Deaffrication; Nationality Rooms

Deaffrication, to put it most simply, is when the "ch" sound (/tʃ/) is changed to the "sh" sound (/ʃ/) or the "juh" sound (/dʒ/) is changed to the "zh" sound (/ʒ/).  An example of this error would be saying "sheese" instead of "cheese" or "zham" instead of "jam."  It is important to note that a child can produce all the sounds in the word so this is not an articulation problem per se.  Rather, this what experts call a "phonological process" whereby a child produces a different "rule" when saying sounds/words.  In this case, it is the elimination of the first sound in the "affricate."  When the "ch" sound is produced, it is made by first making the "t" sound then making the "sh" sound; with deaffrication, the "t" sound is eliminated.  When the "juh" sound is produced, it is made first by making the "d" sound then making the "zh" sound; with deaffrication, the "d" sound is eliminated.

To practice eliminating deaffrication, I suggest going to Pitt's Nationality rooms in the Cathedral of Learning.  The rooms that include the target sounds are the:

"Chinese" room

 

 "Czechoslovak" room

 

 "French" room

"Japanese" room

"German" room

 

"Israel Heritage" room

"Norwegian" room

I suggest that you take your child to see the rooms, and have her practice saying the names of the room before she enters the room, once she is in the room, and right after she has left the room.  To practice at the sentence level, ask her to tell you what she saw or liked best about the room; prompt her to use the nationality room name in order to hit the target.  To practice at the conversation level, ask her to go into more detail about what she enjoyed or learned.

To cue your child, start with what we call "auditory bombardment."  What this means is that your child will hear a target sound produced accurately many times in a short period of time.  So, I recommend some pre-teaching at home, or in the car on the drive over.  Tell your child about the rooms she will visit, including the Chinese room, Czechoslovak room, French room, etc.  It is important for her to hear the correct sound (in this case it is "ch") over and over in the correct place.  Once you are at the Cathedral of Learning, remind your child to "say all the sounds in the word" and giver her an example, like "French" or "Chinese."  Have her repeat after you.  If she makes an error, then draw her attention to it..  Tell her, "I heard 'Shinese,' but you need to say 'Chinese.'"  Then, have her repeat "Chinese" several times.

If she is still producing an error, then have her make the "ch" sound all by itself.  This will show her that she is able to produce the sound.  It will also remind her of the target sound.  Next, cue her to make the "ch" sound, then pause.  Then, follow it by having her say the rest of the word "-inese."  This is known as "forward chaining."  Gradually shorten the pause until she can produce "Chinese" without error.  Here is an example:
Ch..........inese
Ch........inese
Ch......inese
Ch....inese
Ch..inese
Chinese.

All images obtain from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationality_Rooms.

/tʃ/ in the initial position; "ch" as in "chips," "chicken" and "cheese"

Practice the /tʃ/ sound with these words below.  The /tʃ/ makes the "ch" sound.

"crunch," (or "Cap'n Crunch)

"lunch," and...

"spinach."

Practice phrases by asking your child what foods go "crunch."  Targets may include "cereal goes crunch," "chips go crunch," and "pretzels go crunch."  A fun way to practice "crunch" is to eat a crunchy food, and have your child say "crunch" before every bite.

Practice sentences by asking your child what foods in the hot bar are lunch foods.  Targets may include, "Wings are for lunch," "Soup is for lunch," and "Pasta is for lunch."

Practice conversation by asking your child what her ideal lunch would be.  Targets may include, "I would like hot food for lunch.  My lunch would be a hamburger and soup.  I like dessert with my lunch.  Cookies are my favorite."

The /tʃ/ sound makes the "ch" sound.  It is really a combination of two sounds: /t/ as in "tea" and /ʃ/ and in "shoe."  In many cases, it may be easiest to teach the sounds individually, and then make them together.  Practice making the /t/ sound, then the"sh" sound; then, make one after the other until they flow seamlessly together.

For the /t/ sound, touch cues are helpful.  Show your child how one's tongue taps the roof of the mouth behind the teeth.  This may require some pre-teaching at home before you go to the store.  You two can practice in front of a mirror.  You can also use your finger to tap the ridge behind her teeth (known as the alveolar ridge) where her tongue should be.  A good cue is, "Tap your tongue."

