Oral Motor Exercises for Speech Clarity

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How to calculate speech clarity?
Speech clarity also known as speech intelligibility is a percentage. A speech therapist calculates this after assessment. Children should reach 90-100% speech intelligibility by 5 years of a ge. It’s within normal limits for younger children (2-3 year olds) to have lower speech intelligibility.
What factors affect speech intelligibility?
A child’s language ability affects speech intelligibility. Because understanding speech sounds needs a level of linguistic ability. If your child becomes makes more mistakes as s/he tries to say more syllables, that is also developmentally acceptable. That is related to linguistic ability as well.
General coordination of speech, what we call coarticulation is also a factor. This relates to the child’s motoric ability. Yes, it’s permissible if the child does have problems putting sounds together, going from sound to sound (consonants and vowels) to form words.
Your child might also have a speech disorder. You should get an assessment for that. Generally speaking, there are some speech error patterns that are considered disordered patterns. Children develop speech sounds from easy to hard. If your child can say harder sounds but not the easier ones, then there is a high chance of speech disorder. You should consult a speech therapist for that matter.
There are LOADS of factors surrounding speech clarity. We’ll discuss in another video about all the other factors.
How oral motor exercises and massages impact speech
We do not have evidence that oral motor exercises (OME) do help with speech clarity. Many children who cannot speak clearly will use OME though. Why do you ask? Because it’s an easier task than the child can achieve instead of saying the sound. Also, it teaches the proper placement of the speech sound. How about massaging? Whilst there is some research on positive results… Speech therapy should focus on teaching the child to actually say the sound. You can only get better at speech by practicing speech. No amount of OME or massaging will teach the child to use sounds properly.

[@AgentsofSpeech]

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[@stevenblubridge7317]

Thank you!

[@nancyreed1557]

Can you recommend me a therapist that specialise I. speech Articulation and Pronounciation ? I’m looking one for my son here in Sydney Australia

[@kandisim1385]

Lack of tongue lateralization won't affect speech but feeding/swallowing (mature chewing pattern).

[@rubymehtab8716]

Hey Ming
Could you please elaborate on a child 3 year old that doesn’t say mum dad.. or small words as go or in or weee down up.. he knows what it means 100%. Even if he says he almost whispers very lightly.. please I desperately need answers..

[@AgentsofSpeech]

Not sure what to elaborate on, teach more gestures

[@slowmotionfood8108]

Same things is happening with mine! How did it go with you? How is your child doing now??

[@btlmir]

Hi did your son catch up ❤

[@saimaansari8569]

Hey Ming
My 5 years son has down syndrome he can't chewed food properly and he doesn't say any word but only babbling. He response on his name and his related stuff like toys, poem, food pls help me

[@AgentsofSpeech]

Check out the videos about word imitation

[@markjosephsalvador2301]

im a filipino stroke survivor my problem is speech 😔

[@AgentsofSpeech]

thanks for watching!