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Topics
Articulation
Clear speech makes a big difference in how children connect and communicate. At Bjorem Speech®, we provide tools that help kids master the precise movements needed to produce individual speech sounds clearly and confidently.
Articulation is the motor production of individual speech sounds using the lips, tongue, jaw, teeth, and other oral structures. When a child has an articulation disorder, they may know the word they want to say but produce it incorrectly due to errors like substitutions, omissions, additions, or distortions (ASHA, 2023a).
Examples of articulation errors include:
Substitutions – saying “wabbit” for “rabbit”
Omissions – saying “ca” for “cat”
Additions – saying “buhlack” for “black”
Distortions – producing a lisped /s/ sound
Articulation disorders can significantly affect how well a child is understood, potentially impacting social interaction, academic success, and self-confidence. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, articulation disorders are a type of speech sound disorder (SSD) that may occur in isolation or alongside other communication challenges (ASHA, 2023a).
Articulation
Identifying Issues
Children with articulation difficulties may consistently mispronounce specific speech sounds, even though they understand the words they are trying to say. These errors are often easy to spot in everyday conversation and may involve substitutions (like “w” for “r”), distortions (such as a lisped “s”), or omissions (leaving sounds off the ends of words). If a child is older than the expected age for mastering a sound but continues to misarticulate it, this may indicate an articulation disorder. These issues can impact a child’s overall intelligibility, making it harder for teachers, peers, and even family members to understand them. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can assess how individual sounds are produced and determine whether the errors are age-appropriate or need targeted intervention (ASHA, 2023).
Articulation
How We Can Help
Bjorem Speech® offers a variety of targeted tools designed to support articulation therapy, from visual cues and practice cards to facilitative contexts.
Our resources help SLPs guide children through the steps of mastering individual sounds in fun, motivating ways.
