Stage 2 NLA

ByLondon Speech and Feeding
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Image by Freepik

Last time we asked: is our child ready tp move to Stage 2 NLA (Natural Language Acquisition stage 2) and we looked at how we can know. Now we know: he/she is ready, they are mixing and matching those scripts quite liberally! Hurrah!

So for example we hear phrases like:

  • ‘let’s go’+ ‘downstairs’
  • ‘it’s’ + ‘downstairs’
  • ‘I see it’ + ‘downstairs‘
  • ‘I want to’ + ‘shoes downstairs’ (I want to put my shoes on downstairs)

To recap, it’s important to listen out to a variety of contexts because if we only hear the single version of a gestalt —this is so great, hurrah!— but that’s not yet Stage 2.

What we can now do on a daily basis to help and support at this time:

1. We need to offer more ‘mix and match’ phrases to help our child establish this new way of communicating.

Good phrases:

  • It’s … raining / cooking / eating / washing / brushing
  • That’s … great / cool / amazing / wow / so good
  • Let’s … see / look / go / run / chase
  • How’bout … some food / playing / I’ll chase / sleeping / we read a book
  • I see a … bird / large car / fire engine
  • I wanna … have a biscuit / have a book / have a snuggle
  • We’re … going out / going home / going in the car / going upstairs

Here in my video clip of train play I use:

  • Let’s go
  • It’s going up the hill
  • It’s coming down
  • Ooops it falls!
  • It’s stopping
  • Let’s put on another parcel
  • Ready steady go
  • Off we go
  • It’s come off!
  • Let’s fix it
  • I can do it
  • I don’t need help

You can offer these gestalts either with an AAC as you can see me do in the video clip or you can just verbally offer these.

2. Watch out for Pronoun confusion or reversal:

Gestalt kids repeat gestalts, so we don’t want to create ‘pronoun reversal’.

Instead model from a:

  • first person perspective: ‘I’ / ‘Our’ / ‘Us’
  • joint perspective: ‘We’ / ‘Let’s’ or a
  • neutral perspective: ‘It’

You can turn almost any sentence into a good language model once you get used to it. And you can avoid ‘you’ and ‘your’ at the same time!

So instead of saying, ‘Do you want to go to the park?’

You could say:

  • We wanna go to the park?
  • Let’s go out?
  • Shall we go out / to the park?

3. Start providing ‘variation’ in your language modelling:

Instead of just modelling something one way, start thinking about offering a pattern in a couple of other ways, in a couple of different situations, then several ways in several different situations.

Example: once you hear your child saying: ‘it’s raining’ and you know it’s a mitigation, because you don’t often say ‘it’s raining’, or haven’t said it in a while and you know your child says other ‘it’s’ phrases.

Repeat: ‘it’s raining!’

Then: ‘it’s’ + ‘raining hard’ / ‘it’s wet out there’ / ‘It’s’ + ‘raining lot’s’.

Then later think of other combinations for ‘it’s’ + ‘something’:

  • (rice) ‘It’s’ + ‘cooking’
  • (water/tap) ‘It’s’ + ‘running’
  • (radio) ‘It’s’ + ‘singing
  • (dog) ‘It’s’ + ‘peeing’ / ‘it’s’ + ‘running’ / ‘it’s’ + ‘jumping’

In my train video clip:

  • Let’s go
  • It’s going
  • Let’s make it go
  • Ready steady go
  • Oops its gone

4. Use natural intonation that shows you really mean what you’re saying.

You can be animated or try for musical if your child prefers that / doesn’t mind you singing —they might not like it if their hearing is pitch perfect and your singing is off key…—

  • ‘I’m’ + ‘trying to find you!’ (animated, goofy face)
  • ‘I’m’ +’ getting tired!’ (exaggerated stretch and yawn)
  • ‘I’m’ + ‘catching up with you!’ (animated goofy)
  • ‘I’m’ + ‘gonna get you!’ (animated goofy)
  • ‘I’m’ + ‘sad right now’ (exaggerated face and tone of voice)

5. USE SILENCE!

Important, I might not have said this before but we need to hold back sometimes (hard I know) and not constantly offer models. Let our child sit in a bit of silence with us there just observing and waiting for their own offers. This is a very important point. Silence is golden sometimes. Try it out. I am not talking about the silence that comes with a person scrolling on their phone though, we do need to be present and receptive.

