In articulation therapy, when is mirror practice most appropriately used?

• A. When imitation skills are lacking
• B. When the client can imitate spontaneously
• C. Only for vowels
• D. Only for testing cranial nerves

Answer: (B)

Mirror practice uses visual feedback, letting a client watch their own mouth to compare tongue, lip, and jaw positions with the target sound and self-cue during production. It’s most effective when the client can imitate spontaneously because the visual feedback then helps them refine the movements they are already able to reproduce and internalize the correct articulatory pattern. If imitation skills are lacking, the mirror won’t provide enough guidance to produce accurate movements yet; the focus would be on building imitation and perceptual discrimination first. Mirror practice can be used for both vowels and consonants, and it isn’t a tool for cranial nerve testing.