Lisps and S Archives - Page 9 of 10 - Marshalla Speech & Language

Tag: Lisps and S

Frontal Lisp and Reverse Swallow

By Pam Marshalla

Q: Is it efficacious to work on a frontal lisp when a child has a reverse swallow, or does the swallow have to be addressed first or concurrently? In the ideal situation, the speech problem, the reverse swallow, the dentition problem (if any), and the oral habit (if any) are address all together in one plan or action. In the orofacial myofunctional literature, the recommendation generally is to work in the following order: Eliminate oral habits Establish correct oral rest…

Outgrowing a Lateral Lisp

By Pam Marshalla

Q: Do you think a child should be able to outgrow a lateral lisp? I believe that a FRONTAL LISP is on the normal developmental continuum, but that the LATERAL LISP is not. To me, the lateral lisp is a motor pattern that is moving in the wrong direction, therefore, no matter how much maturity the client has, he will never reach correct production. The lateral lisp is an incorrect motor pattern as opposed to an immature motor pattern. An…

Speech-Language Therapy Carryover Techniques

By Pam Marshalla

Q: What do you recommend to encourage carryover of articulation skills in an older child with a frontal lisp? Note: I am writing a book entitled Carryover Techniques in Articulation and Phonological Therapy which will elaborate on this answer in great detail. [EDIT: Book released 2010]. My book Frontal Lisp, Lateral Lisp has a full chapter on carryover techniques for the lisps including: Auditory Acceptance – The process a client goes through to accept the way his new sound sounds. Determination…

From Isolated Phoneme to Conversation

By Pam Marshalla

Q: My client with a lateral lisp can produce /s/ in words but does not carry over to conversation. Are there strategies you would recommend? You are expecting him to skip from words to conversation. It rarely happens that quickly. Help him build through the traditional sequence- words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, and conversation. You are helping him gradually take control of his expressive speech. Be patient! This can take up to a year. Make sure your practice material is void…

Lateral Lisp, Palatal Expander, and Oral Habits

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I am working with an eight-year-old boy who has a lateral lisp as well as orthodontic problems and oral habits. He has severe lip-licking and nail-biting habits, and he has a narrow palate that will need expansion. I am thinking that he may do better in therapy once the palatal expander is removed. What are your thoughts? One could approach this problem from many angles, but this would be my basic line of thinking: A lateral lisp is a…

Word Lists

By Pam Marshalla

Q: Where do you get the very specific word lists you use for the articulation training you describe for R and the Lisps? You are talking about organizing word lists by vowels when working on phoneme R or the sibilants. I use a variety of dictionaries, thesauruses, and rhyming dictionaries. I also use the popular book called 40,000 Selected Words: Organized by Letter, Sound, Syllable by Valeda Blockcolsky, Joan M. Frazer, and Douglas H. Frazer. I always keep on hand a…

Jaw Lateralization and the Lateral Lisp

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have a kindergarten student who slides her jaw side-to-side during conversational speech, resulting in a lateral lisp. I have used a bite block program but it has not helped. She has good jaw strength. She can hold large bite blocks in her teeth bilaterally and speak without dropping them. But her speech isn’t any better. What should I do? This is not a strength problem. I am sure her oral mechanism is strong enough to support speech. This is…

Teaching “Sh”

By Pam Marshalla

Q: Do you have any techniques for teaching Sh for a client who can do a correct S? There are several easy things that usually work well if the client already can do an S. Use a Sequence: Have him make an S, and then slide into a whispered (voiceless) Y. Then have him do the same thing with the lips rounded. The sound of Sh often will be heard during the transition between the two sounds if the client…

Lisps and Missing Front Teeth

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have heard you say that if kids have problems with sibilants and are missing their front teeth you prefer not to see them until their teeth come in. Could you explain your rationale? Without front teeth true stridency cannot be produced. Stridency is produced as the midline air stream hits the front teeth and then escapes between them. Without front teeth, a client would have to be taught a compensatory movement. He would have to produce his sibilants…

Patience and the Lateral Lisp

By Pam Marshalla

Q: I have been working with a 10-year-old girl with a significant lateral lisp that affects all of her sibilant sounds. I have been focusing on establishing /s/ and /z/, but have not been able to progress very far because her ability to achieve the correct tongue position is so inconsistent. I have taught her the “Butterfly Position” to help her lift the side margins of her tongue, and am using the “Long T Method” from Frontal Lisp, Lateral Lisp….