You will see this works wonders!

Do get in touch if you would like some in-person or on-line 1:1 support with this. It can be overwhelming to figure it all out alone.

You can also check my friend’s lovely handmade jewelry on her website.

Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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    Discover nine ways to support literacy in autistic children

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    We are all aware that Autism is on a spectrum. By the very nature of this, it means that every child will present differently, so an individualised approach is required. We need to remember to use a child’s strengths to support their needs. By using a person-centred approach, you’ll see your child’s literacy develop and thrive.

    I hear many parents concerns about literacy as well as communication. Will they be able to read, write and spell? How will they manage their literacy independently? The questions are endless, so let’s look at how you can support your child’s literacy skills and how together we can provide a scaffold to them becoming independent learners.

    1. The one thing we know is that Autistic children are visual learners. They succeed by us sharing pictures and demonstrating how the narrative is shown.
    2. Start reading to your child at an early age. You can never start too early. This creates a love for books and supports vital pre-literacy skills (such as increasing vocabulary, following narratives, awareness of sounds in words, and letter recognition and awareness). By supporting pre-literacy skills, you’re starting the process to create confident young readers.
    3. There are many ways to use books. You can narrate the story using different voices and tones to increase interest. You can do this even if your child isn’t interested. They are still listening and learning vital skills. You may even ask and answer questions and voice the skills that they will need for internal monitoring.
    4. Use their interests to select appropriate reading material. In addition, you can then create questions on the book and provide a scaffold to support your child with the answer.
    5. Use technology to spark their interest in reading. Demonstrate how they can read online. This is often successful as it becomes an individual activity as opposed to needing social interaction.
    6. Provide them with a choice of texts (e.g., would you like ‘Perfectly Norman or when things get too loud’) rather than an open-ended question such as ‘What book would you like to read?’
    7. Write key pieces of information down on paper. Research suggests that Autistic learners understand written text better than speech.
    8. You could have a ‘word of the day’ from chosen reading material that you explore together.
    9. Reading aloud to your child can have many benefits which include understanding vocabulary to how the book is read, with appropriate intonation.

    I highly recommend the boom decks as they are a great resource!

    The ethos at London Speech and Feeding:

    “If they can’t learn in the way we teach, then we teach the way they learn”

    If you need speech, language or communication support or advice, I am always here to help.

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    Cued Articulation – using hand gestures to show how a sound is made

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding
    Watch how cued articulation can transform your child’s speech and language skills!

    Cued Articulation involves using specific handshapes and placement cues to guide the speaker’s articulators, such as the tongue, lips, and teeth, to produce accurate sounds. It was originally conceptualised by Jane Passy, a speech-language pathologist. But it is important to know that we can, and often do, also use other speech cues which help our student visualise what they need to do. In other words, we can mix and match our cue pictures depending on what works best with each student.

    In the beginning of my speech therapy practice I would stick religiously to Jane Passy’s method but over the years I have learned and used many different visual hand cues which all have worked with individual students.

    It is important to remember that this is not an exact science, rather than an art! The art is to find the key to each individual student’s understanding and inspire motivation to try out a sound which they find hard to do.

    As an example, the hand signs used by Caroline Bowen’s method, an Australian Speech-Language Pathologist, are quite different to Jane Passy’s signs but they can equally work very well. Caroline Bowen’s visual for the /r/ sound is the ‘rowdy rooster’ — a crazed rooster on a motorbike — and the hand signal is that of revving up the motor bike engine with both hands whilst trying out the /r/ sound! I have a good handful of students who really loved this rooster image and were able to eventually produce a good /r/ using this cue.

    So, it is horses for courses with many things, and visual images and hand cues are no exception!

    Sound picture cards:

    Again, there are a host to choose from and I tend to collect a number of different images for each sound I want to practise with my student. As an example, below are a couple of different examples I use for the sound /p/:

    The Nuffield Programme suggests to use this popper card, which works well with a student who knows these poppers and perhaps has one on their trousers.

    As an alternative, and especially for younger students, I like using the Popper Pig Card – which I also have in my room so I can quickly show how it pops. Or we can have a popping game in between saying the /p/ sound at times. (The popper card is great as I can use the real toy to help with conveying the /p/ sound as it pops.)

    Each card has its own merit and I choose the right card for the individual student.

