Speech Sound Errors: Initial Consonant Deletion
What is a Phonological Process
A phonological process is a pattern young children use to simplify speech as they learn to talk. Since some sounds are harder to say than others, children might change them to make speaking easier. These processes are normal and usually disappear as the child grows older and gains more control over their speech.
What is Initial Consonant Deletion
Initial consonant deletion is when a child leaves out the first sound in a word. For example, saying "at" instead of "cat" or "og" instead of "dog."
Age of Elimination
Initial consonant deletion has no specific age of elimination, but in the research, is more often seen in severe phonological delays.
Examples include:
Initial Consonant Deletion ‘b’: e.g., ‘b’ -> omitted as in ‘bat’ becomes ‘at’.
Initial Consonant Deletion ‘f’: e.g., ‘f’ -> omitted as in ‘funny’ becomes ‘unny’.
Initial Consonant Deletion ‘d’: e.g., ‘d’ -> omitted as in ‘duck’ becomes ‘uck'‘.
Fixing Initial Consonant Deletion
Use Minimal Pairs: Find two real words that differ only by their initial sound and create flashcards to highlight the difference. For example, you could use ‘tape’ and ‘ape’ if you find your child removing the initial ‘t’.
Model Correct Speech: Always say the word correctly. If your child says "at" for "cat," you say, "Yes, it's a cat."
Emphasize Initial Sounds: Highlight and exaggerate the first sound in words. "Look, it's a c-c-cat!"
Play Sound Games: Use games that focus on starting sounds. For example, "I spy with my little eye, something that starts with the 'd' sound."
Practice with Pictures: Show pictures and say the words together, emphasizing the first sound.
Be Patient and Encouraging: Celebrate small successes and gently correct mistakes.
Helping your child with initial consonant deletion can be fun and engaging. With patience and practice, they'll start using the correct sounds in no time!
Please note the above information is general in nature and is not intended as professional medical advice. Please seek an appointment with a registered speech-language pathologist if you are at all worried about your child's development.
References:
ASHA. (2022). Selected Phonological Processes. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/articulation-and-phonology/selected-phonological-processes/
Bowen, C. (2011). Table 3 - Elimination of Phonological Processes. Speech-Language-Therapy.com. https://www.speech-language-therapy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31:table3&catid=11:admin&Itemid=117
Suggested Resources
Stone Age Struggle: Initial Consonant Deletion ($0.50)
Practice eliminating various initial consonant deletion errors with dangerous dinos in a fun interactive game of minimal pairs.
Shopping Trip: Initial Consonant Deletion ($0.50)
Practice eliminating various initial consonant deletion errors with minimal pairs by competing to see who can fill their shopping basket first.
Monster Madness: Initial Consonant Deletion ($0.50)
Practice eliminating various initial consonant deletion errors with mad monsters in a fun interactive game of minimal pairs.