Speech Unbound

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Speech Unbound We are a speech and language clinic who loves to get families involved!

“Mild” TBI ≠ mild impact.A mild brain injury can have very real, long lasting effects. A 2023 study asked adults (30 par...
10/14/2026

“Mild” TBI ≠ mild impact.

A mild brain injury can have very real, long lasting effects. A 2023 study asked adults (30 participants) with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) about their own cognitive communication experiences.

Participants described challenges with attention, memory, processing speed, conversations, writing, and understanding spoken and written information. They also reported impacts on work, school, and social relationships.

A mild TBI can be medically classified as “mild” while still having a significant impact on communication, cognition, relationships, work, and quality of life.

Listening to the survivor's experience matters, not just the label.

https://concussionawarenessnow.org/news/concussion-awareness-starts-with-us-lessons-from-survivors-and-experts?utm
https://biausa.org/public-affairs/media/survivors-in-the-spotlight
https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2022_AJSLP-22-00101

10/13/2026

Have you ever known exactly what you wanted to communicate but struggled to find the words, organize your thoughts, or explain your reasoning? This can happen to both children and adults.

Explaining an idea requires executive functioning and language skills to work together to turn thoughts into a clear, organized message.

These skills include:
-Working memory: Holding onto information while formulating a response.
-Planning and organization: Determining what information is important and how to present it.
-Sequencing: Putting thoughts, steps, or events in a logical order.
-Word retrieval: Finding the words needed to express an idea.
-Language formulation: Combining words and sentences to communicate a message clearly.

When these skills are challenging, someone may struggle to explain their reasoning, retell an event, give directions, participate in a conversation, or put complex thoughts into words, even when they understand the information.

References

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (n.d.). Spoken language disorders. https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/spoken-language-disorders/

Boudreau, D., & Costanza-Smith, A. (2011). Assessment and treatment of working memory deficits in school-age children: The role of the speech-language pathologist. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 42(2), 152–166. https://doi.org/10.1044/0161-1461(2010/09-0088

And here’s why:Talking to ourselves isn’t necessarily meaningless or distracting. Internal dialogue can be a cognitive t...
10/12/2026

And here’s why:
Talking to ourselves isn’t necessarily meaningless or distracting. Internal dialogue can be a cognitive tool.

Self-talk and inner speech can help us:
* Plan and organize
* Hold goals in mind
* Direct attention
* Problem-solve
* Monitor our actions
* Regulate our behavior
* Adjust when something isn’t working
That internal conversation might sound like:
“Okay, what do I need to do first?”
“Wait…that’s not working. Let me try this.”
“What was my goal again?”

Language can help us think through what we’re doing so we can do what we’re thinking about.

For children, talking through a task out loud can also provide a way to practice these skills before that language becomes more internalized.

So yes…

I’m talking to myself.
I’m thinking it through.
And there’s a reason for it.

References

Fernyhough, C., & Borghi, A. M. (2023). Inner speech as language process and cognitive tool. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 27(12), 1180–1193. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2023.08.014](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2023.08.014)

Fahy, J. K. (2014). Language and executive functions: Self-talk for self-regulation. Perspectives on Language Learning and Education, 21(2), 61–71. [https://doi.org/10.1044/lle21.2.61](https://doi.org/10.1044/lle21.2.61)

Winsler, A. (2009). Still talking to ourselves after all these years: A review of current research on private speech. In A. Winsler, C. Fernyhough, & I. Montero (Eds.), Private Speech, Executive Functioning, and the Development of Verbal Self-Regulation (pp. 3–41). Cambridge University Press.

10/09/2026

Somedays call for unplanned twins day!

10/08/2026

Time for the Speech Unbound Joke of the Week!

Why did the glue get in trouble at school?

Got a favorite speech, language, or wordplay joke? Share it with us in the comments.

10/08/2026

Join us at Harrison Twp’s Hallowpalooza! Come swing by the Speech Unbound Trunk to say "Boo!" Put on your favorite costume and enjoy an afternoon packed with bounce houses, a petting zoo, pony rides, crafting, and TREATS!
🎃👻🎃

10/08/2026

Understanding the lateral lisp:
* A lateral lisp is considered an atypical speech pattern that a child is unlikely to grow out of naturally.
* It happens when air escapes from the sides of the tongue rather than the front.
* This specific type of lisp is often associated with the character Sid the Sloth.

Can it cause speech sound issues? Yes, but not as often as marketing suggests. A common assumption is that restricted to...
10/07/2026

Can it cause speech sound issues? Yes, but not as often as marketing suggests.

A common assumption is that restricted tongue movement will automatically cause difficulty with sounds.

But the research tells a more complicated story.
One study found that:
87.9% of speech errors were age-appropriate
Speech errors were not consistently related to tongue mobility.
Tongue-tie release did not improve speech articulation or intelligibility.

So instead of looking at the tongue and assuming it’s the cause, look at the speech!

As SLPs, it’s important to evaluate the actual speech sound pattern rather than assuming that a visible tongue-tie is the cause.

A child can have a tongue-tie and a speech sound disorder, but that does not mean the tongue-tie caused the speech sound disorder.

🔎 Look at the whole picture:
• What speech sounds are actually in error?
• Are the errors developmentally expected?
• Is there a consistent pattern?
• Are the errors truly related to tongue mobility?
• What does the broader evidence tell us?

A tongue-tie should not automatically be blamed for speech differences, and frenotomy should not automatically be presented as a speech treatment.

References:
Kummer, A. W. (2025). Incorrect statements and citing errors regarding the effect of ankyloglossia on speech in Cordray et al., 2023. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 34(2), 982–984.
Melong, J., Bezuhly, M., & Hong, P. (2024). The effect of tongue-tie release on speech articulation and intelligibility. Ear, Nose & Throat Journal, 103(7), NP450–NP454.

10/06/2026

Understanding lisps in typical speech development:

​Interdental Lisp: The tongue comes out between the teeth.

​Dentalized Lisp: The tongue pushes against the front teeth.

​Both types commonly affect the /s/ and /z/ sounds in children.

​These lisps are not expected to continue past four and a half years of age.

​If a lisp persists beyond this milestone, it is very unlikely to resolve without skilled speech therapy.

​

Just like in life, speech, language, feeding, AAC, fluency, and communication, progress does not always look like a stra...
10/05/2026

Just like in life, speech, language, feeding, AAC, fluency, and communication, progress does not always look like a straight line.

Some sessions bring big breakthroughs. Others might feel like a step backward. A skill that was consistent one week might be harder the next, and that is okay.

Give yourself or your child grace throughout the process. Celebrate the little wins: a new word, an independent communication attempt, trying a new food, using a strategy, advocating for a need, or simply showing up and trying.

Progress is progress, even when it looks different than you expected.

Celebrate the small victories. Trust the process. Keep going.

Address

36358 Garfield Road, Suite 1-2
Clinton Township, MI
48035

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 6pm

Telephone

+15862210705

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