Baby-led weaning: Empowering little eaters from the start

ByLondon Speech and Feeding July 2, 2025July 2, 2025

I had a mum ask me about Baby Led Weaning the other day. So I thought I would write a blog on all the useful questions she had and what we discussed as it may help lots of mums and dads out there.

As a Paediatric Feeding SLT, one of the exciting developments in recent years is the growing interest in baby-led weaning (BLW). This approach to introducing solids has gained significant traction, and for good reason. It empowers infants to take the lead in their feeding journey, fostering a positive relationship with food and supporting important developmental milestones.

What exactly is baby-led weaning?

At its core, baby-led weaning is about offering your baby appropriately sized and textured solid foods from the very beginning, allowing him or her to self-feed. Instead of spoon-feeding purées, you present whole, soft foods that your baby can grasp, bring to his or her mouth, and explore at his or her own pace. This means no mashing, no blending, and no forcing spoons into reluctant mouths. It’s a fun, messy, and intuitive process that is led by your baby’s natural instincts.

The genesis of baby-led weaning

‘Baby-led weaning’ was popularised by British health visitor Gill Rapley. In the early 2000s, Rapley observed that babies naturally develop the skills needed to self-feed and that traditional spoon-feeding might actually hinder this development. Her work, particularly her book Baby-Led Weaning: The Essential Guide to Introducing Solid Foods (co-authored with Tracey Murkett), published in 2008, brought BLW into the mainstream and provided a structured framework for parents. Her research and observations highlighted the benefits of trusting a baby’s innate ability to regulate his or her intake and explore different textures.

What’s the deal?

Implementing BLW is simpler than you might think, though it does require a shift in mindset. Here’s a breakdown of what it typically involves:

Readiness is key: The golden rule of BLW is to wait until your baby shows clear signs of readiness. This isn’t about age alone, but rather developmental milestones. Your baby should be at least six months old, able to sit unassisted, have good head and neck control, show an interest in food (e.g., reaching for yours), and have lost his or her tongue-thrust reflex (which pushes solids out of his or her mouth).
Offer finger foods: Start with soft, easily graspable foods cut into finger-sized sticks or spears. Think cooked sweet potato fries, steamed broccoli florets (soft enough to mash with gentle pressure), banana sticks, or avocado slices. The goal is for babies to be able to pick it up and get some into their mouth.
Embrace the mess: BLW is inherently messy, especially in the beginning. Food will be squished, dropped, and smeared. This is a crucial part of the learning process as babies explore textures, smells, and the properties of food. A wipeable mat under the highchair and a good bib are your best friends!
Observe, don’t interfere: Allow your baby to lead. He or she will decide what to eat, how much, and how quickly. Avoid putting food into his or her mouth or pressuring him or her to eat more. This respects his or her hunger and fullness cues, laying the foundation for healthy eating habits.
Continue breastmilk or formula: Until your baby is well-established on solids, breastmilk or formula remains his or her primary source of nutrition. Solids are for exploration, taste, and developing skills, gradually increasing in quantity over time.

The benefits of baby-led weaning

The advantages of BLW extend far beyond simply getting food into your baby. From a speech and feeding perspective, the benefits are compelling:

Develops oral motor skills: Chewing, gnawing, and manipulating various food textures are crucial for developing the muscles in the mouth, jaw, and tongue. This strengthens the oral motor skills necessary for speech development.
Enhances fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination: The act of grasping food, bringing it to the mouth, and coordinating these movements significantly refines fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Promotes self-regulation and intuitive eating: By allowing babies to control their intake, BLW helps them tune into their own hunger and fullness cues, fostering a healthy relationship with food and reducing the likelihood of overeating.
Encourages adventurous eating: Exposure to a wide variety of tastes and textures from the outset can lead to less picky eating later. Babies are more likely to accept new foods when they have been in control of their exploration.
Facilitates family mealtimes: BLW integrates babies into family mealtimes from an early age, promoting social interaction and making mealtime a shared, enjoyable experience.

When is baby-led weaning appropriate, and when not?

While BLW offers numerous benefits, it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.

When BLW is appropriate:

When your baby meets all the developmental readiness signs: This is paramount for safety and success.
When you are comfortable with the mess and the learning curve: It requires patience and a relaxed attitude.
When you are committed to offering a variety of safe, appropriate foods.
When you are willing to learn about and practise safe food preparation to minimise choking hazards.

When BLW might not be appropriate (or requires extra caution and professional guidance):

If your baby has a history of prematurity or significant developmental delays: His or her oral motor skills might not be sufficiently developed.
If your baby has certain medical conditions or anatomical differences (e.g., cleft palate, severe reflux, swallowing difficulties): These may necessitate a modified approach to feeding.
If there are significant feeding difficulties, aversion, or a history of choking incidents.
If you feel overly anxious about choking: While BLW, when done correctly, is not associated with a higher choking risk than traditional weaning, parental anxiety can impact the feeding experience. Education and consultation with a professional can help alleviate these concerns.

