Understanding Speech Impediments in Children

Understanding Speech Impediments in Children

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Language Development News Parents' Corner Pronunciation & Lisps Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

How do you know if your child has a speech impediment? Speech impediments in children are more common than you might think. They are a type of communication disorder where “normal” speech is disrupted. The disruption can include a lisp, stuttering, stammering, mis-articulation of certain sounds and more. Another commonly used phrase for speech impediments in children is speech disorder. Often, the causes of a speech impediment are unknown. However, sometimes there are physical impairments such as cleft palate or neurological disorders such as traumatic brain injury that may be the cause of the speech impairment. We have listed below five of the most common types of speech impediments in children and a general description of each. Of course, if you suspect your child may have a speech impairment of any kind, we encourage you to visit your pediatrician or hire a Speech Therapist for more information.

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Three Valentine’s Day Activities For Your Kids

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Arts and Crafts At Home Ideas Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech Disorders Speech Therapy Techniques
Valentine's Day Crafts

Valentine’s Day Activities           for Your Kids!

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we want to share with you three fun ideas to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your students and kids! Of course, you can pull out some arts and crafts, stickers and colored paper to make homemade cards, but we’ve gone a bit further with some crafty and creative ways to get your involved with your kids, and provide an opportunity for language building and speech therapy techniques. We gathered these activities from some of our favorite Speech Therapy websites, so, grab your scissors, paper and tape and get ready for some Valentine’s Day fun!

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Speech Therapy Exercises For Children

by Courtenay M. At Home Ideas Language Development News Parents' Corner Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques
Speech Therapy Exercises

Fun, At-Home Speech Therapy Exercises for Children

This week, in the spirit of the Olympics, we thought we’d offer some of our favorite speech therapy exercises and activities to do at home. That’s right, exercises! While there will not be a half-pipe, blob-sledding track or a gold medal at the end of your session, the reward will be an opportunity to spend quality time with your child and help him or her with increasing speech and language skills.

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Speech Delay or Speech Disorder?

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech delay Speech Disorders
Speech Disorder

How Do I Know if My Child Has a Speech Disorder, or if it’s a Simple Language Delay?

So you think your child’s speech and language development may be coming in a little slow?  Those cute babbles have yet to turn into clear words, as she is about to enter pre-school. But, how do you know it’s a speech disorder, rather than a simple speech delay? And, if indeed it is a speech disorder, what does that mean? Will my child be able to communicate effectively, will she be able to read, participate in class and most importantly, gain self-confidence?  These are just some of the questions parents face as their child begins to learn speech patterns and language skills as a toddler.

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Ta-da! Music Is A Terrific Tool for Speech Therapy!

by Courtenay M. Articulation Disorders At Home Ideas Games and Activities Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

 

Music as Speech Therapy Tool

Song, Music and Melodies are Excellent Speech Therapy Tools for Kids!

We finalize our in-depth look at tools for speech therapy with Music. Yes…music can truly be an effective tool for speech therapy! Think about it, rhymes, patterns, sounds and movement all help bring about speech language comprehension and articulation. According to “Use of Music in Speech-Language Therapy,” an article by Mary B. Zoller, “Using music is a multi-sensory experience that enhances a number of other skills that impact on speech and language development.” The use of music as a speech therapy tool serves to energize and engage a child, and encourages the child to actively participate. And the good news?  You do not need to be a musician or a great singer to reap the benefits of music as therapy! Even using a silly voice and acting out the lyrics is helpful in engaging your child and a way to get them to listen attentively and unknowingly engage them in speech therapy exercises. As we have mentioned throughout this series, this does not serve to replace a proper evaluation or treatment from an SLP, rather music as a tool for speech therapy that you can do at home or in conjunction with your current speech therapy regime. Continue reading →