Let's Address Laterals--Really!

Lateral Program on Teachers Pay Teachers

     Laterals or lateralized sounds can be almost scary to correct.  I remember in my first year of practicing speech therapy in the public school this precious 7th grade girl walked into my therapy room and spoke to me and my stomach fell to the floor.  Not because of what she said but how she said it!  

She lateralized EVERYTHING;  /ch, dg, sh, zh, s, z, tr, dr, blends/---everything!!  

I remember thinking when she left--how in the world do we correct THAT?!

     Well we started completely over with her therapy--threw the old SLP's goals out of the window (sorry old SLP).  When I say started over, we started with /t/ and established some stability and placement (this is where you will begin too!).  Then we moved to words like; 

     We made /t/ into a strident and dragged it out so that it became an /s/.  When working on getting the /t/ to become an /s/, do not stop making the sound.  The /ts/ should be "dragged out"  to help them get that correct placement for /s/.  You can even use some motor cues such as starting the /ts/ on the shoulder with the opposite hand and dragging it down the arm to the hand to show the student that the sound does not end. This helped her tremendously and she got it!  That's where this program came from-one of my wonderful students who worked so hard and corrected all of the lateral sounds she was producing!  I am so proud of her, 19 years later!  I have also used this with other students with great success.  If you have students who lateralize you may be interested in the entire program available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.  Click on the flag at the top and it will take you there.  Don't forget to follow me by email and on TPT!

Testimonial:  "Thank you for this well thought out product. I have many students who lateralize. Some have s,z,sh,ch,j and some just s,z and some just sh ch j. I have taught every strategy out there and my own and have had success in the past. Right now I have several who cannot make a clear SH CH J. Some can get Ch,J, but the SH is the hardest! I am going to start back with the T again and go through your program. It looks very visual which the kids need and it is step by step. I cannot wait to try this out. I really needed something with all the sounds together. I really like the specific instructions -this will be great for the parents to help the students practice at home. Again- thank you thank you! This is what I really needed to help my lateral hardworking kids! This is a must have resource for working on lateral sounds!" Susan, 11/15/2015

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