    How I use cued articulation and the visuals in Speech Therapy

    1. Cueing and practice: I introduce the appropriate card and handshapes for the targeted sounds. We then practise producing the sounds.
    2. Reinforcement and feedback: Positive reinforcement encourages progress and builds confidence.
    3. Fading out the cues: Once my student is able to say the sound more easily, we can gradually fade out the speech cues.

    Benefits and effectiveness

    Using Cued Articulation and Speech Image Cards has been shown to be effective in improving speech production for individuals with various speech and language disorders, including:

    • Articulation disorders: Difficulty producing specific sounds accurately.
    • Apraxia of speech: A motor planning disorder that affects the ability to sequence and coordinate movements involved in speech.
    • Phonology disorders or delays: Confusion and delays in how sounds are organised in categories to convey meaning, errors in sound patterns, for example front sounds are produced at the back, or long sounds are produced as stops.
    • Stuttering: A fluency disorder characterised by interruptions in speech, such as repetitions and prolongations.

    Tips for parents and student speech therapists

    Parents can play a crucial role in supporting the implementation of cued articulation at home and in therapy sessions. Here are some tips:

    • Collaborate with your SLT: Good feedback and communication with the Speech and Language Therapist creates consistency and progress..
    • Practise Regularly: Encourage consistent practice of cued articulation at home to reinforce learning.
    • Use Visual Aids: Use the same visuals that your therapist uses in the speech clinic to help your child at home with recall and practice.

    Feel free to contact me if you need help with your child.

    Sonja McGeachie

    Early Intervention Speech and Language Therapist

    Feeding and Dysphagia (Swallowing) Specialist The London Speech and Feeding Practice

    The London Speech and Feeding Practice

    Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

    1
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    Strategies to support children with eating difficulties

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding

    where the cause is NOT a swallowing problem, but we are having a “fussy eater” in the family, seeming for no obvious reason

    When parents have a child who find mealtimes or eating difficult, it can put pressure on the whole family dynamics. Once we have observed a child’s eating and drinking skills and found that they are not swallowing impaired, but are for want of a better word “fussy” or “picky”, we can then start to look at what might be underpinning the food aversions/picky eating/food avoidance. Two of the main questions parents have (of course) are:

    • ‘is my child getting the right nutrition?’
    • ‘how can I have less anxiety-provoking and stressful mealtimes?’

    We all tend to have an image in our minds about the ‘perfect mealtime’, and how mealtimes ‘should’ be. Speech and Language Therapists with a Feeding Specialism are the perfect professionals to help you unpick feeding issues. We are trained to look at swallowing and oral skills and we also know a lot about feeding behaviours and sensory difficulties which could be causing your child’s eating avoidance.

    Here are some strategies that can support children with their eating:

    1. Create and maintain a mealtime culture that suits your home and lifestyle. Then stick to that. We all need some routine in our lives to thrive. Mealtimes are no different. It might be that you eat in the same place for every meal, with the same knives and forks, concentrating on maintaining good posture. Children learn by repetition so the more familiar it is, the easier they will find it. In the physical sense, our bodies also need preparing for food, regardless of whether we are eating with our mouths or we are tube-fed. We want every child to connect all the dots of the process. It starts with their eyes, noses, expectations, memories of past experiences, feelings and then finally their mouths….
    2. Be an excellent role model. Children learn through watching others, so your child will be observing you without you knowing. Ensure that you are positive about the food you are all eating, and talk about how delicious, tasty, juicy, and yummy the foods are. Make the atmosphere around the dinner table light hearted. Even though you are secretly stressed about your child not eating, try and not show this. Instead pick a topic or put on some nice music, or talk about something your child might be interested in, and try and avoid coercing your child to eat. Leave small finger foods on their plates and have a range of foods available on the table so that your child can see that everyone is eating a range of foods and enjoying them.
    3. Use positive reinforcement. Try and think of mealtimes as fun and motivating. Children who are happy will likely be more inclined to try foods and take part in family mealtimes. Reward all interactions around food, so if your child merely touches a new food then praise this behaviour. Or if your child licks a food just once, again make a nice comment and praise your child for touching and licking the food. The takeaway here is to try and keep all messages positive around food.
    4. Keep offering all types of food. What often happens is that parents stop serving foods they know will not be eaten. This makes sense in a way; we don’t want wastage! However, try and keep the doors open and re-offer all types of foods, even the ones that your child has not wanted in the past. Try and give your child one food they will like and one food they have tasted before and liked before, even a little, and then one new food to try. So, your child always has something to fall back on and they can join in with eating. But they can also try (or at least look at and think about trying) other foods that you and perhaps the siblings are eating.

