The ABC’s of Stuttering in Children

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

 

What is causing my child to stutter and how long will it last? Image Courtesy of Shutterstock

What Causes Stuttering and Can It Be Fixed?  Image Courtesy of Shutterstock

Stuttering is a speech disorder in which words, sounds or syllables are repeated or last longer than normal. Stuttering, also called stammering or disfluency, causes a break or a pause in the flow of speech. Young children may stutter when they are first developing their speech and language skills. The stuttering occurs when their speech skills cannot keep up with what they are trying to say. Stumbling over words or speech affects about five percent of children, and generally lasts for several weeks or several years.  Most children outgrow this stuttering phase within their first four years.

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The Most Common Articulation Disorders

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

 

What Are Some Common Articulation Disorders? Image Courtesy of Gillberg Centre.

What Are Some Common Articulation Disorders? Image Courtesy of Gillberg Centre.

Speech and language articulation is the process by which a person forms words. This is done with different parts of the mouth, jaw, tongue, lips, palate and teeth. A child is considered to have an articulation disorder is if he or she is unable to produce the right sounds to communicate clearly and effectively. Articulation disorders are generally characterized by substituting one sound for another (wide for ride), omitting a particular sound (ban for band) or distorting a sound (sip for ship). Young children often make speech errors, however if these continue past a certain age, they are considered articulation disorders. Children by the age of 8 should be able to produce all sounds in English correctly.

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Tips for Building Early Language Skills with Your Child

by Courtenay M. Games and Activities Language Building Skills Language Development Parents' Corner School Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques
child reading with mom

Reading with your child is one of the best ways to help build language skills. Source: news.appstate.com

Mama!  Dada!! Like many parents, you have likely been waiting months for your child to finally say a real word!  Sure, the grunts, pointing and babbling sounds are cute, but that moment your child utters her first word is priceless!   Once the first word is spoken however, there is no turning back. What was once a semi-peaceful trip to the grocery store is now filled with endless, “Ball”, “Mama”, “Apple”, “Want Dat”.  Car rides are no longer excuses to escape with Adam Levine.  Instead the sounds of “Stop,” “Go”, “Car”, “Fire Truck” are yelled triumphantly and continuously from the back seat. Are there ways in which parents can start building speech and language skills early?  How early is too early?
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Word-Final Disfluencies: How Can I Help My Child?

by Chris O Language Development Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

 

Word-final Disfluencies

Word-final disfluencies are often classified as forms of stuttering that occur at the ends of words or sentences. However, the treatments for this disfluency type are often more typical of therapies used for other disfluencies and not necessarily stuttering. Image source: busybeespeech.blogspot.com

Uniqueness is a beautiful thing – unless that is it comes to struggling to find a diagnosis and treatment plan for an uncommon speech disorder. Then unique can translate to undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, either one of which can be frustrating and challenging for families. If you’re a parent of a child with word-final disfluency, chances are that at least one time you’ve been told that your child’s speech pattern is unique, but not necessarily something to worry about or for which to seek therapy. Unique can be beautiful, but if you’ve got that feeling in your parental gut about that not-so-normal-stuttering speech pattern, there are steps you can take to help your child. Continue reading →

What is Auditory Processing Disorder?

by Chris O Hearing Loss Language Development School Speech Therapist

Also known as APD and Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), Auditory Processing Disorder is a neurological condition that impacts the way the brain is able to process what is heard. Somewhere between the sounds that are heard and how the brain remembers or understands those sounds, the information is jumbled or even lost. What makes this condition so challenging to diagnose and so frustrating for many parents whose children struggle with this condition is that functional hearing is usually not affected in people with APD – it is the processing of sounds that is affected.

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5 Communication and Speech Therapy Strategies on the Go

by Chris O Language Development Reading Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques
Speech Techniques on the Go

Image Courtesy of blog.europcar.com

Sometimes it can feel like life is so busy that we have to schedule time just to sit and breathe. So how can we fit in the extra practice and support our kids need for building speech skills? We have to make the most of communication and speech therapy strategies on the go – even in small bits and pieces. Talk with your child’s SLP about ideas, and see if some of the following can help you and your child make the most of your time on the move. Continue reading →

Speech Buddies to Fund 10 Projects Through DonorsChoose.org

by Courtenay M. Speech Therapist
Donors Choose Map

Image Courtesy of Donors Choose.org.

Have you been eyeing Speech Buddies for your school but don’t have the funds in your budget? Now is your chance to get a Speech Buddies Professional Set for your school! Through October 31, Speech Buddies will contribute $100 to the first 10 school projects  posted on DonorsChoose.org, an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need.

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4 Speech Therapy Activities for Kids with Dysarthria

by Chris O Language Development Speech Disorders Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques

Traumatic brain injuries, tumors, cerebral palsy, MS, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Lyme disease, and more – these can all be the culprits of the speech disorder known as dysarthria. It is characterized by symptoms such as abnormal rhythm (intonation) during speech, hoarseness and other voice quality issues, mumbled or slurred speech, inappropriate rates of speech (too fast or too slow), and inadequate tongue, lip, and facial muscle control. The severity of these symptoms can vary greatly depending on the cause. Evaluation and individualized treatment plans by a speech-language pathologist are valuable, and the following are four speech therapy activities for kids with dysarthria that can provide improved speech quality. Continue reading →

Help! My Child Doesn’t Qualify for Speech Therapy in School

by Chris O Individualized Education Program (IEP) Language Development Reading School Speech Therapist Speech Therapy Techniques State Resources
When Speech Therapy in School isn't An Option

Image Courtesy of www.grandparents.com

 

What Can I Do To Help My Child?

It can be one of the most frustrating things that a parent can face – believing that his or her child needs help and not knowing how to provide it. If your child is struggling with speech or communication issues but the school has said he or she doesn’t qualify for speech therapy at school, there are still several options you can use to help your child. Other options within the school, private SLPs, at-home activities, and other professional services can all be of help to your child’s communication development. Continue reading →

I Think My Child Needs Speech Therapy – The 5 Most Important Steps You’ll Need To Take

by Chris O Individualized Education Program (IEP) Language Development School Speech Therapist State Resources

 I think my child needs speech therapy – what do I do?

It’s the start of another school year and maybe you’ve got that nagging feeling in your gut: I think my child needs speech therapy. Just because no one else has approached you about this doesn’t mean that you are alone in your thoughts or that you should ignore this parental instinct. If you think your child needs speech therapy there are many steps you can take to work with your child’s pediatrician and school officials. Continue reading →