If you want to know more about this, how it occurs, who to consult, and what is the treatment for Rhotacism, in this article you will find all the answers you need.
Many of us know the tongue twister “R con R cigarro, R con R barril, rápido corren los carros cargados de azúcar del ferrocarril. R con R cigarro, R con R barril, rápido ruedan las ruedas del carro cargado de azúcar del ferrocarril.” But for many, it’s an odyssey to reproduce it verbally.
What is Rhotacism?
Rhotacism is defined as any defect in the articulation of the simple ‘r’ phoneme (oro, cara) or the multiple ‘r’ phoneme (carro, ratón), whether by omission (amó instead of amor), substitution (adena, toge, instead of arena and torre), or distortion (French ‘r’).
It should be noted that the ‘r’ is one of the most difficult letters to acquire and, therefore, one of the last to learn to pronounce. In this sense, not pronouncing it correctly is not considered a concern until the child is 5-6 years old. When it occurs, it should be corrected as soon as possible, as the later rehabilitation begins, the more time will be needed for it.
Rhotacism can occur if, at a physical level, there is a problem with the lingual frenulum, as being too short makes it difficult for the person to raise the tongue due to physical limitation; ogival palate, which refers to a higher and narrower palate, preventing the person from properly resting the tongue on it; and hypotonicity, which implies a lack of muscle tone in the orofacial organs (lips, tongue, masseter muscles) and a lack of control over them.
Similarly, if at a functional level there is a lack of strength and coordination in blowing, or lingual malocclusion, or poor tongue positioning (it is usually forward and touches or extends beyond the teeth, so there is no vibration), rhotacism can also occur.
However, rhotacism is not associated with developmental delay and/or any psychological impact in children, although certainly, as they get older and become aware that they do not pronounce certain words correctly, they become frustrated by such inability. In many cases, they may be subject to ridicule among classmates, which affects their self-esteem and, consequently, their social skills, sometimes leading them to resort to strategies to avoid the problem, such as using synonyms that do not contain that phoneme, or even deciding not to speak with certain schoolmates to avoid teasing or the appearance of dysphemia or stuttering due to the tension this creates for them.
Rhotacism Treatment
Rhotacism treatment in both children and adults is 99% effective. The activities typically carried out to solve it involve re-educating the point and manner of articulation of the ‘r’ phoneme. Initially, the most complicated part is, firstly, making some people aware of the problem, and secondly, eliminating the bad habits they have acquired when pronouncing the ‘r’ in their oral language so that it sounds similar. In this regard, it is very useful to start treatment with progressive breathing techniques.
The ‘r’ phoneme is alveolar in that it is pronounced by placing the tongue on the alveoli, the area just above the teeth, similar to other phonemes like l, n, s. However, the difference between these sounds and the ‘r’ is that it not only requires placing the tongue in this specific spot but also requires the vibration of the tongue, as is the case with the multiple ‘r’ for words like ‘carro’, ‘ropa’, etc. To achieve this tongue vibration, the point of articulation and breath must be coordinated.
Exercises and Praxias to Treat Rhotacism
When carrying out Rhotacism treatment, it is very important that it is supervised by a speech therapist with the appropriate training in rhotacism treatment. In these sessions, breathing should be worked on:
– Take air through the nose, hold it, and exhale through the mouth two, three times.
– Take air through the nose, hold it, and exhale through the mouth quickly.
– Take air through the nose, hold it, and exhale through the mouth two, three times.
– Take air through the nose, hold it, and exhale through the mouth quickly
This exercise should be done lying down and sitting up.
Blowing controls the force, direction, and amount of air expelled, so it is necessary to know how to use it to articulate different phonemes. Very common blowing exercises include blowing out candles, inflating balloons. You can also work with pinwheels, a whistle, a flute, or any other blowing instrument.
Likewise, lingual praxias should be worked on to maintain control of movements, flexibility, agility, and sufficient strength in the tongue. These activities can be performed during tooth brushing, in front of a mirror, or in any other situation that stimulates this type of exercise. Some of them include: placing the tongue up and down outside the mouth, to the sides of the mouth, both inside and out, making rotations around the teeth and around the lips, first in one direction and then in the opposite.
Another important exercise to solve rhotacism is to achieve tongue clicking, which is done by having the patient simulate horse steps. In this way, it is verified that the tongue is capable of resting on the roof of the mouth and that the person has the strength to support and maintain it.
Progressively, repetition exercises are introduced with words containing the ‘r’ phoneme, from larger to smaller size, from easier to more difficult. Different videos, worksheets, specific stories containing the ‘r’ can be used to support the child in increasing their lexicon/vocabulary and literacy.
At the beginning of repetition exercises, it is observed that articulation is achieved in repetition but is not yet generalized in spontaneous speech, which is normal, and the child should be given time to automate it and correct the bad habit they had acquired, thus beginning to introduce new patterns.