Problem: I have a 4 1/2 year child who devoices /b/ and /d/ and produces them as /p/ and /t/ respectively. What should I do?
I would work on getting this child to understand the concept of voicing. If he is at least 4, I would talk about the voice box and that we can feel it work (If he is closer to 3 years, don’t bother talking about the voice box). Have him cover his throat with the palm of his hand as he feels it work when he hums and coughs. Compare this feeling to what happens when it doesn’t work—blowing air and whispering. Next compare the feeling for voiced and unvoiced sounds that he is able to produce ( I guess I am assuming that there are voiced sounds he is able to produce). Try giving him a string of voiced sounds, randomly throwing in /b/ and /d/ without warning. Gradually increase the occurrence of /b/ and /d/ in the sequence until production becomes consistent.
Tags: articulation, phonological disorder, speech problems, speech therapy