Making the Correct Sounds When Speaking.
Can you or your child make the sounds you need to make in order to speak? It is one thing to speak, but you need to be understood. Sometimes we have trouble making the right sounds to form words that people understand. This is articulation disorder. Articulation orders can be speech or myo (face/mouth muscle) related. This is why we are uniquely qualified to help you or your loved one. We can not only help with the speech, but we can help with all of the oral motor components that are required for speech. Often times, this is the root cause of the problem. Contact us so we can discuss how we can best help you or your child. You will be impressed by our knowledge and experience!
What Does a Speech-Language Pathologist Do for Articulation Disorders?
A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), commonly known as a speech therapist, evaluates and treats articulation disorders, which occur when a person has difficulty producing certain speech sounds clearly. These difficulties might include substituting one sound for another, omitting sounds, or distorting sounds. Articulation challenges can affect speech clarity and overall communication confidence. SLPs work to help individuals learn the correct placement and movement of the lips, tongue, and jaw needed to produce accurate sounds. Therapy may involve structured practice, visual and tactile cues, repetition, and real-world speaking opportunities. The goal is to improve speech intelligibility so that the individual is understood easily in conversation at home, school, and in the community.
Responsibilities of a Speech-Language Pathologist Supporting Articulation Disorders:
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Assess speech sound production through standardized testing and conversational samples
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Identify specific sound errors and determine whether they are developmental or atypical
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Teach correct placement and movement for producing targeted sounds (e.g., /r/, /s/, /l/, “th”)
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Use modeling, visual cues, tactile prompts, and guided practice to support accurate sound production
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Help individuals progress through the sound hierarchy (isolation → syllables → words → sentences → conversation)
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Incorporate engaging activities and functional communication practice to support carryover
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Collaborate with families and teachers to encourage practice across daily environments
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Create individualized treatment plans that support clear, confident, and intelligible speech