AboutErin E. Maio-Harrison, MA,CCC-SLP Expertise I am able to answer questions related to speech, language, cognitive, swallowing disorders in both children and adults. My focus area relates to disorders that are secondary to trauma (i.e., head injury) or disease, (i.e., Dementia) but I am able to answer basic questions (or find more info) about developmental disorders as well.
Experience I am a licensed Speech/Language Pathologist with 18 years experience primarily in acute care pediatrics and in-pt. rehab. I have also continuously moonlighted in geriatrics, primarily skilled nursing settings and have had private clients of all ages. My focus of practice is neurogenic communication and swallowing disorders.
Organizations American Speech & Hearing Association, (ASHA)
South Carolina Speech/Hearing Association(SCSHA)
Education/Credentials Masters Degree, Communication Disorders and Speech Science (CU Boulder)
Question How many kids have you observed to "grow out" of /r/ distortion without therapy. How effective is /r/ therapy?
Answer Hey Melissa-
That's a tough one because of all the missing variables. All very young children have "weak" /r/'s and which is considered a developmental /r/ and that is a sound that a child "grows out of". I am going to assume you are talking about an actual distorted /r/ that has been identified as such and is outside of the age range of "developmental".
For these children I do not generally see them outgrow this sound spontaneously. To compound the problem, because the developmental window is so large, many school won't address this sound until after the age of 7 and by that time it can be quite ingrained.
I think /r/ therapy is as effective as the clinician, the child's motivation, and the parent's work at home. I am just awful at /r/ therapy because I have done so little of it (my background is mostly preschool and medical) and it's so hard for me to grasp as it doesn't articulate like other sounds. I find it almost like an abstract concept! But there are school therapists who are amazing at it. You have to have the child "buy in" and be motivated to change the sound and you have to parents who will do the work at home.
Erin E. Harrison, MA,CCC-SLP
Speech/Language Pathologist
