Get Rid of a Speech Disorder

Many people feel insecure about their speech impediments, whether it's a lisp or an inability to articulate words, and it can affect every aspect of life. Although it may not seem like it – particularly if you have been dealing with this problem for years – you may be able to get rid of or improve your speech impediment with a few speech-training practices and some major confidence-boosters. Remember to seek out the professional opinion of a Speech and Language Therapist/Pathologist for more information.

Steps

Helping Yourself with a Speech Disorder

  1. Try books and tapes on spoken English. Allot two to three hours each day to practice how to pronounce words properly, pace your speech, and practice articulation. Take down notes of words and sentences that you find difficult or tricky to pronounce.
    • One modern approach is to use technology. There are apps that can run on smartphones and tablets that listen to what you say and then give you feedback. For example, on Android there is the free app "Talking English." You can also find similar apps in the Apple App Store.[1]
  2. Read out Loud Without Tiring Your Voice. Choose some speeches, short stories, or poems from a college English textbook (or any other text you like), and read them aloud. That way, you can concentrate on the sounds and muscle movements involved in each word and not have to worry about coming up with the words yourself.
  3. Record your practice sessions.[2] Use a hand-held voice recorder, or speak through a microphone connected to a stereo set or boom box. Doing so allows you the chance to review your sessions and track your progress. Practicing correct pronunciation, enunciation and diction may sound like a lot of hard work, but all the dedication does pay off. You will feel so proud once you have made significant improvement and you listen back on one of your very first sessions.
  4. Take your time. Speaking slowly may be frowned upon by some people, but slow and careful speaking is a very effective way to express yourself when you have a speech disorder.[2] You don't have to speak very slowly; merely speak in a pace that's comfortable for you and your listeners. A steady pace is better than speaking in a fast pace, especially if you want to send the intended meaning of your message across.

Using Your Body to Improve Speech

  1. Maintain good posture. Speech delivery depends on physical body mechanics just as it counts on verbals factors like inflection. If you keep your back bent and hunch your shoulders, you don't allow enough air to exert pressure on your diaphragm or pass through your larynx (voice box). The best public speakers and orators often maintain proper speaking posture, which includes:[3][4]
    • Stomach in
    • Chest out
    • Shoulders relaxed
    • Back straight
    • Feet steady
  2. Support your speech from the diaphragm. The proper standing and sitting posture means that you draw your voice not directly from the larynx, but from the diaphragm. You also relieve pressure on your larynx by relaxing your shoulders, which means that you would talk in your natural pitch. If you keep your feet flat and steady, you also give yourself a very stable vertical base to support your body when you talk.[5]
  3. Practice diaphragmatic breathing. Sometimes, impediments in speech, like stuttering, grow from nerves and anxiety.[2] Before you have to speak in front of a group, go through a deep breathing activity to calm your nerves, relax your body, and get you in the right mental state for proper speech.
    • Sit comfortably and with an erect posture. Breathe in deeply through your nose. You should use your hand to feel your stomach expanding like a balloon being inflated. Hold the breath and then release it slowly, feeling your stomach deflating beneath your hand. Repeat this exercise before you have to speak publicly to relieve stress.
  4. Stand tall. Another great advantage to proper posture is that you look and feel good whenever you're speaking, whether it's a formal speaking engagement or a chat over lunch. Proper posture boosts your confidence, and tells people that you know what you're talking about.

Getting Professional Help

  1. Get assessed by a local speech and language therapist. This professional will diagnose your specific speech disorder and discover the causes. Then, they will decide which interventions will be most helpful in enabling you to speak correctly. The therapist will determine how much speech therapy you need, and you should regularly attend therapy for the best results. Therapists are capable of improving speech impediments in both children and adults.[6]
    • Speech therapy is helpful for correcting your impediment. The therapist will point out the part of speech where you're having problems, and will work with you to correct it. Private speech therapy sessions do not come cheap, although most insurance policies will fund services needed to treat speech disorders.
    • There's no substitute for learning and practice when it comes to the proper and effective use of language. Take every opportunity to speak, to practice and brush up on the correct pronunciation and enunciation provided to you by a professional.
  2. See a speech and language pathologist or a psychologist. These practitioners can help you overcome your speech impediments if they are caused by emotional distress or learning disabilities. Counseling provided by the professional is very useful if you need to break out of your silence and to talk about your problems, your frustrations, or your own personal tragedy. Such interventions might help you come to terms with anxiety and learn effective ways of coping that still enable you to speak properly.[7][8]
  3. Get braces. If you have misaligned teeth, you may have difficulty pronouncing some words because of a lisp. Most malocclusions are corrected through braces. Braces pull, push, and adjust individual teeth to correct your bite. The problem with braces is that they often cause a speech impediment, especially when the springs, bands and wires of a set of braces are adjusted every month.[9][10]
    • Every time the dentist adjusts your braces (or even dentures), you need to train yourself to talk and to eat properly. It may be quite painful at first, but remember not to go too far, lest you end up with a mouth injury.
    • Most braces are used for orthodontic purposes, although some braces can be used as decorations. Braces are rather expensive, and you may need to take out a dental plan or cash in on dental insurance to pay for them.
    • Kids and teenagers don't like to wear braces because they're often teased as “metal mouths” or “railroad faces.” The fact is that braces are still the best way to correct a lisp caused by misaligned teeth.

