Articulation Archives - Page 18 of 34 - Marshalla Speech & Language

Category: Articulation

Stimulating [+Anterior] Phonemes with a Thumb Sucking Habit

By Pam Marshalla

Q: My client only produces [+Back] consonants K and G, and he sucks his thumb. His tongue is beginning to move for L. Do you think that the thumb sucking is keeping his tongue retracted? Tongue retraction can have many causes including an oral habit like thumb sucking. It also can be the result of oral-tactile hypersensitivity that is causing the tongue to pull back and high in a perpetual “high guard” position. It also is a problem when oral muscle…

What is a Tongue Thrust?

By Pam Marshalla

Q: Is four years old too early to address a tongue thrust? The term “tongue thrust” has had many meanings through the years. It can mean: A strong forward thrusting of the tongue following the swallow. A reverse swallow pattern. An infantile suckle-swallow pattern. An interdental tongue protrusion on all lingua phonemes.. An interdental tongue protrusion on all the lingua-alveolar phonemes. An interdental tongue protrusion on the all the sibilants. An interdental tongue protrusion on only S and Z. To…

Teaching Co-articulation Movements

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have a student, who has been working on R, and who can make it at the word and sentence levels, but who cannot seem to co-articulate automatically. He still articulates each sound individually within words. For example he does not automatically round his lips for the word “core.” When I say the word “core” my mouth stays rounded for the entire word however they don’t do this. Why don’t their minds just naturally catch on to coarticulation after…

Fixing an Inhaled S

By Pam Marshalla

Q: My client inhales on S. I have tried using a straw and a cotton ball to teach him about airflow. He does fine with these, but he doesn’t transfer the skill to S. Help! Your client probably continues to inhale on S because he “thinks” he is trying to say S. He has an auditory/motor memory for his own S that he is continuing to access. You have to help him learn to block access to this memory. Here…

Explaining “Articulation” and “Oral Motor”

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have been arguing with a colleague about “oral motor” and “articulation.” She does not seem to know what an articulation deficit is. She disputes the notion of an “articulation deficit,” and claims that there are only “phonological deficits.” Can you help me? I know what I mean, but I can’t seem to put it in the right words for her to grasp. I need help explaining what an “articulation deficit” is, and help in relating this to “oral…

Resistance: The Most Powerful Oral Motor Technique

By Pam Marshalla

Q: What can I do to help my client learn to elevate his tongue-tip to produce /t/ and /d/? Any part of the tongue can be taught to elevate by providing something against which it can press. This is called “resistance.” (Resistance is not used to build strength. That is a misconception of the “anti-OM” crowd). Instead, resistance is used to develop specific new movement patterns. Press down lightly on the tongue-tip with a tool and ask the client to…

Lateral Lisp and Obesity?

By Pam Marshalla

Q: My daughter has a lateral lisp and obesity. The SLP cannot seem to get her to make the correct sounds. Can obesity interfere with learning these sounds? I have never faced this situation with any client. However, from what I know about tongue function and the lisps, I do not see how obesity might interfere with learning correct tongue position for S, Z, Sh, Zh, Ch, or J. Perhaps your SLP does not know how to fix a lateral…

Articulation Therapy vs. Speech Improvement

By Pam Marshalla

Q: There seems to be a shocking lack of knowledge “out there” about how to do articulation therapy. I recently saw a girl with an R distortion who had been in therapy with another therapist for a year with no progress. I was able to get a correct sound from her in 15 minutes! The mother was amazed that I actually worked on tongue movement and placement. I agree, and I think I know why this is occurring. The tried-and-true…

L and R with Tonsils/Adenoids Problems

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I am seeing two elementary age brothers with a history of enlarged tonsils and adenoids that are not significant enough to warrant surgery according to the ENT. Both are difficult to understand because of their resonance issues. We are working on R and L with limited progress. I don’t know where to go with them. Speech is starting to impact reading and writing. A child with mild-to-moderate upper respiratory problems and minor articulation errors is one of the most…

Use the Client’s R

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I attended your R course recently. It was wonderful! But I am stuck with one client. He has achieved a Tip R, but not a Back R. How much longer should I spend trying to help him get a Back R? If the Tip R works to get the sound quality you want, then that’s what you do, and you forget about the Back R. It does not matter which one he gets. Focus on what he can do….