Speech Sound Errors: Denasalisation
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 Denasalisation
Denasalisation is when children replace nasal sounds like "m," "n," and "ng" with non-nasal sounds like "b," "d," or "g." For example, they might say "bunny" instead of "money."
Age of Elimination
Broadly, deaffrication should be eliminated somewhere around 2 and 1/2 years of age*.
Examples include:
Denasalisation ‘n’: e.g., ‘n’ -> ‘d’ as in ‘nose’ becomes ‘doze’.
Denasalisation ‘m’: e.g., ‘m’ -> ‘b’ as in ‘man’ becomes ‘ban’.
Denasalisation ‘ng’: e.g., ‘ng’ -> ‘g’ as in ‘bang’ becomes ‘bag’.
*Please note these ages of elimination are intended as a general guide only. Other sources can change age ranges by six months to a year. Phonological processes are a murky area of speech pathology.
Fixing Denasalisation
Model the Correct Sounds: Clearly pronounce words with nasal sounds so your child can hear the difference.
Practice with Games: Use fun activities like naming pictures of words with nasal sounds.
Use Mirrors: Let your child see how your mouth moves when making nasal sounds.
Read Aloud Together: Choose books with lots of "m," "n," and "ng" sounds and read them to your child.
Encourage Repetition: Ask your child to repeat words after you, focusing on the correct nasal sounds.
Helping your child with denasalisation 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: Denasalisation ($0.50)
Practice eliminating various denasalisation errors with dangerous dinos in a fun interactive game of minimal pairs.
Shopping Trip: Denasalisation ($0.50)
Practice eliminating various denasalisation errors with minimal pairs by competing to see who can fill their shopping basket first.
Monster Madness: Denasalisation ($0.50)
Practice eliminating various denasalisation errors with mad monsters in a fun interactive game of minimal pairs.