Speech Sound Disorders
Speech Therapy in Houston
Speech Sound Disorders: Articulation and Phonology
On this page we explain more about the different Speech Sound Disorders we treat, and what treatment looks like. There are different types of Speech Sound Disorders, with their own distinctive features and treatments.
Please click on the different disorders below to navigate on this page to find the information that you need.
At Genesis Family we assess and treat the following Speech Sound Disorders
Speech Therapy in Houston
Articulation
Articulation disorders involve difficulty producing speech sounds due to challenges with how the mouth, lips, tongue, or jaw move to make those sounds. These difficulties may be caused by a structural difference, such as a cleft palate, or by a non-structural difference, where a child has learned an incorrect mouth placement for producing a sound.
Non-structural articulation errors most often affect later-developing sounds and can result in noticeable differences in speech. The impact of these errors can vary, ranging from mildly distracting to significantly affecting how well others understand a child’s speech. Signs of an articulation disorder can include:
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Deleting the sound in a word: the child may say “poon” for “spoon”
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Adding a sound in a word: saying “ bah-lack” for “black”
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Substituting a sound: replacing one sound with another, for example “wabbit” for “rabbit”
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Distorting the sound: for example a lisp, in which “sing” sounds like “thing” or “shing”
It is normal for young children to make sound errors as they learn to talk. However, most English-speaking children are able to correctly produce all English speech sounds by around 4 years of age.
A speech-language pathologist can evaluate your child’s speech to determine whether the sound errors are part of typical development, delayed, or disordered. This evaluation also takes into account dialectal and cultural differences in speech sound production.
Causes of articulation disorders:
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Some children develop persistent speech sound errors with no known cause
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May be related to a developmental disorder such as autism
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A genetic syndrome such as Down syndrome
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Hearing loss such as persistent ear infections
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Brain damage causing motor weakness such as cerebral palsy
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Difficulty programing the correct speech sounds known as childhood apraxia of speech
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Compensation for an abnormal structural change such as a cleft palate
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Cognitive impairment
Speech Therapy in Houston
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
We provide speech therapy sessions that integrate Christ-centered values with evidence-based practices and clinical excellence to support the whole person—mind, body, and spirit.
Practical ways we may incorporate faith into our sessions include:
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Offering prayer during sessions, when welcomed by the client and family
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Providing Christian-based encouragement to address the emotional and spiritual challenges that may accompany communication disorders
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Utilizing biblical stories and scriptural truths as meaningful and motivating therapy materials
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Encouraging conversations about dependence on God to build perseverance and resilience, which are essential for developing a growth mindset
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Involving the family in the therapy process, as skill carryover and generalization are most effective when a client’s close support system is actively engaged
Our goal is to provide compassionate, faith-aligned care that empowers clients and families to grow with confidence, hope, and purpose.
Speech Therapy in Houston
Phonological Process Disorder
A phonological process disorder occurs when a child continues to use patterns of sound errors beyond the age when these patterns typically resolve. For example, a young child may say “wawa” for “water” or “doh” for “go,” which is developmentally appropriate at early ages. When these patterns continue as the child gets older, they may indicate a disorder.
In phonological process disorders, the child is usually able to produce individual sounds correctly on their own, but has difficulty using those sounds correctly within words. This reflects a challenge with learning the sound system and structure of language. Because multiple sound patterns may be affected, speech can be very difficult to understand.
Speech Therapy in Houston
Dysarthria
Dysarthria is a speech disorder caused by weak or poorly coordinated muscles used for talking and can result from damage to the brain or nervous system. It may be present from birth due to a developmental condition or develop later in life following events such as a traumatic brain injury. A person with dysarthria may have difficulty controlling their breathing for speech, using their voice, or moving their lips, tongue, and jaw. Because of this, speech may sound quiet, slow, slurred, or hard to understand.
Speech Therapy in Houston
Evaluation of Speech Sounds Disorders
A speech sound evaluation includes a comprehensive assessment of your child’s speech skills. This typically involves an oral mechanism exam, which looks at the structures used for speech, such as the lips, tongue, teeth, and jaw. A standardized speech sound assessment will be administered to evaluate how your child produces sounds in words and sentences.
The speech-language pathologist will also collect a sample of your child’s speech during conversation or play for analysis and gather background information through a caregiver interview. Following the evaluation, a detailed written report will be provided outlining findings, diagnosis (if applicable), and individualized treatment recommendations.
Speech Therapy in Houston
Treatment of Speech Sound Disorders
Evidenced-based treatment programs using innovative and engaging materials will be utilized to target the speech sound disorder. The type of approach will be individualized to the client and modified throughout the course of treatment as needed. Family training and home-exercises will be provided as caregiver involvement will best ensure therapeutic gains.
Therapy at Genesis Family
At Genesis Family Foundation, we believe in providing mental and medical care services that are both compassionate and effective. Our therapists are highly qualified professionals who specialize in addressing a wide range of mental health and relationship concerns.
While our approach is rooted in biblical principles, we welcome individuals of all faiths, backgrounds, and cultures.
OUR PROCESS
How The Process Works
Free Consultation
Sign up for a free, 15-minute consultation through the request form at the bottom of this page.
You will be contacted to schedule your consultation.
During your consultation, you will have the opportunity to explain why you are seeking therapeutic services as well as have the opportunity to hear more about the counseling department. During this call, you and the therapist will be able to identify if your needs can be met through the counseling department, and if you mutually decide to proceed with scheduling your first appointment.
First Session
Once your first appointment has been scheduled, you will receive information pertaining to the informed consent paperwork. You will also be asked to complete a document on your basic background information to submit prior to your first session, which will further inform your therapist on your specific needs and history.
Finally, payment information will be collected for your file, although you will only be charged after each scheduled session time.
During your first session, your therapist will review informed consent documents and you and your therapist will collaborate to identify your specific treatment goals and plan.
Meeting Treatment Goals
Once your treatment goals have been met, your sessions will begin phasing out until treatment is no longer needed.