The Path to Good Sounds Part 2

Hello again world!

This is Kasey here talking to you about the process that we are following to help our kids develop appropriate speech sounds! Last blog post we talked about oral rest posture, why that’s important and how we can continue to look for lips closed, tongue on the palate, and breathing through our nose. This week we’re going to be talking about control of the mouth but first a quick refresher of all the steps in this path to good sounds, as well as this blog series!

1. Oral Rest Posture
2. Control of the mouth
3. Awareness
4. Sounds in isolation
5. Combining Sounds

Today we are focusing on “control of the mouth”. We (and by we I mean your child) need to be able to move our tongue, lips, and jaw on purpose and with control. This is a precursor to being able to make certain sounds. We do not want to see the jaw jutting forwards/backwards or moving side to side while talking or swallowing. The most important movements we need to learn are the following:

• Tongue – Jaw Dissociation: the tongue can move independently and separately from the jaw. 
• Jaw – Lip Dissociation: the lips can move independently and separately from the jaw.
• Tongue tip elevation: the tip (pointy part) of the tongue needs to move up to the alveolar ridge (behind the two front teeth).
• Lateral tongue side spread: the sides of the tongue need to touch to the sides of the molars at the same time to “brace” or stabilize on the teeth so the tongue can move quickly and efficiently around the mouth.
• Mid tongue elevation: the middle of the tongue must move up towards the palate.

Try this out with your child and help them practice these movements before they are needed for speech! Practice looking in the mirror and just moving their tongue, or moving their lips without their whole jaw sliding around or opening up! It takes practice so don’t give up!

-Kasey-