Beautiful and clear speech is the first thing a modern person needs. Success at work, as well as the quality of communication with loved ones, depends on it. One of the most unpleasant defects is a lisp. This is why it is very important to pay attention to speech clarity from a very early age. In childhood, it is much easier to get rid of a lisp, as well as other speech defects, than as an adult. But nevertheless, this is always possible provided that special effective exercises are performed.
What is a lisp
A lisp is a speech defect that is associated with the inability to correctly pronounce letters such as “s”, “sh”, “z”, “ch”, “sch” and “ts”. Despite the incorrect pronunciation of these sounds, the grammar or logic of speech does not suffer in any way. A person who has a lisp experiences discomfort only from the fact that people may misunderstand his words due to their distortion by this speech defect.
If a child under 5 years of age experiences problems with speech, this is considered normal, since up to this age the speech apparatus is just beginning to develop. But an adult who has a lisp may experience serious communication problems because of this. Therefore, everyone who is faced with this defect needs to know how to get rid of a lisp.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of a lisp include the following:
- incorrect positioning of the tongue when pronouncing sounds;
- difficult and incorrect pronunciation of whistling and hissing sounds;
- patients try to avoid pronouncing difficult words;
- children can confuse syllables, replacing complex syllables with easier ones to pronounce;
- Many people with a lisp withdraw into themselves and try to minimize live communication, preferring text communication.
Identifying the disorder among children whose speech is just beginning to develop can be difficult. Adult patients, in turn, are strongly recommended not to be embarrassed by a lisp, but to immediately consult a specialist.
Causes of lisp
Deviation may develop for the following reasons:
- In case of disruption of the speech apparatus. The most common include atony of the tongue, as well as a poorly developed frenulum. Because of this, there is a failure in articulation and distortion of pronounced sounds.
- Dental problems. These include an incorrectly formed bite, as well as missing teeth.
- Prolonged stress or overstrain of the nervous system. This develops a violation of muscle tone, which has a bad effect on the pronunciation of individual sounds and words.
Another common cause of a lisp is considered to be severe fright. This mainly affects children under 5 years of age, when their speech apparatus is still poorly developed. In this case, special exercises will quickly help. Almost everyone knows how to get rid of a lisp in childhood. First of all, these are tongue twisters and reading poetry with expression.
Diagnostics
At the first manifestation of symptoms of a lisp, you should contact a speech therapist, who will assess the degree of development of the pathology and show you how to learn to perform the exercises that form the basis of the correction course. During the inspection, the specialist records the following points:
- the way the patient pronounces sounds;
- features of the functioning of auditory and visual channels of information perception;
- work of the articulatory apparatus;
- psychospeech development of the patient;
- writing and reading skills;
- memory quality;
- literacy in speech construction.
Depending on the reasons that provoked the occurrence of deviations, the patient may be referred to an appointment with a dentist, surgeon or otolaryngologist.
Eliminating lisps in teenagers and adults
Adults may suffer from speech impediments due to dental problems. Therefore, having identified the true cause of the problem, you must immediately look for ways to get rid of a lisp. This may require surgical correction of muscles, tongue frenulum, bite correction, or dental prosthetics. If you add regular visits to a speech therapist to these procedures, this will significantly increase the chances of restoring speech clarity.
Also, we must not forget about self-correction at home. A regular bottle cap will help with this. Exercises with it are considered the most effective in the category of how to get rid of a lisp in teenagers and adults. You just need to hold the cork in your teeth and tell different stories, just talk or read poetry. Reading with pursed lips also helps. Such exercises must be done daily and for at least half an hour.
What do you have? - Pancake?
Children love to imagine, which makes it easy to turn any pronunciation correction exercise into a game. Ask your baby to imagine that in his mouth there is not a tongue, but a small pancake. The sequence of such charging will be as follows:
- place the “pancake” on the lower teeth, slightly pushing it forward;
- gently lower the upper jaw and tap it on the tongue - it turns out to be a fun tease;
- After a few seconds, we stop the movements and let the “pancake” rest.
Believe me, a little imagination and positivity on your part, and the child will do it with pleasure.
Tongue twisters are the best way to get rid of a lisp
With their help, you can perfectly stimulate the speech apparatus. For him it will become a kind of gymnastics. For tongue twisters to be useful, you need to devote time to them every day. Only systematic classes can bring the desired effect in the form of restoration of speaking skills.
