What is Articulation Disorder?

An articulation disorder refers to a condition in which a child, during their language development, is unable to accurately produce certain speech sounds or words, resulting in unclear speech or misarticulation. This may impact the child’s ability to communicate effectively with others and their self-confidence.

Common Articulation Issues Include:

• Substitution: Replacing a difficult sound with an easier one, such as using the ‘w’ sound instead of the ‘r’ sound (e.g., saying “wabbit” instead of “rabbit”).
• Omission: Leaving out certain sounds or syllables (e.g., saying “ca” instead of “cat”).
• Unclear Speech: Speech that sounds mumbled or indistinct, often described as sounding like a “tongue-tie.”
• Parental Interpretation: Parents frequently need to translate or clarify their child’s speech for others.

 Causes of Articulation Disorders

1. Phonological Difficulty: The child may not know how to produce certain sounds or fails to distinguish between different speech sounds.
2. Oral-Motor Weakness: Insufficient strength and coordination of the tongue, lips, or jaw muscles, leading to articulation challenges.
3. Structural Abnormalities: Issues such as a short lingual frenulum (tongue-tie), cleft palate, or dental misalignment that affect speech clarity.
4. Hearing Impairment: Children with hearing impairment may struggle to accurately imitate correct speech sounds, impacting speech development.

廣東話發音里程碑

發音里程碑顯示大部分孩子應該準確發出音節的年齡。不同語言的發音里程碑會有些許差異。

言語治療師會透過評估去找出小朋友發音障礙的原因及錯誤規律，再利用發音里程碑去決定錯誤規律是否合乎年齡。

發音治療需要多久？

• 視乎情況，例如需糾正發音的數量、上課頻率等。
• 案例：在四堂內快速糾正了兩個發音，幫助孩子重拾溝通信心。

延伸內容：家長好評

Why KK Speech Therapy?

• Trilingual Therapy Services: Our speech therapists are all bilingual and are able to deliver therapy fluently in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English to meet the needs of diverse linguistic backgrounds with utmost professionalism.
• Experienced and Trusted Speech Therapy Team: Our team has extensive expertise, successfully supporting numerous adults in improving language and swallowing abilities.
• Personalized Treatment Plans: We design tailored intervention strategies based on each client’s unique needs and circumstances.
• Ongoing Progress Monitoring and Adjustments: We regularly assess treatment outcomes and adapt strategies to ensure therapeutic goals are met.
• Supportive Family Program: We empower family members to become the most effective supporters of stroke patients as well as effective advocates for their child’s language and social development.