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In a message dated 7/30/2002 3:23:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
joylyn@... writes:
> I should add, I saw speech therapists for years as a child, I couldn't
> pronouce my "r's" or "l's" at all, until i was in mid school. And I
> learned myself. When I was in the 5th grade my m&d said no more
> therapy, i would do it when it was important, and I did.

Joylyn,

My six-year-old can't say "L's". They turn into "Y's". Can't say "SH" either
(becomes an "S"). A friend said that his tongue isn't long enough---and that
we should have it cut (hers was cut when she was little). Ain't going to
happen! I figured that since I'd never heard an adult have trouble with L's
and SH's, that he could work it out when he was ready/wanted to.

He's just now noticing that some people can't understand some of his words,
so he's begun asking about it. We use Dr. Suess' "Big L little l. Little Lola
Lopp. Left leg, lazy lion licks a lollipop". Any ideas to help with the L? Or
with the SH?

Oddly, my 14-year-old turned his "Y's"into "L's"! He's fine now. <G>

Kelly


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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I read that in Korea lots of parents are having tongue-clip operations on
their young children so it will be easier for them to learn English, later,
if they want to.

Holly couldn't do "r" and it got to where if someone misunderstood her she
would ask me whether some particular word had an "r" in it.

When she said "Kirby" it sounded like "Coby" and some kids made fun of her
about it and she decided she wanted to get help.

I have friends who are speech therapists (three different ones, as it
happened) and I arranged for her to talk to two of them, separately and
casually, when she wanted to.

They were both really sweet to her (and already knew her), and one played
games with her about "Roger Rabbit's Buried Treasure" and the other talked to
her about how the inside of her mouth felt and whether she could tell what
her tongue was doing, but in neither case did they make her feel wrong or
little or "behind," which was really wonderful. And she messed around with
the things they had discussed until she felt better about it, and more in
control, and whether they "taught" her how to pronounce it or whether she
grew older and heard it better and could control her mouth better, I don't
know, but at seven she had problems and at ten not a trace.

Sandra

Sharon Rudd

I think it helps to wear a black cape, have long
incisors, pointy ears, and a wicked laugh. Stimulates
the r rolling mechanism.

Sharon of the Swamp


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On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 15:00:41 -0700 (PDT) Sharon Rudd
<bearspawprint@...> writes:
> I think it helps to wear a black cape, have long
> incisors, pointy ears, and a wicked laugh. Stimulates
> the r rolling mechanism.
>
We'll have to try that! At least it will be fun!

We tried a few of the suggestions people mentioned earlier on the car
ride home today, and although not successful it was definitely amusing.
She succeeded in doing a pretty good imitation of a growling attack cat,
which may also be useful someday ;-)

I remember learning to roll my r's at 7, when I played Bridget O'Flynn in
a play. It just seemed to click....

Dar