Tongue twisters are designed to develop many problem letters. These include the most complex ones: “zh”, “s”, “z”, “ts”, “sch”, “ch”. Most often, adults are concerned with the question of how to get rid of the lisp of the letter “c”. To develop it, you need to practice tongue twisters with words such as: pump, braid, pineapple, pine, cheese, magpie, quarrel, etc. These methods are effective for adults, adolescents and children.
Using tongue twisters
Speaking tongue twisters is an effective method for eliminating a lisp. Speech therapists identify a number of tasks for practicing the sounds “ch”, “sh” and “sch”. Initially, a person may have difficulty pronouncing them, but you should not stop doing the exercises.
Tasks for correcting “sh” and “sch”
The tongue twister “cuckoo bought a hood” allows you to form the correct pronunciation of the sound “sh”. To do this, you need to stretch your lips forward and raise the tip of your tongue to the hard palate and teeth without touching them. The tongue should be wide, not narrow. Its edges touch both rows of teeth, blocking the exit of air on the sides of the mouth. The air should only move forward, forming the correct “sh” sound.
A tongue twister for improving the pronunciation of the sound “sch” is as follows: “a predator is prowling in a grove - a predator is looking for food.” It should be pronounced quickly, but maintaining the correct phonetics. The speed is gradually increased, which allows a person to normalize conversational speech.
Working on the “ch” sound
The phoneme “ch” is classified by speech therapists as complex. To pronounce it, quite complex articulatory movements are required: the lips move forward and are rounded, the teeth are closed, but there is a small gap between them. The flattened tip of the tongue rises to the palate and is located near the upper teeth. At the moment of exhalation, a small gap between the teeth forms the sound “ch”.
Tongue twisters for improving the pronunciation of phonemes are as follows: “we have golden chicks in our little stove”, “the eccentric is hiding a suitcase under the sofa.” During training, a person gradually speeds up their pronunciation, ensuring that the correct sound is maintained.
A lisp is a common speech defect that can occur in children and adults. Speech impairment is not accompanied by grammar violations and a decrease in vocabulary, and therefore does not lead to negative consequences for a person. If you seek help in a timely manner, the speech therapist conducts the necessary examination and consults with a doctor. Selected speech therapy correction measures, as well as medical approaches to treatment, make it possible to normalize the pronunciation of individual phonemes and get rid of a lisp.
Breathing exercises and massage
Some of the most effective ways to get rid of a lisp are special massage and breathing exercises. They are especially effective when the cause of a lisp lies in shortness of breath from excitement. This often occurs in adults who have experienced severe stress. Not everyone knows how to get rid of a lisp as an adult. A speech therapist may suggest breathing practice as a treatment.
Breathing exercises will help restore the rhythm of breathing, normalize the passage of air through the nasal passages, and also calm the nervous system. A special articulatory massage will have a beneficial effect on muscle tone and eliminate malfunction of the speech apparatus.
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Exercise to restore breathing in children
Many parents wonder whether it is possible to get rid of a lisp in a short time. Doctors say that this is possible if you find out the cause of the problem in time and immediately begin to solve it. Sometimes a lisp is formed due to the baby’s desire to talk quickly. As a result of this haste, his breathing may become difficult, which will lead to a violation of the speech apparatus. Most often this happens due to nervous overexcitation. With the help of a special breathing exercise you can relieve strong anxiety.
You need to ask the baby to take a deep breath so that even the stomach is filled with air. When you exhale, you need to pull it back in with all your might. Just a few of these exercises will help relieve anxiety and calm down. For the future, adults need to remember that they should not rush a child when he is telling something. To avoid such complications in the form of speech defects, you must always be patient and never interrupt your baby.
Advice from speech therapists for prevention
Many defects can be eliminated with the help of speech therapy sessions; a lisp is no exception. To make this process go faster and more efficiently, you should follow some tips from speech therapists:
- Carry out articulation exercises regularly. Exercises should involve all elements - lips, cheeks, tongue.
- Develop the respiratory system. It is necessary to engage the lower part of the lungs.
- Practice tongue twisters regularly, choosing those that have sounds that you have problems with. Without articulatory gymnastics, these exercises are less effective.
You need to have the right attitude, it is important to ensure proper rest, eliminate or reduce stress. Do not forget that a lisp is sometimes caused by an incorrect bite and jaw structure. In this case, you cannot do without the help of dentists and orthodontists.
Effective exercises for a lisp
To develop an articulatory apparatus, you need to constantly practice speech both with a speech therapist and at home. The specialist will give valuable recommendations on how to get rid of a lisp in adults, and you can do the following exercises at home:
- "Cup". You need to open your mouth slightly and cup your tongue without pulling it out. After this, you need to try to pronounce the letter “z”. At first it will be pronounced like “zh”, but with regular practice the correct sound will become more and more clear.
