Articulation, Phonology & Apraxia

Articulation Disorder

Articulation is defined as the motor function of our lips, tongue, teeth, vocal cords, and palate to create sounds. Those sounds are then blended with others to make words and connected speech. The atypical production of those sounds results in an articulation disorder and is characterized by substitutions, omissions, additions, or distortions which affect a child’s ability to be understood. 

Phonological Disorder

Phonology is the sound system that governs how sounds combine in a language. When children are learning to talk, they use phonological processes to simplify words so that they are easier to say. Different phonological processes are estimated to resolve at different ages; however, if they do not resolve when expected, it can cause a child to produce many errors and be unable to be understood. This results in a diagnosis of a  phonological disorder.

What is the difference between an Articulation Disorder and a Phonological Disorder?

Could my child have both?

Yes, your child can have both a phonological disorder and an articulation disorder. A Speech Language Pathologist can conduct articulation testing to identify errors and patterns that may be causing your child to be difficult to understand.

What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech?

Apraxia of Speech is a label that is used to describe a type of speech disorder where children have difficulty with the movement required for speech. Research has shown that therapy sessions 3-5 times a week is recommended when starting treatment, due to the severity of it’s impact on a child’s speech.

Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC)

At Spunky Speech Therapy, we use a motor-based program called Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC), which is designed for moderate and severe CAS. With DTTC, the goal of treatment is to target the movement gesture for speech from one sound to another instead of targeting specific sounds. Speech therapy using DTTC will also include improvement of vowel production while using varied intonation when speaking.

When should my child be saying specific sounds?

This chart includes our most up-to-date norms for acquisition of speech sounds.