Learning about Speech Production, Easy Initiations and Moving Through Sounds in Words

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Re: Great way to look at it

From: Peter Reitzes
Date: 16 Oct 2008
Time: 17:09:54 -0500
Remote Name: 69.22.250.24

Comments

Andy, thanks for writing, it is always nice to hear from you. And thanks for recommending my book. I have also found that graduate students have difficulty stretching or smoothing out stops and plosives. I let them know that when you turn a stopping sound into a continuant sound (like stretching the letter “d”) you will end up slightly distorting the sound – this creates that buzzing sound. I pretty much think this is the price of doing business so to speak. Moving forward through stopping sounds may distort them, but the alternative is often a hard stutter or avoidance behaviors. I really believe that clinicians should be up front with clients about this sound distortion. I have said things like, “I am not thrilled that we are slightly changing (distorting) the letter, but it beats a hard stutter.” I also believe that changing stopping sounds into continuants takes more practice than using an easy stretch or easy onset on a fricative (forward moving sound like the letter “s”). Talking about light contacts or gentle onsets often helps. Thanks again for writing.


Last changed: 10/16/08