- "Pancake." To do this exercise, you need to relax your tongue on your lower jaw and pull it forward a little so that it resembles a pancake. Then lightly bite your tongue with your teeth, let it rest and repeat the action. This must be done extremely carefully so as not to bite him. This exercise will be an excellent massage.
- "Sawing wood." You need to put your feet shoulder-width apart and move your left one forward. Then you should close your hands and make movements that repeat sawing firewood. In this case, it is necessary to constantly pronounce the sound “w-w-w-w”. Movements should not be made quickly, but decisively.
- "Tongue Boxing" To do this, you need to imagine that the tongue is a boxer who is forced to fight in the ring wearing gloves. They need to hit the upper teeth and palate. In this case, you need to pronounce the sound “d”.
By following these simple recommendations, you can overcome a lisp at any age. The main thing is not to expect quick results and practice systematically
Correction of sigmatism
The duration of work to correct incorrect sound pronunciation depends on the type of violation and the individual characteristics of the person.
It is impossible to correct the disorder on your own without the participation of a speech therapist, since eliminating the defect requires a professional examination.
During the period of speech correction, it is very important for a person to participate and support loved ones, as well as participate in social life: not to fall out of your circle of usual communication.
We present to your attention several real stories from speech therapy practice in correcting lisps in adults:
17 years:
Previously, Maria even liked the fact that she had a little lisp. The girl believed that this was her speech “zest”, which distinguishes her from the general flow of people. But by high school, problems began: her classmates laughed at her. This led to Masha becoming embarrassed to speak. The parents noticed the problem in time and insisted on contacting a speech therapist. At first, Maria was skeptical about this idea, but after talking with a specialist, she came to the conclusion that she had the power to learn to speak correctly. The girl had interdental pronunciation and it took about a year to correct this defect. Classes were held twice a week, and Masha also consolidated the acquired skills on her own. By the time she entered university, she could already boast of clear speech and was no longer afraid to speak in public.
19 years
: Oksana, a first-year student, was worried because she was pronouncing the sounds “s”, “z”, “ts” incorrectly. She came to the center for a consultation with a specific question: how to get rid of the defect. The girl tried to solve the problem on her own: she found video exercises on the Internet and tried to pronounce tongue twisters in front of the mirror, but nothing worked for her. Oksana decided to take a course with a speech therapist. This turned out to be the right decision. The teacher advised her to start with articulatory gymnastics, then they taught her the sound “s” and at the same time worked on the sound “z”: they automated it one by one in syllables, words and sentences, and coherent speech. The girl regularly attended classes twice a week for one month, after which she suspended classes due to the session. She weakened her self-control and returned to the center with the same problems that she had at the initial stage. It took 2 months of working with the teacher for the sounds to return to their places. Oksana sometimes forgot to do exercises at home. Six months after the first session with a speech therapist, the problem was solved.
25 years
: Primary school teacher - Inna experienced a lot of inconvenience due to the fact that she has a lisp. This interfered with her conversations with colleagues, parents and acquaintances. She felt insecure when communicating with him, she was afraid to say an extra word. Inna had an incorrect bite. The teacher advised her to see an orthodontist; after correcting the bite, she conducted a speech therapy examination of the tongue, during which it was determined that its motor capabilities were impaired. Inna pronounced the sounds “t” and “d” interdentally: the tip of her tongue hit her teeth. The teacher taught Inna to pronounce these sounds by raising the tip of her tongue upward. They then automated pronunciation in syllables, words and sentences. It took the girl about four months to correct her speech.
28 years:
Anton, a financial management lecturer at the university, was unhappy with his incorrect pronunciation. For a long time I couldn’t decide to go to a specialist and get my speech corrected. He kept putting off the moment of meeting with a speech therapist, until one day he heard students imitating him. Of course, Anton did not like this at all and became exactly the incentive that he lacked. The speech therapist diagnosed him with dental sigmatism. We started with articulation gymnastics, then the teacher formed the correct position of the tongue. Correcting the violations took him three months. He tried to attend classes with a speech therapist at least twice a week and studied at home every day. The work went easily - Anton tried very hard. After three and a half months of intensive training, he no longer remembered the time when his pronunciation was incorrect.
Sigmatism
- this is not a sentence. Many people have found a solution to this problem. All that is required to combat a lisp is observation by a competent speech therapist, special regular classes and perseverance. The main thing is the desire to change, to make your speech beautiful.
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