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Help Your Child Learn to Articulate Correctly
by Stephanie Barry, M.S., CCC-SLP of Independent Speech, LLC.Many children experience difficulty correctly producing sounds in words. This is commonly referred to as an articulation disorder or articulation delay. These difficulties may cause misunderstandings which can be frustrating to both on the child and the listener. If you notice your child is experiencing these difficulties it is in their best interest to have an evaluation completed by a speech pathologist. They can tell you what errors your child is making and if they would benefit from speech therapy. They can also provide things to work on at home based on your child's specific needs. Described here you will find several ideas to help aid in understanding a child who experiences speech difficulties. These are general suggestions that can be used in day to day situations to help ease frustrations.1) Don't pretend to understand the child. They will be able to tell that you did not understand them and may not feel that they can tell your or ask you things in the future.
2) Be aware that if you have difficulty understanding your child others do too. Help the listener by restating or rephrasing what the child has said. For example; the child tells the cashier at a store "I wan a wace and got fiwst pwace." You might respond by saying something like "Yes, she ran the 500 yard-dash faster than anyone!" Now the listener can praise or make a comment to the child and everyone feels successful in the conversation.
3) Help your child understand that everyone is different but special. There is a great book called "Hooway for Wodney Wat" written by Helen Lester and Lynn M. Munsinger. This book is about a rat who can't say his /r/ sound and gets teased about it. In the end he winds up being the hero. Something like this might be a good way to talk about bullying/teasing if the child experiences it at school due to their speech.
5) Repeat things as the child is speaking. For example,
Child: "I went to the wibwawy today."
Parent: "You went to the library?"This not only helps to maintain understanding as the conversation is going on but it also helps to model correct articulation for the child.
6) Ask simple questions to help clarify when a misunderstanding has occurred. Try to use yes/no questions or questions where you expect a one to two word answer. Use what you did understand to help clarify what you missed.
7) When you are unsure of what the child is saying ask them to rephrase their statement. You might say "I want to make sure I understand you, can you say it again in a different way?" The child may choose different words which may be easier for you to understand.
9) Don't put your child on the spot. Remember, not everyone is comfortable asking questions to make sure they understand what is being said. Some may just provide a quick yes/no answer or may walk away. This can hurt the child's feelings and make them less confident talking to new people. Encourage them to ask themselves but make sure someone is there to help the person understand.
Remember, patience is key. Take the time to really listen and understand the child. Stop what you are doing and look at the child, focusing on them can aid in understanding. Not only will you learn wonderful things about your child, you will help boost their confidence and self-esteem by showing them you really care about what they have to say!
Stephanie Barry, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist and Educational Consultant
Tel: 602-793-2958
stephanie@independentspeech.com
www.independentspeech.com