Symptom 8: Limited Vowel Sounds – The ‘A-E-I-O-U’ Challenge
The five vowels ‘A-E-I-O-U’ form the backbone of speech, providing a melodic balance to the sharp consonant sounds. But in the speech of children with DVD, this melody often misses a few notes. Limited vowel sounds is a crucial symptom of DVD, making their speech sound different from their peers.
Consider a musical composition. The harmonious blending of various notes creates a pleasing melody. Similarly, the variety of vowel sounds in our speech creates a rich tapestry of sounds. However, when a child with DVD speaks, you might notice them using fewer vowel sounds than usual, leading to limited speech variation.
This limitation often stems from their struggle with speech motor planning. Navigating the subtle shifts in tongue, lips, and jaw to produce different vowel sounds is like maneuvering a complex maze. For instance, shifting from the ‘a’ in apple to the ‘e’ in elephant might pose a unique challenge to them.
More so, this restriction in vowel sounds often goes hand-in-hand with inconsistent speech errors. The child might fluctuate between different vowel errors when trying to say the same word. This makes their speech unpredictable and difficult to understand, adding to their communication challenges.(8)
