Congestion may also fluctuate, resulting in inconsistent improvement. Congestion may be caused or set off by viruses, or it may be due to airborne or food allergies. While continued congestion may affect articulation, it is primarily a medical problem. Speech therapy may result in some progress, but appropriate medical intervention is often the most effective treatment for congestion-based articulation disorders. Because young children have very small and horizontal Eustachian tubes, fluid often enters the ear and may not drain.
Fluid can be clear, or infected.
A child with ear fluid may present with fluctuating hearing loss that is often hard to detect with a hearing screening. Children with a history of ear infections may be at risk for development of articulation disorders, as well as auditory processing problems. The rationale for this is that speech articulation is a habit , a behavior we engage in automatically. We teach our muscles these habits by engaging in regular practice until the muscle movements are automatic. When we begin to learn a behavior, we do it slowly and deliberately.