    Take a look at this website, I find it very helpful in showing parents what types of foods and how big a portion to offer

    Have a go and try and implement some of the ideas above, and should you get stuck please get in touch!

    Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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    Hard munchables: Chewing through the weaning journey

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding

    As a Speech and Language Therapist with a specialism in paediatric feeding, I’m constantly looking for ways to support families in developing their little ones’ oral motor skills and fostering a positive relationship with food. While Baby-Led Weaning (BLW) has revolutionised how many families introduce solids, (see my previous blog in July 25) a concept that often sparks discussion and curiosity is the use of ‘hard munchables.’

    Image by Freepik

    What are hard munchables?

    The term ‘hard munchables’ refers to specific types of firm non-digestible food items that are offered to babies for oral exploration and skill development, not for nutrition. These are typically foods that babies cannot bite off or swallow in large pieces due to their texture, but which provide resistance for chewing practice.

    The phrase was coined by Marsha Dunn Klein, M.Ed., OTR/L, Occupational Therapist and feeding therapist. Well known for her work in paediatric feeding she introduced and advocated for the concept of hard munchables as part of a therapeutic feeding approach, particularly for infants learning to manage textures and develop crucial oral motor skills.

    Common examples of hard munchables include:

    • Large, raw carrot sticks: Too hard to bite through, but great for gnawing.
    • Celery sticks: Like carrots, offering firm resistance.
    • Large, raw apple slices (peeled chunks): A firm, slightly sweet option.
    • A firm, uncut pear core: With the seeds removed.
    • Dried mango cheeks (hard, unsweetened varieties): These offer a fibrous texture.
    • A large, fully cooked but firm piece of meat (like a steak bone with some meat attached): The meat provides flavour and a bit of shreddable texture, while the bone is for gnawing.
    • Hard crusts of bread or breadsticks (very firm, without soft inner crumb): These can soften slightly with saliva but offer significant resistance.
    Image by Freepik

    It’s crucial to emphasise that hard munchables are not for consumption or nutrition. They are tools for oral motor development and should always be offered under strict, active supervision.

    How do hard munchables fit into weaning?

    While weaning (traditional or Baby-Led Weaning) introduces solid foods that a baby can eventually bite and swallow, hard munchables are complementary to the weaning phase. They enhance that phase by helping a child to develop hand dexterity, hand to mouth movement, and oral development.

    It’s important to differentiate: Weaning provides the digestible food for eating, while hard munchables provide the tool for skill practice. They are not substitutes for each other but can be used together under careful guidance.

    Pros and cons from a speech therapy perspective

    As an SLT, I see both the potential benefits and the necessary precautions when incorporating hard munchables.

    Pros:

    • Enhanced oral motor development: Hard munchables provide excellent resistance training for the jaw, helping to develop the strength, endurance, and coordination needed for efficient chewing. This is foundational for moving beyond purées and very soft textures.
    • Promotes lateralisation of the tongue: The act of moving the hard item from side to side in the mouth encourages the tongue to move independently of the jaw, a crucial skill for managing food and for speech sound production.
    • Preparation for more complex textures: By strengthening the oral musculature and refining chewing patterns, hard munchables can help babies transition more smoothly to lumpy and mixed textures.
    • Sensory exploration: They offer rich sensory input (tactile, proprioceptive) that can be beneficial for oral mapping and awareness, especially for babies who might be orally sensitive.

    Cons:

    • Choking risk: While the intention is for the baby not to bite off pieces, there is always a risk. Small pieces can break off, or a baby might accidentally bite off a larger chunk than he or she can manage. Active, vigilant supervision is non-negotiable.
    • Not a replacement for digestible solids: It’s vital to remember that hard munchables are for practice, not nutrition. They should complement, not replace, the introduction of varied, digestible solid foods.
    • Not suitable for all babies: Babies with certain developmental delays, oral motor deficits, or medical conditions might not be appropriate candidates for hard munchables without highly specialised guidance. For instance, babies with an exaggerated gag reflex might find them overwhelming.

