#1 Most Popular Post is...Lateral Lisp

Today completes our TOP 10 best blog posts.  Holding the number 1 spot, with no close contenders I might add, was the blog we wrote on tips for correcting the lateral lisp. As of today it has been viewed 10,031 times :) So without further ado, here is the post from April 3, 2011 with updated links to Caroline Bowen's information and info on where to purchase the book Straight Talk.

ELICITING SOUNDS- /s/-Lateral Lisp

Most of you seasoned therapists know and use the techniques that I am going to share, so I apologize if you are disappointed that there’s nothing new for you. However, those who have less experience under their belts and feel frustrated with the lateral lisp will appreciate these “pearls of wisdom.”

What is a Lateral Lisp?

According to Carolyn Bowen, “Lateral lisps are not found in typical speech development. The tongue position for a lateral lisp is very close to the normal position for /l/ and the sound is made with the air-flow directed over the sides of the tongue. Because of the way it sounds, this sort of lisp is sometimes referred to as a 'slushy ess' or a 'slushy lisp.’ A lateral lisp often sounds 'wet' or 'spitty.'

Unlike interdental and dentalized lisps, lateral lisps are not characteristic of normal development. An SLP assessment is indicated for anyone with a lateral lisp.” (direct quote from her website) Since a lateral lisp is not developmental, you do not delay therapy until the child is older. You would address it as soon as it is identified according to Dr. Lonnie Harris.

Treatment Techniques

As the old adage goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat and I’m going to share some proven strategies and even some unorthodox methods that have worked for me. Yeah, I’ve always been a rebel of a therapist.

The number 1 best tip I can give you is to go to Carolyn Bowen’s website http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=124:admin&catid=7:about&Itemid=117 and wander through her personal gold mine for lots of great information. Heck, I’ll even make it simple for you and put the link here that will take you straight to her techniques for Lisps :) http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86:lisp&catid=11:admin&Itemid=117   It is the Butterfly Procedure http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48:butterfly&catid=11:admin&Itemid=117 to which I want to draw your attention. Basically, you can achieve correct tongue positioning for /s/ by approaching it from /ts/. She provides very detailed directions for using this technique in 10 easy steps. She will direct you from beginning to the final, end product of having that good /s/ in words, at which time she transfers you to traditional articulation therapy.

Years ago Jane Folk published a book called Straight Speech: a lisp treatment program (1992) which taught /s/ from the “ts.” It was a wonderful book that provided all the word lists and practice materials for using this treatment approach. Straight Speech by Jane Folk is still sold at www.speechbin.com

An unorthodox approach we have used successfully is to convert that lateral lisp into a frontal lisp and then correct the frontal lisp. Crazy? Definitely, but it works! You aren’t really going to do a complete conversion from lateral to frontal because the idea is to teach /s/ from voiceless /th/. If you do try this strategy, I caution you to not tell the child that you are working on /s/, as just the thought causes the tongue to go to the lateral position. Tell them you are going to work on /th/. In session one, practice /th/ in isolation. For session two, practice /th/ with the teeth closed. DO NOT say anything about /s/ at this point! This is crucial. For the third session, the child should be saying /th/ with closed teeth (which in reality should be the perfect /s/). If the child is doing the /s/ correctly at this point, then at the end of this 3rd session you tell them that they have been doing the /s/ sound correctly!! They will look at you in total disbelief and you will say, that is how you say /s/. If they revert back to a lateral at this point remind them to think /th/ to get the tongue back into position. After that, you should be able to follow the normal therapy sequence.

Another great tip is Pam Marshalla’s book, Frontal Lisp, Lateral lisp . She wrote an entire book on the lateral and frontal lisps, which includes how to diagnose direction of airflow, treatment techniques, how to combine articulation and oral motor therapy, and much more. Here’s a link to the book http://www.pammarshalla.com/catalogue/alph/flll.html This would make a great resource for your personal library.

The final tip is to check out Talk Tools and this book in particular Oral Placement Therapy for /s/ and /z/ http://www.talktools.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1702/.f It provides instruction for doing an evaluation specifically for interdental and lateral lisps, and 20 lesson plans with Homework sheets and speech practice sheets. It also includes a DVD of Sara Rosenfeld-Johnson performing a couple of assessments; reports generated and therapy video clips.

We hope this has provided you with an assortment of ideas and resources to try with your clients and that you will no longer dread working with the Lateral Lisp! 

Leah and Dean

www.2galsspeechproducts.com