speech buddies

Over the last three decades, I have witnessed that some children benefit from feeling where to place their tongues to successfully produce target sounds, particularly those who have made little progress with traditional articulation therapy. A tactile approach has proven effective in unlocking articulation breakthroughs for children who have struggled with conventional therapy methods.

Speech Buddies

One tool that I have used with moderate success is Speech Buddies. These tools are the size and length of a tongue depressor that individually target: L, R, S, CH, and SH sounds by helping a child identify correct placement of the tongue to accurately produce that sound.  Here is how you introduce and use this product:

1. I always begin with letting the child hold and feel the flexible tool before placing it in his mouth.
2. Next, we talk about where his teeth and tongue should be positioned on the tool using the images in the booklet that the company provides.
3. I always hold the Speech Buddy at first to help the child feel the right placement, but I quickly give them independence as this helps make them feel more comfortable.
4. We start with saying words that begin with the targeted speech sound with the Speech Buddy in the mouth, but I swiftly transition to saying the word with the Buddy and then without.  Removing the Speech Buddy provides a reset that supports programming the muscles to store a memory of proper movement. To teach the mouth muscles to recall the correct placement, the child needs to say the word with support, then without.
5. Practicing with the Speech Buddy twice weekly for 20 minutes fosters muscle memory better than longer, once-a-week sessions.

Considerations Before Making a Purchase

Consult your speech pathologist before trialing any tool; it ensures suitability and maximizes investment effectiveness for parents. These tools are not appropriate for everyone for several reasons:

1. They require a certain level of cognitive ability to follow directions.
2. Some children need to develop better jaw support before working on tongue movements.
3. Not every child can tolerate having a tool in his mouth due to oral sensitivity and/or hyperactive gag reflex.
4. Your child may not require this type of feedback to learn how to produce /l, r, s, ch, sh/ sounds.  Verbal cues alone may suffice.
5. These products are not a ‘stand alone’ option or replacement for skilled speech evaluation and therapy.

Pros

• I’ve found great success with Speech Buddies for improving /s, sh, ch, l/ sounds, in both school and private practice.
• Parents can easily help children generalize practice at home. The tool helps ensure accurate articulator placement occurs every time.

Cons

• In truth, my success with the R Buddy has been limited. There are two options for producing R: retroflex and bunched.  The Speech Buddy only supports the retroflex option.
• The retroflex R movement is not best for everyone. Some children, especially those with tongue ties have a hard time with retroflex R.
• Mastering the retroflex movement with the R Speech Buddy poses a challenge as it requires unraveling the Buddy with the tongue tip.
• Speech Buddies are costly and not covered by insurance

Costs

Individual Speech Buddy tools range from $99-$124 in price with a complete kit costing close to three hundred dollars.  Unless your child needs help with all the above-mentioned targets, you do not need to purchase a kit.  I would suspect that if he does require help with several sounds, then your speech pathologist may need to work on improving jaw stability first.

I aimed to educate on tactile feedback for articulation delays and suggest Speech Buddy tools.  A formal evaluation before any home program is necessary. These evaluations are crucial in identifying other medical reasons like hearing issues or tongue ties that impede therapy progress.  As frustrating as it is to wait for testing, it is well worth the time.