What are the Characteristics of Articulation and Voice in Boys?

Speech output in boys is often reported to be fast and cluttered. Imprecise articulation may be a result of weak oral motor tone (of the mouth, lips, and tongue). Because many children with fragile X have extreme sensitivity to touch, oral-motor stimulation is often difficult. 

Articulation of some of the later developing sounds may be more difficult and require speech therapy. Both vowels and consonants are reported as problematic to some children, with substitutions of sounds being common. In addition, the sequencing of sounds may be hard, such that words like "elephant" and "aluminum" are pronounced as "ephelant" and "alumilum".

Cluttering is a characteristic that is often used to describe the speech of boys with fragile X syndrome. Cluttered speech is fast in rate, with a mixture of short, rapid bursts of speech and long pauses. There are repetitions of whole words or phrases. In addition to stuttering, where a person often becomes stuck on one sound (e.g., b-b -b-ut), cluttering often involves the attempt to start a thought with a syllable (ca-,ca-,cat), word (Do…Do…Do…) or phrase that becomes stuck (e.g., Mom, I want…Mom, I want…Mom, I want…). In addition, many of those who clutter do so without awareness or accompanying tension.

Voice problems in boys with fragile X are sometimes reported. Vocal characteristics such as hoarseness, harshness, and breathy tone may be related to oral-motor weaknesses.

All of these factors may contribute to lowered intelligibility of boys' speech. Their rate of speech, articulation of sounds, sequencing of sounds and words, cluttering, and breathy tone may all cause difficulty in understanding what they are trying to say.

Gail Harris-Schmidt, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, Illinois