An easy way to cue for the /sh/ sound is to have your child say, "Shhhhh," as if she is 'shushing' someone.  If this doesn't work, then more formal instruction may be needed.  You may even want to prolong the /sh/ sound in a word to highlight it, as in "shhhhhherbet."  For more serious instruction, explain the sound in this way: "Put your teeth together.  Round your lips.  Put your tongue behind your teeth.  Blow."  Have your child put her hand in front of her mouth so that she can feel the air coming out.

Often times the /s/ and /sh/ sounds get blurred.  If your child is making a /s/ instead of a /sh/, this means the tongue should be positioned further back in the mouth (think roof of the mouth rather than behind the teeth).  If needed, you can use a tongue depressor or a spoon to gently push your child's tongue back.  Have her blow, and she should hear the difference.

A simpler way to cue may be as follows.  Instruct her to place her tongue on the ridge behind her upper teeth, like when making the /t/ sound.  Then, let the air pressure "explode" our of her mouth, like when making the "sh" sound.  With this sound, she should not "turn on" her voice/her voice box should not vibrate.

A fun way to make the sound is also to pretend to sneeze, and practice saying "ch-ch-ch" or "choo-choo-choo."  Boys in particular may enjoy making the "choo-choo" sound of a train.  I also recommend saying "chew" before every bite of "lunch."

/tʃ/ in the initial position; "ch" as in "chips," "chicken" and "cheese"

Practice /tʃ/ in the initial position with these words below.  /tʃ/ makes the "ch" sound.

"chips,"

"chicken,"

"cheese," and...

"chocolate."

To practice phrases, have your child label the chips, cheese or chocolate.  Targets may include "potato chips" and "barbecue chips;" "American cheese," and "Swiss cheese;" and "Hershey's chocolate" and "dark chocolate."  The grocery store have many different varieties of these foods, so you can get a lot of practice out of this task.

To practice sentences, ask your child what kind of chicken dishes she likes.  Targets may include, "My favorite is chicken cutlets," (this what I would have answered as a child!), "I like chicken wings," and "I like chicken drumsticks."

To practice conversation, have your child discuss why it is important to eat chocolate in small amounts.  Targets may include, "Because if you eat too much chocolate then you get a belly ache.  If you eat too much chocolate then you get cavities.  Then you get your teeth checked by the dentist."  Another idea is to have your child discuss why people are vegetarian and avoid eating chicken and other meats.

The /tʃ/ sound makes the "ch" sound.  It is really a combination of two sounds: /t/ as in "tea" and "sh" and in "shoe."  In many cases, it may be easiest to teach the sounds individually, and then make them together.  Practice making the /t/ sound, then the "sh" sound.  Then, make one after the other until they flow seamlessly together. For the /t/ sound, touch cues are helpful.  Show your child how one's tongue taps the roof of the mouth behind the teeth.  This may require some pre-teaching at home before you go to the store.  You two can practice in front of a mirror.  You can also use your finger to tap the ridge behind her teeth (known as the alveolar ridge) where her tongue should be.  A good cue is, "Tap your tongue."  An easy way to cue for the /sh/ sound is to have your child say, "Shhhhh," as if she is 'shushing' someone.  If this doesn't work, then more formal instruction may be needed.  You may even want to prolong the /sh/ sound in a word to highlight it, as in "shhhhhherbet."  For more serious instruction, explain the sound in this way: "Put your teeth together.  Round your lips.  Put your tongue behind your teeth.  Blow."  Have your child put her hand in front of her mouth so that she can feel the air coming out.  Often times the /s/ and /sh/ sounds get blurred.  If your child is making a /s/ instead of a /sh/, this means the tongue should be positioned further back in the mouth (think roof of the mouth rather than behind the teeth).  If needed, you can use a tongue depressor or a spoon to gently push your child's tongue back.  Have her blow, and she should hear the difference.

A simpler way to cue may be as follows.  Instruct her to place her tongue on the ridge behind her upper teeth, like when making the /t/ sound.  Then, let the air pressure "explode" our of her mouth, like when making the "sh" sound.  With this sound, she should not "turn on" her voice/her voice box should not vibrate.

A fun way to make the sound is also to pretend to sneeze, and practice saying "ch-ch-ch" or "choo-choo-choo."  Boys in particular may enjoy making the "choo-choo" sound of a train.  I also recommend saying "chew" before every bite of "chocolate."