and final level of accomplishment.

Speech sounds can be difficult for some children to make. Each sound has a specific tongue placement, jaw height, lip position and voice component.