    Key Considerations for Parents

    Here are my top recommendations:

    1. Consult with a professional: Always discuss this with your Paediatric Feeding SLT first before you introduce hard munchables. We can assess your baby’s individual readiness and guide you on safe practices.
    2. Strict supervision: Never leave your baby unsupervised with a hard munchable, even for a second. Your full attention is required.
    3. Appropriate size: Ensure the item is large enough that the baby cannot fit the whole thing in their mouth. It should extend well beyond their fist.
    4. No biting off: The goal is gnawing and scraping, not biting off pieces. If your baby is consistently breaking off chunks, stop using them.
    5. Focus on skill, not consumption: Reiterate to yourself that this is for practice, not for eating.

    In conclusion, hard munchables, when used appropriately and under guidance, can be a very valuable tool to support oral motor development during the weaning journey. However, always be safe and consult with a specialist to ensure your little one develops his or her feeding skills effectively and joyfully.

    Sonja McGeachie

    Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

    Owner of The London Speech and Feeding Practice.

    Health Professions Council registered
    Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists Member
    Member of ASLTIP

    Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

    References:

    Rapley, G., & Murkett, T. (2008). Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods. Vermilion.

    Morris, S. E., & Klein, M. D. (2000). Pre-feeding skills: A comprehensive resource for feeding development. Pro-Ed.

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    Discover how Attention Autism can support your Autistic child’s communication

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding

    “I’ve got something in my bag, in my bag, in my bag,

    I’ve got something in my bag,

    what it is”

    You might be wondering why your Speech and Language Therapist is singing this song and then presenting items from a zipped-up bag. Let me take you through stage one of this evidence-based approach.

    There are many aims of ‘bucket or bag time’. During stage one, you are simply engaging your child’s attention (whilst also exposing them to language). It’s important to remember that you are not forcing your child to say or do anything. The idea is that the items in the bag or bucket ‘offers an irresistible invitation to learn’ (Gina Davies, 2020).

    You don’t need ‘special’ expensive toys. Use what you have at home. It might be that you have some bubbles, a wind-up toy. You might have some foil that you can roll up into a ball, or a balloon. Keep these items for ‘bucket time’. This means that your child is likely to be excited and motivated for the activity. The only stipulation is that these items must be highly motivating and must be the most exciting thing in the room. You’ll want to cover up any distractions.

    So, you have your items and your opaque zipped bag, next you’ll want to put the items into the bag ensuring the zip is closed. The zip is important as it increases suspense and excitement as your child cannot see inside. You can also comment when unzipping ‘open bag’ using the signs ‘open’ + ‘bag’ to support your child’s understanding. Your Speech and Language Therapist can help with any Makaton signs that are unknown. The idea of this activity is that the item isn’t touched by your child. This can seem a little odd or feel “mean” but there is a reason for this: we want our child to look at us as well as the object or toy. As soon as we allow our child to touch and play with that toy their attention will go to the toy alone and we won’t get JOINT attention or engagement. This is the reason why we SHOW interesting things for a brief moment and then put these items back into the bag or bucket and out comes the next item. If your child wants to grab the toy and gets upset, then they may not be quite ready for this approach.

    Next, we sing the song (as above) and unzip the bag taking out one of the items. The use of pausing is important. Pause after the song: does your child try to use gesture or sound? You can also use this opportunity to model short phrases, ideally one or two words such “it’s a spinner! Wow… so many colours”. After a couple of turns, repeat the process and pull out a different item. We tend not to sing the song each time for the next item. Just sing it at the beginning and then get on with producing the amazing, wonderful things in your bag. No hard and fast rules though, apart from “don’t let the child touch the toys”.

    The biggest factor here is that you and your child enjoy the activity together. Have lots of fun!!

    Keep up to date with our latest blogs to explore more stages of Attention Autism.

    If you need speech, language or communication support or advice, I am always here to help.

    Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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  • · ·

    Conquering the ‘slushy’ /S/: Your guide to treating lateral lisps

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding
    Conquering the ‘slushy’ /S/: Your guide to treating lateral lisps

    As a speech therapist, few things are as rewarding as helping a child find their clear, confident voice. Among the various speech sound disorders, the ‘lateral lisp’ – often described as a ‘slushy’ or ‘wet’ /S/ sound – presents a unique challenge. While it can be tricky to treat, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve had significant success in helping children overcome this particular hurdle.

    What is a lateral lisp?

