Highly Unintelligible Speech

I got an email recently from a SATPAC user who wrote: SATPAC is the best program for highly unintelligible students I have ever used!

This made me think about why that might be true. There are many reasons but using systematic lists with lots of repetitions is critical. For example, there are 4 CVCV lists that can be modified to only include what the student can say. Each systematic list becomes more difficult than the previous list. So let’s say that the student can only say the following consonant sounds /p,b,m,w,t,d,n/. List one would be reduplication following the vowel circle from EE to OO like BEEBEE, MIMI, WAEWAE, etc. List two would have random vowels like BEEBI, MUHMAE, WIWOO,etc. List three would have random consonants with systematic vowels like WEETEE, PIBI, DAEPAE, etc. and list four would have everything random.

With students like these, I’ve noticed that they typically don’t talk much. I think the reason is that speech has been a failure experience so they tend to give up. Using these lists where they can say all the sounds, they experience some success. , I’ve noticed with many students, the more they use speech, the more they will spontaneously develop new consonant sounds without any direct work on those sounds.

Once a student is able to use CVCVs with various consonant and vowel combinations, they are well on their way to being understood in communication. For example, to say “Momma, I want a banana” they might say, “Momma, I wa nana.” Or looking through a book of animals to say, That’s a silly zebra” they might say, “Da tiwee deba” Having the book for context, that utterance can be understood.

Next month: Highly Unintelligible Speech-Part 2 Remediating the Phonological Processes

Stephen SacksSATPAC Speech

Workshops- I will be doing two workshops in So. Cal October 3rd and 4th. Registration will be $59 or $159 with the purchase of the SATPAC Program (normally $150) and discounts for groups of 10 or more. I’m also bringing Pam Marshalla to Texas for 2 dates in early 2015 and in St. Louis/Kansas City in the fall of 2016. Pam will be presenting on Carryover Techniques in Articulation and Phonology (details to come).