K/G artic

[AnitaH]

Hi all,

I need some help. I have a 4 yr old with multiple articulation errors. We've been working on the k/g sounds with no progress. He has no tongue elevation. I have tried just about everything and am at a loss. Here is a list of what I have done. Any new ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Tongue depressor-his tongue always manages to go around it to hit the alveolar ridge.

Laying on his back in conjunction with tongue depressor

Coughing-it comes out as an /h/

vowel consonant

Visual cues, minimal pairs, verbal cues

I'm hoping someone has something that I can try. Thanks for your help.

[Karen2]

Can he hear the difference in your speech? Can he identify if you say the /k/ right or wrong in a word? Have him pick his head up and cough to feel the back of his tongue moving. Attempt to have him say "ah.... /k/" with his finger on the tip of his tongue to keep it down. If he is unsuccessful, I'd immediately move on to other sounds that were stimulable and work on them. Keep trying for /k/ in isolation but only briefly during each session. I wouldn't waste time on it when he isn't ready to make the sound.

[AnitaH]

Thanks for the input. I'll try having him hold his tongue down, but am fairly certain he will find a way around that too. I do target a variety of sounds during our sessions so he doesn't get too frustrated. We just started working more on auditory discrim now and he isn't that great at it. I have recruited his parents to help with some auditory bombardment. I will keep plugging away and hopefully as he makes gains in that area the tongue placement will be easier. Thanks again, it's always nice to hear from others.

[dawnslp3]

I have learned that /k/ and /g/ are two sounds the child is NOT going to get IF they are ready for them. If you have tried everything you can think of, move on and make progress on another sound. Work on some s-blends. What other sounds are in error? What program are you using? Have you tried Cycles? It sounds like this child might benefit from it and could possibly be done with therapy in half the time. I can email you an outline on the approach. You can send me an email to dawnmooreslp at earthlink.net

[nyc_toro]

Try pretending to gargle- set up with a cool cup, pretend to fill it and all that- then model and have him imitate gargling. That'll help him get the sensation of that velar contact. You may need to try with real water, but clear this with parents, in case he does a little coughing! I've had much success with this method- never even had to actually use the water. Once you get it, try to isolate it to a /g/ sound on its own, with their head back- gradually move the head down as they repeat /g/ a few times. Take it from there, moving incrementally. You may need to keep grabbing for that pretend cup over a few sessions. Good luck!

[warrtr]

While the child has his oral structures in a relaxed state....everything neutral, have him keep tongue tip on bottom teeth and attempt /k/ as you gently "facilitate" the elevation of the posterior tongue by pressing GENTLY up under the posterior chin..near the neck. Be sure to be VERY gentle. This has worked on many kid for me.

[marycl]

This may sound weird, but, can he walk backwards without looking behind? If he can not, work on that until he is comfortable and can do it easily, then try all the ways you have already tried. Just like someone said, if the child is not ready to do this sound, work on something else. Believe it or not, being able to walk backwards helps!

[SpeechyKeen]

MaryCL, are you saying this skill is useful for K/G, or artic. in general? And how the heck did you find this tid bit of info.? That is a first for me, after 25 yrs. doing ST.

[AnitaH]

Thanks for all of the input. I'm excited to hear some new things to try.

MarcyCl-I'm curious about the walking backwards without looking. Where/how have you heard about this and do you know why it might make a difference?
If you want to email me my address is

nyc_toro-I will also try the gargle trick. We have done some auditory bombardment and discrim with minimal pairs. We still touch on that each session since his discrim is still so poor.

[Jandis]

Regarding the pretending to gargle, I've had success getting k by having kids really gargle with water.

[SpeechyKeen]

Not to brag, but I have never had any problems getting a kid to make a K sound. Start with that, not G.

I don't tell the child we are making a K sound. I say, "Here's my dinosaur sound. He's walking through the woods on all the crunchy sticks and leaves." I move side to side, as if I am a big dino. walking in the woods. I open WIDE and make a long, nasty, dry KKKKK! KKKKKK! sound (I do it each time I move side to side). Kids are motivated to do it. This is a good K approximation.

Another strategy: have child lie on his/her back, so the tongue naturally wants to go to the back of the mouth with gravity. Have child open WIDE and hold tip of tongue with his/her own finger. Do that long, dry KKKKKK! KKKKKKKKK! sound. Begin therapy by doing 10 in a row with the finger holding the tip down, then 10 in a row without holding the tongue tip down. Then sit up and do 10 with or without holding tip of tongue down. Move to the dinosaur approach above.