Sweet Speech Therapy

Wishing every single one of you a happy and healthy holiday despite this oh so strange time!

We don’t have to be rule followers. We often start working on a sound at the beginning of words but if that seems difficult, you CAN start with the final word position. I’ve had success starting with final /k/ and /sh/, for instance when working on fronting and stopping. Children had some success and we were then able to move to the initial word position more easily.... Wanna be rebels with me? Follow @sweetspeechtherapy for more speech and language tips!

I can imagine that speech practice isn’t on anyone’s list of priorities for the winter break. How about choosing ONE target word matching the sound your child is working on? When this word comes up, take a quick opportunity to practice. Sounds better than lengthy word lists, doesn’t it? ... Swipe to find your child’s target word! Let me know what it is below. Do you know a parent, teacher or other professional who could use this idea? Like, save and share to spread the word! Follow @sweetspeechtherapy for more speech and language tips! @ Ottawa, Ontario

A great way to support your child with speech sound difficulties is to say difficult words WITH them. This is especially helpful for children with apraxia of speech (motor speech difficulties) because they have difficulty with planning the movements required to sequence sounds in words. However, I use this strategy with many of my clients who need support with articulation as well. When a word is hard for your child to pronounce, get face to face and slowly say the word toget...her. Repeat, repeat, repeat! *A note for children with apraxia of speech/motor speech disorder: slow down your rate but avoid stopping between the sounds in the word (e.g. cat and not c-at) - we are working on MOVEMENT between sounds, not individual sounds. Have you tried this? How did it go? Let me know below! Do you know a parent, teacher or other professional who could use this information? Like, save and share to spread the word! Follow @sweetspeechtherapy for more speech and language tips!

A 3 year old can typically say the k sound. Fronting, a phonological process where k is replaced by t, is typical in development but should disappear by approximately 3.5 years of age. Beyond this age, a child may need extra help in order to say k. Swipe to see my best tips to get that sometimes tricky k sound!... As a caregiver, this may help you get started. However, an SLP will be best suited to guide you regarding the most suitable methods for your child! Do you know a parent, teacher or other professional who could use this information? Like, save and share to spread the word! Follow @sweetspeechtherapy for more speech and language tips! @ Ottawa, Ontario

Last week I posted about how many words a child is expected to have depending on their age. Today, I am sharing what SLPs consider to be a word when asking this question. You may be surprised to find out your child has more words than you thought! Any sound, word or sign that is produced consistently, with a purpose and without adult help counts (if you say it first and your child imitates - it isn’t their word yet).... This includes: Animal sounds (e.g. moo, meow) Play/environmental/exclamatory sounds (e.g. uh oh, wee, oops, mmm) Signs Words in another language your child is exposed to Words that are unclear or parts of words (e.g. mo for more, ta for car, side for outside) Does this change your child’s word count? Let me know below! Do you know a parent, teacher or other professional who could use this information? Like, save and share to spread the word! Follow @sweetspeechtherapy for more speech and language tips!