Speech and Articulation

Articulation Disorder is a disorder that involves problems making sounds. Sounds can be substituted, left off, added, or changed, which makes it hard for people to understand the speaker. Articulation errors can be caused by structural differences or the way structures such as the jaw, tongue, or lips are used in speech production. They sometimes occur in adulthood as well either due to untreated childhood disorders or as a result of an acquired condition due to a stroke or brain/facial injury.

Example: saying “wabbit” for “rabbit” or “lithp” for “lisp” girls screaming

Phonological Processing Disorder is a disorder that involves patterns of sound errors. Children may use these patterns while their sound system and language develop. These errors are expected to fade from use as a child’s sound system matures. In cases where errors continue, speech intervention may be required.

Example: substituting all sounds made in the back of the mouth like “k” for those in the front of the mouth like “t” and saying “tup” for “cup”

Oral Motor Disorder is a disorder that involves the inability to correctly use the mouth for speech or feeding, including chewing, blowing, or making specific sounds.

Some children with oral-motor disorders are considered to be orally hypersensitive or to have tactile defensiveness. These children tend to have very rigid lips, and appear to be tight around their mouths. They may hate having their teeth brushed, dislike many foods, and get upset when their mouths are touched. Other children are hyposensitive. These children may drool, because they have weak lip muscles. They may also stuff food in their mouths until they gag or choke. screening child

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a disorder of the nervous system that affects the ability to sequence and say sounds, syllables, and words. A child knows what he or she wants to say, but the brain is not sending the correct signals to produce the sound consistently or correctly. CAS is characterized by inconsistent patterns of misarticulations or sound substitutions, groping (or searching for motor placement), and disruption in prosody (the stress, pitch, or timing of sounds and words). This diagnosis is often made after a child is seen in therapy and CAS characteristics are noticed.

Example: A child may say a difficult word correctly but then have trouble repeating it, or they may be able to say a particular sound one day and have trouble with the same sound the next day.

Stuttering/Fluency Disorders are a disruption in speech flow and fluency. During episodes of stuttering, an individual may or may not show secondary behaviors such as blinking, head jerks, hand movements, etc.

Example: “W-w-w-where are you going?” (Part-word repetition); “SSSSave me a seat.” (Sound prolongation)

How Communication Works Can Help

We assess all speech and articulation skills using standardized tests, informal testing, and observation. Treatment of a specific speech disorder starts with determining specific therapy goals and intervention approaches based on client needs. CW staff use age-appropriate and functional activities to encourage client participation and allow for natural opportunities to produce target sounds. We also believe strongly in parent/caregiver training and incorporating home practice strategies to aid in the client’s ability to generalize skills outside of our Center. We have therapists with bilingual capabilities for families and clients who speak Spanish as their primary language.

Communication Works • 4400 Keller Avenue • Oakland, California 94605 • ph 510.639.2929