A note on safety: Choking hazards

It’s crucial to understand the difference between gagging and choking. Gagging is a natural reflex that helps prevent choking and is very common in BLW as babies learn to manage food in their mouths. Choking is silent and serious. To minimise choking risks:

Always supervise your baby closely during mealtimes.
Offer appropriately sized and textured foods. Avoid small, round, hard foods like whole grapes, nuts, popcorn, and large chunks of meat.
Ensure your baby is sitting upright and calm.
Educate yourself on infant CPR.

Final thoughts

Baby-led weaning is a wonderfully empowering approach that celebrates a baby’s natural abilities and fosters a positive and independent relationship with food. As Speech and Language Therapists we often see the positive impact it has on oral motor development, self-regulation, and overall feeding confidence. By understanding what it entails, when it’s appropriate, and prioritising safety, you can embark on this exciting journey with your little one, helping him or her become a confident and capable eater from the very first bite.

If you would like help and support with weaning your baby whilst continuing to breastfeed then please get in touch!

Sonja McGeachie

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Owner of The London Speech and Feeding Practice.

Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists Member

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.

Neurodiversity · Speech and Language Therapy

Principles of motor learning in Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
ByLondon Speech and Feeding July 5, 2024February 4, 2026
We use powerful motor learning principles to help children with CAS (Childhood Apraxia of Speech) learn how to produce better, clearer speech sounds in words, phrases and sentences.

What are these principles?

Principle 1: MASSED PRACTICE

This is where you see a child for lots of sessions in a shorter period of time, so for instance six weeks of three times weekly for 30 minutes.

This leads to motor performance or automaticity.

Principle 2. DISTRIBUTED PRACTICE

This is what I use, as most of my clients are not able to come and see me that often on a weekly basis. It is hard to travel in London and life is hectic. So I favour one session a week over say a term or two terms and a session is usually 45 minutes long.

This leads to improved Motor Learning and good generalisation.

During either Massed or Distributed Practice, we choose between 4 variables:

Principle 3: Constant vs Variable

Principle 4: Blocked vs Random

To explain:

Constant Practice is where we repeat the practice of a small handful of target words.

We practise the same target sound in the same word position, e.g. at the beginning of a word: ‘bee’, ‘bye’, ‘bow’, ‘baa’ or ‘key’, ‘car’, ‘cow’, ‘Kaye’ etc.

We keep the rate, pitch and intonation constant.

Variable Practice is where we vary the rate, volume, pitch and intonation of the targets

We use a larger number of sounds, and words that are motivating to say for the child.

For example, if a child loves Peppa Pig then I might choose the words: ‘Peppa’, ‘Daddy Pig’, ‘George’, ‘Mummy Pig’ and a couple of other favourite characters. My child might struggle with a number of sound sequences there but we will target them one by one.

We can also select simpler words like ‘cape’ and ‘cake’ or ‘tick’ and ‘tip’.

Blocked Practice is where we practise one target word for say five minutes then we move to another target word for the next five minutes and then we revert back to the first target word again and so on, so blocks of practice.

Random Practice means we practise several target words at the same time.

How do I decide on what to use?

Good question!

I always opt for distributed practice (weekly for up to 45 minutes).

Within that, I tend to find it most successful to start out with constant practice when a child is finding a certain sound sequence really hard and we need to just ‘nail it’. Bearing in mind I only pick sounds that my student can actually make in isolation, so we are not working on articulation! (where we focus on trying to elicit single sounds correctly – or even at all sometimes) Here in CAS work, we are working with sounds the student can make but is having trouble to add together, into a sequence that is needed to make a word sound right.

As soon as I feel we have some traction I will go to variable practice, i.e. I pick words that are either funny or interesting for the child and it can be a slightly larger number.

I tend to use blocked practice in the beginning or when working on vowels. That’s because it is more important we get our vowels right. They carry a word and are very important for overall speech intelligibility. Once we are on a roll, I tend to go more for random practice.

Example

Here in the video clip, we try and work the /e/ vowel in short words likes ‘bell’, ’fell’, ‘dell’, ‘sell’, ‘smell’ and I am using an AAC device to give a child’s voice as auditory feedback as well as using the PROMPT approach to help my student shape his vowels.

So this is:
1. Distributed (1 x week for 45 minutes)
2. Constant – we are practising the /e/ vowel in the same position in six different words
3. Blocked – we did this: several repetitions of each word and after the sixth we moved to another sound, and then later we came back to this.
Please feel free to contact me if your child has speech sound difficulties. It is my passion. I love supporting children with apraxia.

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.

