In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore phonological processes, discuss age-related expectations, and outline your role in supporting phonological goals at home. Whether early intervention or the school system has identified your child for services, this post provides valuable insights.
Evaluation, treatment planning, and homework for phonological disorders differ significantly from articulation and childhood apraxia of speech due to their distinct nature. Please note that this post does not take the place of a comprehensive and diagnostic evaluation for your child. There are many factors that we assess when developing an appropriate treatment plan. Talk with your pediatrician, child’s teacher, and/ or speech pathologist if you have questions and concerns specific to your child.
PHONOLOGICAL PROCESSES
There are eight, phonological processes that we typically encounter in speech therapy: syllable reduction, syllable structure, cluster reduction, final consonant deletion, stopping, fronting, backing, and gliding. Below are definitions, examples, and age expectations for suppression of each of these processes.
- Syllable reduction: eliminating a syllable in a word should cease by 4 years old. For example, “puter” for “computer”.
- Syllable structure: inability to produce part of a syllable. There are four of these such shapes (CV, VC, CVC, CVCV) with “C” representing “consonants” and “V” meaning “vowels.” Some examples of these shapes are: (CV) “bee”; (VC) “up”; (CVC) “cat”; and (CVCV) “baby.” A child with a phonological disorder may have difficulty producing several of these combinations for an undetermined length of time.
- Cluster reduction: occurs when a child omits part of a blend, most often /s/ blends /sk, sm, sn, sp, st/. You may hear him say “kin” or “sin” for the word “skin.” Children should be able to produce blends together between 4-5 years old.
- Final consonant deletion: omitting the last sound in a CVC word (“ca” for “cat”) should suppress by 3 years old.
- Stopping: producing a sound that should be stretched like /s/ with a /b, d, p/ (“bun”, “dun”, or “pun” instead of “sun”) should end between 3-5 years old.
- Fronting: making sounds that are produced further back in the mouth more towards the front. For back sounds /k, g, ng/, the tongue lifts in the back while the tongue tip stays down in the front of the mouth. A child who fronts sounds lifts the tongue tip to touch his palate and substitutes /t, d/ for back sounds. You may hear “tan” for “can” or “tookie” for “cookie” if your child is fronting. This process ends at 3.5 years old.
- Backing: the reverse of fronting. Here, your child continues producing sounds made with the tongue towards the front of the mouth, lifting the back of his tongue. So, you may hear “do” for “goo” or “gog” for “dog.” This process is often seen in children with severe phonological delays.
- Gliding: substituting an /r/ with /w/ (“wun” for “run”) or /l/ sound with /w, y/ (“yeyo” for “yellow”.) This process may continue through 6 years old.
PHONOLOGICAL
Evaluation:
Speech pathologists observe and screen before evaluations, guiding test choices. Analysis and probes help develop treatment plans for phonological delays.
A phonological delay is when your child omits, substitutes, and/or distorts a process. This is something that all children demonstrate at various ages, but eventually suppress as they enter the preschool years. These errors occur at a young age because a child’s speech mechanism (lips, tongue, jaw) is not yet fully, physically developed to move swiftly and precisely. As children grow physically, their speech becomes more intelligible. Those with phonological disorders may need auditory training to improve accuracy.
A phonological delay means multiple sound errors. For instance, using /d/ for /th/ in “thumb” doesn’t signify a delay. This example would likely be an articulation delay. However, if he uses /d/ in addition to one of more of these sounds: /j, sh, ch, th/ (i.e., “padama” for “pajama”, “dells” for “shells”, “lund” for “lunch”, and/or “dum” for “thumb”), then he has not suppressed a phonological process of stopping and needs intervention, especially if he is five years old or older.
One of my most popular, phonological goals is: Reduce cluster reduction for /s/ blends (sk, sm, sn, sp, st) in initial positions of words with 80% accuracy given supports as needed.
Therapy:
In phonological therapy, we work towards helping the child learn to suppress the process. The speech pathologist prioritizes processes occurring over 40% in a speech sample. Unlike articulation issues, phonological delays vary contextually.
Cycles Approach:
Speech-language pathologists use the cycles approach, a systematic and evidence-based method, to address phonological disorders in children. This method organizes therapy sessions into cycles, targeting specific phonological patterns for a predetermined period before progressing to the next set of targets. This approach aims to facilitate generalization of speech sound improvements across a wide range of contexts. Through repetitive practice and reinforcement, children gradually internalize correct speech patterns and improve overall intelligibility. The cycles approach emphasizes a holistic approach to therapy, incorporating auditory, visual, and tactile cues to support learning and retention. By addressing underlying phonological processes rather than individual sounds, it provides a comprehensive framework for addressing speech sound disorders effectively.
Auditory Bombardment:
Auditory bombardment in phonological speech therapy involves exposing the child to a high frequency of correct target sounds in various contexts. This technique aims to increase the child’s exposure to the target sounds, leading to improved auditory discrimination and comprehension. By repeatedly hearing the correct sounds, the child’s auditory system becomes more attuned to the target phonemes, facilitating the internalization of correct speech patterns.
Auditory bombardment helps to create a strong auditory model for the child to imitate, aiding in the acquisition and production of target sounds. Additionally, this approach can enhance the child’s phonological awareness and contribute to overall speech sound improvement. Overall, auditory bombardment is a valuable tool in phonological therapy, providing intensive auditory input to support speech sound development and remediation.
Homework:
It is nearly impossible to skip homework practice and make progress in phonological therapy. Again, your child’s speech pathologist will want a certain level of mastery in the therapy room before assigning homework practice. Once targets are identified, clients with phonological delays can benefit from engaging in listening training at home. Ask for appropriate book suggestions. The sooner you start, the better.
Conclusion
In conclusion, grasping the nuances of phonological processes is vital for effective intervention strategies. With thorough evaluation and targeted treatment plans, accompanied by diligent home programming, children can overcome phonological challenges more effectively. Encouraging parental involvement in home practice reinforces therapy gains and fosters lasting progress in speech development.
