Question
What can I do as a parent to help my 3 1/2 year old with his phonologic disorder? He has a minor problem. He is unintelligible to other people, I am the only one who understands. It will be 6 months before I can get him in a program. I can't help but
Answer
First of all if the parents are the only ones who understand the child I would be fairly concerned. Typically children that age are understood 50-75% of the time by all listeners. I would pursue services from a qualified SLP as soon as possible who would be able to both diagnose the specific speech problem and treat accordingly. Parents can do much for their children but specific at home activities should be prescribed by the SLP. Certainly I would contact the SLP in the local elementary school for help. I would also consider seeking services from a medical facility or private practice SLP given that they could secure a doctor's referral. Many universities with speech pathology programs have clinics associated with them for educational purposes.
Bruce Hanson has taught and supervised at Minnesota State University Moorhead since 1979 (25 years). His teaching responsibilities have included undergraduate and graduate courses in articulation and phonology. In addition he has taught clinical methods courses and cleft palate. He has been certified by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association since 1978 and holds licensure in both Minnesota and North Dakota. He is also a Board Recognized Specialist in Fluency Disorders.
Bruce Hanson, M.S.
Related Courses
1https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/treatment-approach-considerations-for-school-9472Treatment Approach Considerations for School-Aged Children with Speech Sound DisordersThis course will address the theoretical underpinnings and research base related to differential diagnosis and treatment of articulation and phonological deficits in children with speech sound disorders. Special considerations for how to tailor evaluation and intervention to meet the needs of school-age children will be discussed.auditory, textual, visual
This course will address the theoretical underpinnings and research base related to differential diagnosis and treatment of articulation and phonological deficits in children with speech sound disorders. Special considerations for how to tailor evaluation and intervention to meet the needs of school-age children will be discussed.
2https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/back-to-basics-down-syndrome-8975Back to Basics: Down SyndromeThis course will serve as a primer on Down syndrome for practicing speech-language pathologists. The basics of the syndrome and common speech, language, voice and fluency issues will be addressed. Effective treatment strategies for improving communication across the lifespan will also be discussed.auditory, textual, visual
This course will serve as a primer on Down syndrome for practicing speech-language pathologists. The basics of the syndrome and common speech, language, voice and fluency issues will be addressed. Effective treatment strategies for improving communication across the lifespan will also be discussed.
3https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/20q-dynamics-school-based-speech-1000220Q: Dynamics of School-Based Speech and Language Therapy VariablesThis course reviews dynamics of speech and language therapy variables such as session frequency, intervention intensity, and dosage, and how these are impacted by different service delivery models. It discusses how therapy outcomes are related to therapy quality, IEP goals, and SLP-level variables such as job satisfaction and caseload size.textual, visual
This course reviews dynamics of speech and language therapy variables such as session frequency, intervention intensity, and dosage, and how these are impacted by different service delivery models. It discusses how therapy outcomes are related to therapy quality, IEP goals, and SLP-level variables such as job satisfaction and caseload size.
4https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/sleuthing-for-s-and-r-9237Sleuthing for /s/ and /r/: Facilitating Strategies for Residual Sound ErrorsThis course will discuss the rationale and strategies for teaching production of /s/ and /r/ for upper elementary school-age children and older. Errors on these two sounds are considered residual when production continues to be inaccurate beyond the developmental age of acquisition.auditory, textual, visual
This course will discuss the rationale and strategies for teaching production of /s/ and /r/ for upper elementary school-age children and older. Errors on these two sounds are considered residual when production continues to be inaccurate beyond the developmental age of acquisition.
5https://www.speechpathology.com/slp-ceus/course/20q-continuum-approach-for-sorting-1000820Q: A Continuum Approach for Sorting Out Processing DisordersThere is a good deal of confusion among audiologists and speech-language pathologists when a diagnosis of “processing disorder” is introduced. This course presents a continuum model to differentiate processing disorders into acoustic, phonemic, or linguistic aspects so that assessment and treatment can become more focused and effective. The roles of audiologists and SLPs in relation to processing disorders are described, and compensatory strategies for differing aspects of processing are presented.textual, visual
There is a good deal of confusion among audiologists and speech-language pathologists when a diagnosis of “processing disorder” is introduced. This course presents a continuum model to differentiate processing disorders into acoustic, phonemic, or linguistic aspects so that assessment and treatment can become more focused and effective. The roles of audiologists and SLPs in relation to processing disorders are described, and compensatory strategies for differing aspects of processing are presented.
