Top 4 Tips to Elicit ANY Speech Sound

Arguably, eliciting speech sounds is one of the most important jobs of a speech language pathologist. We all have different tricks that we use to elicit specific sounds. For example, shaping /s/ from /t/. Or maybe we swear by using a tongue depressor to help elevate the tongue for the /l/ sound….or to depress the tongue tip for the /k/ sound!

We may rely on visual cues, metaphors, or tactile cues. There are just so many options when it comes to eliciting speech sounds.

And, the beauty - and the art - in speech therapy is knowing and experimenting with different techniques to elicit different speech sounds.

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However, there are a few things that I typically do when trying to elicit ANY speech sounds. These tips and techniques are not sound specific, but can we used across sounds/phonemes/clusters/movement gestures/words, etc. I want to share them with you because I think they are beneficial for everyone to have in their “sound elicitation toolkit.”

What Are These Magic Tips for Eliciting Speech Sounds?

Glad you asked! I use these 4 things whenever I am working on eliciting a new speech sound. Check them out below in list format and then we will break down each one.

1. Get in initial position

2. Slow down productions

3. Use simultaneous productions

4. Have the child watch your mouth

BONUS #5: Remove the voicing

I will attempt to talk about these tips independently, but a lot of them overlap in my sessions when I am trying to elicit a new sound or movement gesture.

Tip 1 to Elicit Any Speech Sound: Get In Initial Position

The first thing I always do is get the child’s mouth ready to make the target sound and then freeze in that position. For example, if we are going to make an /m/ sound, I have the child put their lips together and hold it there before even attempting to make a sound. We talk about what the specific articulators are doing. And we can look in a mirror!

Tip 2 to Elicit Any Speech Sound: Slow Down Productions

The next thing I do when trying to elicit any speech sound is slowing down our production of the target. This tip really applies when we are putting the sound into a word. So for example, let’s say I want to elicit the final /k/ in “back.” I will not produce the target word “back” at full speed. Rather, I will slow down my rate of speech and elongate that vowel in order to allow the child to more easily follow my movement gestures. This technique is particularly helpful when eliciting sounds at the end of words. However, combined with tip 1, you can use the slow down technique to work on initial position sounds, too!

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Tip 3 to Elicit Any Speech Sound: Use Simultaneous Productions

Again, this tip works well when we are putting our targets into words. I like to combine slow productions with simultaneous productions. This means the child and I are producing the target word together at the same time - slowly! Using simultaneous productions provides a clear model of the target sound, making it easier for the child to imitate. By producing the target sound alongside the client, the SLP can demonstrate the exact articulatory movements needed for accurate production. Using simultaneous productions can also help a child feel more confidence, since he can focus on copying the therapist's production rather than figuring it out himself!

Tip 4 to Elicit Any Speech Sound: Have the Child Watch Your Mouth

Having a child watch your mouth to help elicit a speech sound is effective because the visual feedback can significantly enhance the child’s understanding of how to produce the sound correctly. By watching the SLP’s articulatory movements, the child can “follow along with” the mouth positions and movements involved in sound production. Also, mirror neurons are a real thing! These super cool neurons in our brains help children understand and copy what the SLP is doing. Fro example, a child sees you produce the /m/ sound; his brain's mirror neurons light up as if he’s the one making the /m/ sound! This helps aid in accurate productions of the target sound.

BONUS Tip 5 to Elicit Any Speech Sound: Remove the Voicing

This is a bonus tip because you are not QUITE eliciting the speech sound. But you are walking the child through the production without the use of voicing. You are “miming” the production. This is helpful because it removes some of the cognitive and motor load from the production of the target. Again, I like the combine this technique with slow, simultaneous productions. Then, when the child has the movement gesture down pretty automatically without voicing, we can add the voicing back in and try to elicit the sound/word/movement gesture.

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Source: Elise Baker. “Minimal Pair Intervention.” Interventions for Speech Sound Disorders in Children, by A. Lynn Williams et al., Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., 2021, pp. 41–72.