Articulation

Articulation (pronunciation and talking) is the ability to physically move the tongue, lips, teeth, and jaw to produce sequences of speech sounds, which make up words and sentences. Articulation is important to be able to produce sounds, words, and sentences that are clear and can be easily understood and interpreted by others in order to be able to express basic needs and wants, right through to being able to engage in complex conversations.

Depending on the extent of the difficulties, unclear speech can impact significantly how well a child can interact with adults and their peers and can affect the development of language and social skills. A child who is having difficulties being understood can become frustrated and angry which may lead to behavioral issues. Articulation is also important in literacy skills such as reading and spelling out words.

We shall be assessing the following to see if your child has an articulation problem and requires help

• case history;
• oral mechanism examination;
• hearing screening(if required)
• speech sound/Single word assessment), including severity, intelligibility, stimulability,
• spoken-language testing, including receptive and expressive language assessment,
• phonological processing

How can you improve your child’s articulation?

• Model correct speech
• Avoid directly correcting your child when she makes a mistake
• Maintain a regular flow of conversation around your child.
• Turn off background noise in the home (e.g. television, radio, music) when engaging with your child to minimize distractions.
• Read to the child

For the young child, engage in play where you model and use lots of different sounds while playing (e.g. saying “chchch” as the train passes by, “baa” goes the sheep).