Please note I do not receive any financial gain or credit if you click on the links in this blog post. I am purely using them to show you the types of things I use or you could try to support your child's speech and language development.
The first thing to say in this post is that children's speech develops from birth up until the age of around 7 years. Within this period they go through many different variations of sounds which are considered typically appropriate, however as parents its always tricky to know when to be concerned and when not to be concerned.
I've adapted a table from one created by SCFT to give a basic overview:
So the important question - when should you be worried?
Without a speech therapist seeing a child that can be a very difficult question to answer. So my first piece of advice would be to sit and listen to your child and write down words they say incorrectly and how they say them. If you have flash cards like these or books like this then you could try asking another adult to play games with them while you listen. Think about the following:
Are you noticing any consistent patterns? e.g. are their 'k' sounds always a 't', or do they always miss off the 'b' sound at the ends of their words?
Do other adults who know your child well struggle to understand them?
Does your child become frustrated when they are not understood?
If you can go to your therapist with all this information it will help them to make an informed decision about whether your child's errors are appropriate for their age or if they require support. It can be frustrating when you are unsure but the more information you bring to their assessment the better.
Use the above table to determine if the errors you are hearing are appropriate for your child's age or if they are making errors which require the input of a speech therapist.
The table says not to be worried - what can I do to help my child with their talking?
You can use lots of strategies to help your child's speech sound development. The simple strategies are often the most effective.
OWL Prompting can be a great way to support your child with their speech sounds.
Repeating back a clear production as a clarification of what your child has said. E.g. if you child say "that tar go past mummy" you could reply and say "yes that car is going really fast" putting a slight emphasis on those 'c' and 'f' sounds so they can hear the difference. Try not get ask your child to repeat - this may cause anxiety and frustration. We just want them to hear the right production.
Play with your child encouraging backwards and forwards conversations - the more they hear you modelling for them the more likely their sound profiles are likely to develop.
Play sound games at home - pick a sound which they are struggling with and run around the house together collecting objects which start with those sounds.
All of these ideas are only going to help - even if you use them when you feel your child should be seen by a speech therapist it can only help!
What should I do if my child should be seen by a speech therapist?
This will depend on if you are wanting independent or NHS support. If you can access NHS support you can find out how to make a referral from your local service.
If you are looking for independent speech therapy support the best place to go is ASLTIP (the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice) where you can find a list of therapists in your area who work with children of your age. Many therapists offer a free telephone chat to discuss your concerns in order to determine if an assessment or input is appropriate for your child. My advice is always to take advantage of these free chats as they allow you to determine if you want to pay for an assessment and if you click with the therapist in question. Making sure you get the right fit for your family is just as important as getting the support.
I myself run an independent speech and language therapy service in Devon (Treetops Speech and Language Therapy) and would be more than happy to discuss any concerns you have.
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