How Ultrasound Speech Therapy Can Help Children With Speech Sound Disorders
For many children, learning speech sounds happens naturally with time and practice. For others, even years of practice may not be enough. Some sounds—especially /r/ and /s/—can be particularly difficult because they require very precise tongue movements that are impossible to see by simply looking at someone's mouth. That's where ultrasound biofeedback can make a remarkable difference. Ultrasound allows children to see their tongue moving in real time while they practice speech sounds, giving them immediate visual feedback about what their tongue is actually doing. Instead of guessing where the tongue should go, they can see it, adjust it, and learn the correct movement much more efficiently.
Ultrasound uses the same safe technology that is commonly used during pregnancy, but instead of looking at a baby, the probe is placed gently under the chin to create a live image of the tongue. This type of biofeedback gives information about a movement that would otherwise be hidden. For example, a child working on /r/ can immediately see whether the back of their tongue is lifting enough or whether the tongue tip is in the wrong position. A child practicing /s/ can learn how a small change in tongue shape affects airflow. Rather than relying only on verbal instructions like "lift your tongue" or "move it back," ultrasound allows children to connect what they feel with what they see, making motor learning much more effective.
Ultrasound is especially helpful for children with persistent speech sound disorders who haven't responded to traditional therapy, children with highly inaccurate or distorted /r/ productions, persistent lisps involving /s/ and /z/, childhood apraxia of speech, and some children with cleft palate or other motor speech disorders. It is most successful for children who can attend to visual information, follow instructions, and tolerate having the ultrasound probe held under their chin. It may not be the best choice for very young children, children who become overwhelmed by visual information, or those whose speech difficulties are primarily related to language rather than speech production. A Speech-Language Pathologist can determine whether ultrasound is likely to benefit a particular child after a comprehensive assessment.
Families can support speech practice between sessions by focusing on quality rather than quantity. Instead of asking a child to repeat a difficult sound 100 times without feedback, practice a small number of accurate productions while paying attention to how the movement feels. Encourage your child to describe what they notice. They might say, "My tongue feels tighter," or "The back of my tongue is touching." Using a mirror can help with lip placement, while recording short videos allows children to hear improvements over time. Celebrate accurate productions, even if they're inconsistent. Motor learning develops through repeated success, not repeated mistakes.
Another way families can help is by creating opportunities to use newly learned sounds in meaningful situations. If your child is working on /r/, look for naturally occurring words during games, reading, or driving. If they're practicing /s/, play games that involve words like "race," "circle," "seven," or "soup." Keep practice sessions short—five to ten minutes is often far more productive than longer sessions that lead to fatigue. It's also important to avoid asking children to "say it again" repeatedly throughout the day, as this can become frustrating. Instead, work closely with your Speech-Language Pathologist to know exactly which words, phrases, and activities are appropriate for home practice.
At Mercury Speech & Language, we're proud to be among the leading Speech-Language Pathologists in British Columbia with specialized training and experience using ultrasound biofeedback for speech sound disorders. We offer ultrasound intensive programs, where children attend two hours of therapy per day, every day for one week. This intensive approach provides the high number of accurate practice trials that motor learning research shows is important for changing speech patterns. Many children with persistent /r/ or /s/ errors make meaningful progress during these intensive programs because they receive immediate visual feedback, individualized coaching, and hundreds of opportunities to practice correct tongue movements. For families looking for an evidence-based approach to persistent speech sound errors, ultrasound speech therapy offers a unique opportunity to make progress that may not have been possible with traditional therapy alone.
