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| [source: prweb.com] |
We all know the saying- “seeing it is believing it”. Well
for teaching speech sounds, the same is often true -you have to see it to
articulate it. For many children, simply saying a speech sound out loud isn’t
enough information to help them repeat it themselves. Children have to learn
the correct placement of their articulators and how to produce sounds, often in
a stepwise process. One technique for facilitating speech sounds is to use what
are called, touch cues. Touch cues
are a type of tactile cue, a technique involving the hands to show placement or
highlight the part of the face being used to make a specific sound. Tactile
cues are nothing new, and in fact a highly effective, evidence based practice
that underlie the principles of Speech
Buddies and the PROMPT program
(Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets). While both programs
have their own specific principles, touch cues in general can be used during
play and other speech
and language based activities with relative ease and just your hands and
face.
For little ones, in particular, touch cues can provide a
more visible and salient gesture. During play, they can help highlight
individual sounds that go along with the toys and actions in a game or
activity. For example, while saying “mat” (e.g., “lets sit on the mat”) a
clinician might model the “m” lip position by using their middle and index
fingers to push the lips together and produce the sound. These can serve as
teaching tools or visual reminders. If the child leaves off a sound, for
example, “ma” instead of “mat,” the clinician might use a visual tactile cue to
prompt them for the “t” sound at the end of the word.
Clinicians should make the sound and show the cue on their
face, and if tolerated, encourage the child to use their hands on the mouth of
the communication partner to feel the way the mouth moves during production of
the targeted sound. Also if tolerated,
provide the cue on the child’s face. Remember to model and use them
consistently.
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| [source: speechymusings.com] |
The cues themselves vary slightly according to different
treatment protocols but generally follow that common gestures are used to show
sounds that produced in a similar manner. If a sound requires a burst
of air from the mouth, the cue will emphasize that. Some common examples
include:
/p/: Place your index finger in vertical position touches
both lips and then bring finger away from the lips while release air
/b/: Similar to /p/ but the finger does not move because
no burst of air occurs
/m/: Place the tips of your index and middle fingers on
your lips horizontally. Some only use one finger in the horizontal position
under their lip.
/n/: Place your index finger next to the nose to cue
nasality
/k/
and /g/: Place your index finger horizontally across
the upper throat and tap your index finger up as you form the voiceless /k/.
Use index and middle finger for the voiced /g/ sound to show that this sound
uses the voice. .
/t/ and /d/: Place finger on the left or right side of the
mouth near Cupid’s bow, which is above the lip. Use one finger to tap while you
produce the voiceless /t/ sound and show two fingers for the voiced /d/ sound.
Post written by Holly F.
I want to take a minute to thank Holly from Speech Buddies for sharing this information with us today! Also, I wanted to share that I do have a parent handout available on Visual/Tactile (or Touch) Cues that you can download for free HERE.