Assessing Your Speech Disorder

  1. Look for possible physical causes to your speech disorder. Features that present at birth or due to physical injuries may result in medical conditions that limit your ability to speak. Many of these physical conditions can be rectified with proper speech and medical treatment.
    • Cleft lips and palates were a major cause of speech impediments until surgery became affordable. Now, children born with clefts can have reconstructive surgery and a multidisciplinary team of providers that help with feeding and speech and language development.[11]
    • Malocclusion is when the teeth do not have the proper normal bite. Malocclusions are usually corrected through braces, although orthodontic surgery is necessary in some cases. Individuals with this condition may talk with a lisp, make a whistle sound when certain words are spoken, or mumble.[12]
    • Neurological disorders caused by accidents or brain and nerve tumors can cause a speech disorder called dysprosody. Dysprosody involves difficulty in expressing the tonal and emotional qualities of speech such as inflection and emphasis.[13]
  2. Determine if the cause is a learning disability. Dyslexia and other learning disabilities can prevent a person from learning how to speak properly. Children who suffer from learning disabilities often have speech impediments, although they can be overcome through speech therapy.[14]
  3. Consider if your speech disorder was caused by an emotional problem. People who suffer from traumatic experiences often develop speech problems like stammering and stuttering. A death in the family, a horrible accident, or a crime can often affect the ability of a person to speak clearly.[15]
  4. Find out whether your speech impediment is permanent. Some speech impediments are permanent, especially when caused by neurological disorders. On the other hand, a speech impediment may be the result of not having been taught how to speak clearly and communicate effectively. If you or your child are not taught proper speech practices at school or at home as a youth, it could lead to a speech impediment. These conditions, however, can generally be overcome.
  5. See if your speech impediment is genetic. On the other hand, many people with speech impediments encounter these problems because it runs in their families. In fact, research shows that inherited speech and language impairments are more likely to occur the more individuals in the family are affected. In other words, if both parents and one sibling have a speech disorder, the other sibling has a higher chance of having one as well.[16]

Tips

  • Welcome good speech. Look forward to it, and accept and celebrate even little improvements.
  • Try to slow down and pronounce each word properly, as this can also help when trying to overcome a speech problem.

Warnings

  • See a Speech Pathologist who maintains their Certification of Clinical Competence from the American Speech and Hearing Association. These professionals are able to evaluate, diagnose and treat speech impairments. Nothing replaces sound medical advice from a specialist.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.speechbuddy.com/blog/language-development/apps-for-speech-impediments-in-children/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.stutteringhelp.org/portals/english/book_0012_tenth_ed.pdf
  3. ↑ http://www.coli.uni-saarland.de/~steiner/publications/ISSP2014.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.opsu.edu/Academics/LiberalArts/Speech/files/COMM1113/SPEECHDELIVERY.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.genardmethod.com/blog-detail/view/36/diaphragmatic-breathing-a-key-public-speaking-technique#.VgQdvdJViko
  6. ↑ http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/sight/speech_disorders.html#
  7. ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/beyond-the-label/201202/the-role-speech-and-language-assessment
  8. ↑ http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/asha/publications/cicsd/2002SCounselingAnApproach.pdf
  9. ↑ http://www.livingnaturaltoday.com/2013/10/conquering-speech-whilst-wearing-braces/
  10. ↑ http://www.ndcs.com.sg/ForPatientsAndVisitors/ConditionsAndTreatments/Glossary/Pages/Orthodontics-PreparingforBraces.aspx
  11. ↑ http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/CleftLip/
  12. ↑ http://www.theschulhofcenter.com/malocclusion-affecting-speech/
  13. ↑ http://psychcentral.com/encyclopedia/2008/dysprosody/
  14. ↑ http://sites.allegheny.edu/disabilityservices/students-with-speech-impairments/
  15. ↑ http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1038&context=psycdsp
  16. ↑ http://www.case.edu/artsci/cosi/fsrs/documents/lewis_brief_final.pdf
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