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Speech and Language Therapy

One book, dozens of therapy opportunities: What speech therapy really looks like
ByLondon Speech and Feeding May 13, 2026May 18, 2026
As speech and language therapists, some of the most effective moments in therapy don’t come from flashcards, worksheets, or even drilling sounds (though to be fair I do drill quite a lot too! needs must…😊).

By and large they happen in natural interaction — during shared attention, laughter, storytelling, and connection.

This short video clip captures that.

In under two minutes, while simply reading a book together with a three-year-old child, we naturally work on:
- Speech sounds
- Vowel production
- Early phonological patterns
- Motor planning
- Signing and total communication
- Visual cueing
- Repetition and practice
- Confidence building
- And engagement through play
To many people, it may just look like ‘reading a book’.

But underneath that moment are years of specialist training, clinical decision-making, preparation, and therapeutic skill.

Therapy hidden inside play

One of the most important parts of paediatric speech therapy is knowing how to embed targets into meaningful interaction.

Books are one of my favourite therapy tools! Why: because as speech therapists we need to prepare for our child and our sessions. And having a book gives me the structure to know beforehand what kind of sounds or words might be coming up. Then I can be prepared for providing extra support for them. As you can see in this clip, I had the sound cards just there because I had anticipated what might be coming up!

A single story can provide opportunities for:
- Speech sound practice
- Vocabulary development
- Sentence building
- Turn-taking
- Symbolic understanding
- Attention and listening
- Gesture and signing
- Motor speech cueing
- And social communication
In this clip, I follow my little one’s interests while carefully weaving in her individual therapy targets.

It looks relaxed and spontaneous — and it is — but it is also highly intentional.

Catching opportunities in the moment

One lovely example in the clip is when she says ‘yes’.

She is now starting to say the final /S/ sound, so I immediately model and draw attention to it using the ‘snake sound’ visual cue, giving her positive feedback that she can now also try using this sound at the start of words.

My gently shaping the word ‘yeSSSS.’ gives her:
- Auditory feedback
- Visual support
- And an achievable opportunity to try again
A few seconds later, we naturally practise it again.

That’s responsive therapy.

Speech therapists are constantly listening, analysing, adapting, and deciding:
- When should I model?
- When should I pause?
- When should I repeat?
- When should I let it go?
- How can I keep confidence high while still targeting speech?
These decisions happen in seconds.

Working on speech without ‘stopping the play’

Another moment in the clip focuses on the word ‘out’, where the vowel sound is one of her speech targets.

Then we move into practising the word ‘open’, a word she has previously found difficult.

Within this one word, we can support:
- Sequencing
- Motor planning
- Lip shape
- Vowel production
- And speech sound accuracy
We also briefly practise the /K/ sound — a sound produced at the back of the mouth which can be particularly tricky to produce.

Instead of explaining it verbally (which is often too abstract for young children), I use:
- Visual demonstration
- Exaggerated mouth movements
- Gesture/sign support
- And playful modelling
Children learn through seeing, hearing, doing, and experiencing.

That is why Speech Therapists use multiple layers of cueing simultaneously.

Why I use signs alongside speech

Throughout the clip, I also use signs such as ‘book’ and ‘pig’.

Using signs does not stop children talking.

In fact, for many children, signs:
- Reduce frustration
- Support understanding
- Increase participation
- Reinforce vocabulary
- And help bridge the gap while speech is developing
Communication always comes first.

Speech is only one part of communication.

When children feel successful communicating, they are far more likely to keep trying.

The skill behind ‘natural’ therapy

One thing I often hear from parents is:

‘You make it look so easy.’

That is actually one of the biggest compliments a therapist can receive. (Though we also often feel we need to justify our very existence with these thoughts because we don’t just play/just read but we know it can look like that!) 😊 this is the reason for this blog…

High-quality paediatric therapy should feel warm, playful, responsive, and natural.

But underneath that natural interaction is:
- Clinical knowledge
- Phonological analysis
- Motor speech understanding
- Language development expertise
- Sensory awareness
- Relationship-building
- And careful session planning
Before this session even began, I already knew:
- Which speech patterns to target
- Which words would likely appear in the book
- What visual cues might help
- Which signs to model
- And how to adapt depending on the child’s responses
That preparation allows therapy to stay child-led without losing therapeutic focus.

Following the child while leading the therapy

The best therapy is rarely rigid.

Children do not learn communication through pressure or endless correction. They learn through interaction.

That is exactly what this short clip demonstrates.

One book.
One conversation.
Hundreds of tiny therapeutic decisions.

And all within a joyful moment shared together.

Because good speech therapy should never feel like hard work for a child.

It should feel like connection, confidence, success — and fun.

If you’re concerned about your child’s speech and language or wondering whether they might benefit from speech therapy, feel free to get in touch.

