Web-based speech therapy and online speech therapy is an effective way to assist people in other countries who wish to receive quality speech therapy for accent reduction when working on their English. The process is simple, so if you wish to get started, contact me here.

When working with native Cantonese speakers, it is helpful to know that there are certain phonemes (sounds) in the English language that are not found in Cantonese language. Those sounds are as follows:

/b/, /d/, /g/, /v/, /z/, /sh/ (like SHip)/, /g/ (like viSIon), /r/ (like Red), /ch/ (like CHew), /dg/ (like Jet) , /ð/ (like THis), and /?/ (like THin).

This is where speech drills work effectively. I take the above target sounds and assist the client with the correct and precise articulation of each phoneme at the sound level. Once the client can master the target at the sound level, we then move forward to words, phrases and finally sentences and conversation.

When teaching native Cantonese speakers to correctly produce English, some of the more common errors I hear are as follows:

– leaving out the final consonants during conversation,
– /s/ for /th/ in initial position of the word; “sank you” for “thank you”
– /f/ for /th/ in final position of the word: “toof” for “tooth”
– /d/ for /ð/ in initial or medial position of words: “dese” for “these”
– /s/ for /z/ in initial, medial, or final position of words: “sipper” for “zipper”
– /f/ for /v/ in initial or medial position of words: “fest” for “vest”
– /w/ for /v/ in initial or medial position of words: “west” for “vest”
– /l/ for /r/ in initial, medial, or final position of words: “led” for “red”
– /s/ for /sh/ in initial, medial, or final position of words: “see” for “she”

The American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) has more information about the Cantonese phonetic system here.

For more information about speech therapy services online or reducing your accent via online speech therapy, contact me today to schedule an appointment.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a problem that affects learning in school-age children and inhibits their ability to pay attention. It can create many problems, including speech and language deficits, which can affect the child’s quality of life. Symptoms of the condition include difficulty concentrating, problems learning new information, inability to sit still, and difficulty thinking before acting. A neurologist or developmental pediatrician can usually diagnose the condition, although they will likely seek input from the family and/or educators before making an official diagnosis. The doctor might also seek input from a speech-language pathologists, teacher, and psychologists before an official diagnosis is made.

Speech and language disorders are often present with ADHD, so early treatment can help the child learn to compensate and communicate more effectively. Common treatments include organizational skills, expressive language goals, helping the child learn to communicate better in the classroom settings, auditory comprehension strategies, just to name a few. A child with ADHD can have trouble with social communication skills, pragmatics, the use of vocabulary, pronunciation or articulation, and phonological awareness, all of which can be treated with the help of a speech-language pathologist.

Treating ADHD in children involves the cooperative efforts of everyone in the child’s life. From physicians to parents to therapists to educators, they must all work together to ensure the child is responding appropriately to treatment and is progressing as planned. Finding ways to help your child cope with this disorder is crucial to their ability to learn and communicate effectively. Speech and language disorders as a result of ADHD can create many social and educational challenges for the child, so it’s important to seek the help and guidence of experts in order to help your child overcome these barriers. It’s possible to find a way to allow your child live a full and productive life in spite of these challenges.

The Therapy Group of Tucson can help treat these disorders. For more information regarding language and speech disorders as a result of ADHD, contact us here.

Have a loved one in Tucson, AZ that loves the movies, but has difficulty with lights, sound or becomes sensory overloaded?

Then it’s time to try a Sensory Friendly Films event in Tucson.

All Sensory Friendly Films are shown at the AMC Loews Theatres – Foothills 15. Tickets are $5 at the box office. Showing’s are at 10:00 am. Remember that the lights will be turned up, the sound will be turned down, there will be no previews, AMC’s “Silence is Golden” Policy will not be enforced, and you can bring in your own food for those on special diets.

For more information about this wonderful service in Tucson, please go here.