Word retrieval

[blueShark]

Although DS is now very verbal I'm struggling to sort out the very first words he had and pronounces them wrong. I know it's to do with how he as stored them in the head but still would love some salt and parents input.

Eg is spagetti is always esketti and music is misic amongst many. Lots were improved after the ait last year but some remain stored wrong despite daily efforts of modelling them the right way. He can say them properly when encouraged to do so, but if you asked what you want for dinner, the answer will be eskettii with meat sauce.

Any ideas how to overcome this?

marking my place :)

we have pretty much the same problem witn DD e.g. 'banana' is still 'mana' etc. as you said, blueshark, it is only really a problem with words she learned when she just started to talk. I keep modelling and modelling and DD can copy me but won't pronounce correctly without having the word modelled first.

Well done little onion, I suppose I should put more effort on the reading and move beyond cvc...

Choc - it's issue just with the first learnt words here as well.

This is the phonological side of things, so bdonions suggestion is a good one - highlighting the sounds and where they come in the word etc.

Phonological awareness activities can help (above is one), most particularly breaking the word into syllables - spag ghet ti - and clapping this, focusing on production of each syllable and then putting them together. Lots of repetitiion of the word on its own, put it into a phrase (lovely spaghetti!) then increase number of words in the sentence for fluency.

Cued articulation (Jane Passy) to cue the first sound of each syllable as a prompt (will need to be faded).

Error judgement - can he spot when you say "esketti" - first in structured activities e.g. point to pic of spaghetti etc and say it the "right" way and the "wrong" way in random rotation so he gives thumbs up/thumbs down, then with a prime (I'm going to say "esketti" instead of spaghetti in a minute, shout when you hear it. Then I'm going to trick you in a minute, I'm going to say a silly word, see can you spot it).

Making it motivating etc... always important!

Ongoing "fluffing" of multisyllabics can be a sign of difficulties with auditory and/or speech processing (I am sure dolfrog will be along!) and can impact upon literacy, but afaik he is quite little? Some of these more complex multisyllabics (esp spaghetti/hospital) take some time to iron out in norma development too, and do often "fossilize" - witness the amount of adults who say "pacific" instead of "specific" in connected (ongoing) speech...