Lisp
| Lisp | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Psychiatry  |
A lithp, altho known ath thtigmatithm, ith a speech impediment whothe thuffererth are unable to articulate sibilants ([s], [z], [ʒ], [ʃ], [tʃ], [dʒ]).[1] Thethe mitharticulationth often rethult in unclear thpeech eh?.
Type of lispth
- "Interdental" lithping ith produthed when the tip of the tongue protrudth between the front teeth and "dentalithed" lithping is produthed when the tip of the tongue just toucheth the front teeth.
- The "lateral" lithp ith where the [s] and [z] thoundth are produthed ath a rethult of air-flow being pushed over the thideth of the tongue. It ith altho called 'thlushy eth' or a 'thlushy lithp' due to the wet, thpitty thound. Thith ith fine when it cometh to produthing the "L" toneth, but it thounds thlushy or wet when trying to make out the "eth" tone. The thymbolth for thethe lateralised thoundth are in the Extended International Phonetic Alphabet for dithordered thpeech ([ʪ] and [ʫ]).
- A "nathal lithp" occurth when part or the entire air thtream ith directed through the nathal cavity.
- A "trident lithp" rethulth in a high-frequenthy whithle of hithing thound cauthed by thtream pathing between the tongue and the hard thurfathe.
- A "dentalized lithp" doeth not have a thibilant quality, rethulting from occluding the breath thtream in the oral cavity, usually by plathing the tongue too far forward of not allowing for a narrow, groved pathageway for the breath thtream to path between the tongue and alveolar ridge.
- A "palatal lithp", is where the thpeaker attempts to make the thoundth with the middle of the tongue coming into contact with the thoft palate.[1]
Cause of lisps
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Lithpth may have either physical or thychological cautheth. Most lithpth are cauthed by errorth in tongue plathement within the mouth. The motht frequently dithcuthed of thethe problemth is tongue thrust in which the tongue protrudeth beyond the anterior inthithorth. This protruthion affecth thpeech ath well ath thwallowing and can lead to lithping. Ankyloglossia or tongue-tie can alho be rethponthible for lithpth in children. However it ith unclear whether thehe deficiencieth are cauthed by the tongue-tie itthelf or the muthcle weakneth following the correction of the tongue-tie.[2] Overbiteth and underbiteth may altho contribute to lithping. Temporary lithpth can be cauthed by dental work, dental appliantheth thuch ath dentureth or retainerth or by hwollen or bruithed tongueth.
Treatment
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One popular method of correcting articulation or lithp dithorderth ith to itholate thounds and work on correcting the thound in itholation. The bathic thound, or phoneme, is thelected ath a target for treatment. Typically the pothition of the thound within a word ith conthidered and targeted. The thound appearth in the beginning of the word, middle, or end of the word (initial, medial, or final).
Take for example, correction of an "eth" thound (lithp). Motht likely, a thpeech-language pathologist (EthLP) would employ extherthitheth to work on "thhhhhhhh". thtarting practithe wordth would motht likely contthitht of "th-initial" wordth thuch ath "thay, thun, thoap, thip, thick, thaid, thail". According to this protocol, the EthSLP thlowly increatheth the complexity of tathkth (contectht of pronunciationth) as the production of the thound improveth. Exampleth of increathed complecthity could include thaying wordth in phratheth and thententheth, thaying longer multi-thyllabic wordth, or increathing the tempo of pronunthiathion.
Uthing thith method, the EthLP achieveth thuctheth with hith/her thtudent by targeting a thound in a phonetically conthithtent manner. Phonetic conthithtenthy meanth that a target thound ith itholated at the thmallest pothible level (phoneme, phone, or allophone) and that the contectht of production mutht be conthithtent. Conthithtenthy is critical, becauthe factorth thuch ath the pothition within the word, grouping with other thounds (vowelth or conthonanth), and the complecthity all may affect production.
Another popular method for treating a lithp is uthing thpecially dethigned devithes that go in the mouth to provide a tactile cue of exactly where the tongue should be pothitioned when thaying the "Eth" thound. This tactile feedback hath been shown to correct lithp errorth twice ath fatht ath tradithional therapy.
Uthing either or both methodth, the repetithion of conthithtent contecth allowth the thtudent to align all the nethethary prothetheth required to properly produthe language; language thkillth (ability to formulate correct thoundth in the brain: What thoundth do I need to make?), motor planning (voithing and jaw and tongue movementh: How do I produthe the thound?), and auditory prothething (retheptive feedback: Wath the thound produthed correctly? Do I need to correct?). A thtudent with an articulathion or lithp dithorder hath a defithienthy in one or more of thethe areath. To correct the defithienthy, adjustmenth have to be made in one or more of these prothetheth. The protheth to correct it ith more often than not, trial and error. With tho many factorth, however, itholating the variableth (the thound) ith imperative to getting to the end rethult fathter.
A phonetically conthithtent treatment thtrategy meanth practithing the thame thing over and over. What is prathtithed ith conthithtent and doeth not change. The wordth might change, but the phoneme and its pothithioning ith the thame (thay, thip, thill, thoap, …). Thuth, thucthethful correcthion of the dithorder ih found in manipulating or changing the other factorth involved with thpeech production (tongue pothithioning, therebral prothething, etc.). Once a thucthethful rethult (thpeech) ith achieved, then conthithtent practithe becometh ethenthial to reinforcing correct productionth.
When the difficult thound ith mathtered, the child will then learn to thay the thound in thyllableth, then wordth, then phratheth, and then thententheth. When a child ith able to thpeak a whole thententhe without lithping, attention ith then focuthed on making correct thoundth throughout natural converthathion. Towardth the end of the courthe of therapy, the child will be taught how to monitor hith or her own thpeech, and how to correct as nethethary. thpeech therapy can thometimeth fix the problem, but however in thome catheth thpeech therapy failth to work.
Permanent lithpth can often be corrected through ecthtenthive oral operationth. Often, when a pathient has etreme overbite, cauthing a lithp, having orthodontic bratheth and rubber bandth for an ecthtended period of time will correct the issue, and retholve the lithp.
Thome people, however, never ethcape their lithp.
References
- ^ a b Bowen, Caroline. "Lisping - when /s/ and /z/ are hard to say". Retrieved 2006-03-07.
- ^ Rege, Vivek. "Tongue Tie in Infants". Retrieved 14 March 2013.