    Most people are familiar with a frontal lisp, where the tongue protrudes between the front teeth, resulting in a /TH/ sound for an /S/ (e.g., ‘thun’ for ‘sun’). A lateral lisp, however, is different. Instead of the air escaping over the front of the tongue, it escapes over the sides, often giving the /S/ and /Z/ sounds a distinct, muffled, or ‘slushy’ quality. This happens because the tongue is not forming the correct central groove, allowing air to spill out laterally.

    The science behind a perfect /S/ vs. a slushy one

    To understand how to fix a lateral lisp, it’s helpful to understand how a ‘perfect’ /S/ sound is made. Imagine a narrow, focused stream of air. For a clear /S/ sound, your tongue forms a shallow groove down its centre, directing a precise, thin stream of air right down the middle, over the tip of your tongue, and out through a tiny opening between your tongue and the roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth. This focused airflow creates that crisp, sharp /SSSS/ sound we recognise.

    Now, picture what happens with a lateral lisp. Instead of that neat, central channel, the tongue is often flatter or positioned in a way that allows the air to escape over one or both sides. Think of it like a river overflowing its banks – the air, instead of flowing in a controlled stream, spills out sideways, creating that characteristic ‘slushy’ sound. This lateral airflow is what we need to retrain.

    Why is it tricky to treat?

    Treating a lateral lisp can be challenging for a few reasons:

    • Habitual muscle memory: The way the tongue moves and positions itself for a lateral lisp is deeply ingrained. It’s a motor habit that needs to be unlearned and replaced with a new, more precise movement.
    • Subtle differences: The difference between a lateral lisp and a correct /S/ sound can be quite subtle to perceive, both for the child and sometimes even for parents. This makes it harder for the child to self-monitor and correct.
    • Oral motor control: It requires fine motor control of the tongue muscles to create and maintain that central groove for airflow.

    My success with children aged six years and over

    I’ve found great success in treating lateral lisps, particularly with children aged six years and older. Why this age group? By this age, children typically have:

    • Increased awareness: They are more aware of their speech and often more motivated to make changes. They can better perceive the difference between their ‘slushy’ /S/ and a clear one.
    • Improved cognitive skills: They can understand and follow more complex instructions and strategies.
    • Better self-monitoring: Their ability to listen to themselves and correct their own speech improves significantly.
    • Enhanced oral motor control: Their fine motor skills, including those of the tongue, are more developed, allowing for greater precision.

    My approach focuses on a combination of auditory discrimination, tactile cues, and targeted myofunctional exercises to help children ‘feel’ the correct airflow and tongue placement. We use a variety of engaging activities to make the process fun and effective.

    It is crucial to understand tongue functioning and focusing on correcting improper oral resting posture and muscle function, which are often significant contributors to a lateral lisp. For example, if the tongue rests low and wide in the mouth consistently, or if there’s a tongue thrust during swallowing, these habits can prevent the tongue from achieving the precise, midline placement necessary for a clear /S/ or /Z/ sound. Through targeted exercises I aim to re-educate the oral and facial muscles, promoting correct tongue posture at rest, during swallowing, and, ultimately, during speech production. By strengthening the muscles responsible for tongue lifting and encouraging a more appropriate swallowing pattern we can establish the correct oral motor skills needed to overcome a lateral lisp and achieve clearer articulation.

    The recipe for success: Little and often

    The single most crucial ingredient for success in treating a lateral lisp is daily home practice of all the strategies given. This isn’t about long, arduous sessions; it’s about consistency. Think of it like building a muscle: short, frequent workouts yield better results than sporadic, intense ones.

    My recommended formula is ‘little and often’. This means:

    • Short, focused sessions: Aim for 5-10 minutes of practice, 2-3 times a day. This prevents fatigue and keeps the child engaged.
    • Integrate into daily routines: Practise while waiting for dinner, during a car ride, or before bedtime. Make it a natural part of their day.
    • Positive reinforcement: Celebrate every small success! Encouragement goes a long way in building confidence and motivation.
    • Parental involvement: Parents play a vital role in providing consistent cues and encouragement at home. I equip families with clear, easy-to-follow strategies.

    Overcoming a lateral lisp requires dedication, but with the right guidance and consistent practice, a clear, confident /S/ sound is achievable. If your child is struggling with a ‘slushy’ /S/, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can achieve success!

    Sonja McGeachie

    Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

    Owner of The London Speech and Feeding Practice.

    Health Professions Council registered
    Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists Member
    Member of ASLTIP

    Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

    1