Sonja McGeachie

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Owner of 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.

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Autism Therapy · Speech and Language Therapy

The role of spinning and swinging in speech and language therapy
ByLondon Speech and Feeding August 7, 2024August 5, 2024
Spinning and swinging are often observed behaviours in autistic children. While these actions might seem repetitive or unusual to some, they serve crucial functions for these children. Understanding the underlying reasons for spinning and swinging can provide valuable insights into how to support autistic children and incorporate these activities into therapeutic settings.

Why do children spin?

Spinning is a common sensory-seeking activity in autistic children. Sensory seeking means that the child actively looks for sensory input to regulate their nervous system. Here’s why spinning can be beneficial:
- Vestibular input: Spinning stimulates the vestibular system, which is located in the inner ear and is responsible for balance and spatial orientation. For children with sensory processing difficulties, spinning can provide essential sensory input.
- Calming effect: For some children, spinning can be a self-regulating strategy. The rhythmic motion can help to calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety.
- Sensory exploration: Spinning allows children to explore their sensory experiences. It can help them understand their bodies and how they move in space.
The allure of swinging

The rhythmic back-and-forth motion of a swing offers several benefits:
- Vestibular input: Like spinning, swinging stimulates the vestibular system, helping to improve balance and coordination.
- Proprioceptive input: Swinging provides proprioceptive input, which is the sense of where your body is in space. This information is crucial for motor planning and coordination.
- Calming and organising: The rhythmic motion of swinging can have a calming effect on the nervous system, helping to regulate emotions and improve focus.
- Social interaction: Swinging can be a shared experience, fostering social interaction and communication.
- Facilitating communication: While swinging, children are so much more relaxed and open to communication. The rhythmic motion can also help facilitate singing, humming, listening to my singing, non-verbal communication for sure but also more verbal and mouth words can be heard from children on my swing. If nothing else, it is so fun and helps build trust and rapport between my child and me.
Therapeutic Activities Combining Spinning, Swinging, and Speech and Language Therapy

Here are some therapeutic techniques that I use at London Speech and Feeding to combine movement with speech and language development:
- Swinging with verbal prompts: While the child is swinging, I provide simple verbal prompts such as ‘up’, ‘down’, ‘fast’, and ‘slow.’ This helps to develop receptive language skills and improve auditory processing.
- Sensory-motor play: I like to combine swinging with tactile activities like playing with textured balls or bean bags. This can facilitate language development through descriptive language, words and scripts like: ‘that’s so soft’, ‘oooh tickle tickle tickle!’
- Storytelling on the swing: Often I manage to create a story while the child is swinging. This can improve narrative skills, vocabulary, and imagination. Recently I did the ‘Tiger who came to tea’ story and each time the swing stopped the tiger came and ‘ate some more cakes’ and ‘tickled their tummy’ whilst eating. It may make not much sense but my child loved it and we had ‘more tiger eat more’.
- Song and rhyme time: Often I sing the ‘rumble in the jungle’ song while swinging my child to enhance phonological awareness, rhythm, and timing.
- Visual supports always help: I use LAMP Words for Life AAC support during swinging and show core words such as: ‘go’ / ‘stop’/ ‘more’ / ‘tickle tickle’ etc. #lampwordsforlife #aac
- Movement-based activities: We can incorporate activities that require sequencing, such as imitating animal movements or following simple commands while swinging. This can improve motor planning and language comprehension.
For more information follow me on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.

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.

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Speech and Language Therapy

Using AAC – Augmentative and Alternative Communication for non-verbal and early verbal children
ByLondon Speech and Feeding July 27, 2021March 28, 2025
Your Speech Therapist might have been advising you to introduce words to your child with the help of a CORE BOARD. What on earth is she talking about and why would we want to do this, I hear you think – and in fact this is what I get asked a lot, as I often do recommend using Core Boards.

Core boards belong to the category of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC ) and they can be really useful for:
- Children or adults who cannot speak at all or who are very hard to understand.
- Children who are slow to speak and have difficulty expressing themselves verbally, due to genetic conditions as Down Syndrome, Verbal dyspraxia, Autism or any other learning difficulty that means a child is slow to develop speech.
Here is what a Core board might look like, in fact this is one that I love to use. It is made by Beautiful Speech Life, there are a ton of similar boards out there for free. I have also made my own, you can check it out on my Instagram feed.

What is Core Vocabulary/ Core words?

Core vocabulary consists of the most common words used by children throughout a day. In 2003 Banajee and Dicarlo et al found that 50 % of pre-schoolers in their project used nine words consistently across their daily play and meal routines. These words are Core words and are typically the ones you can see on a board, like the one above.

How To Use It

Adults always first need to consistently model and show their child how to use a board. This is key! For example: Adult can point to “YOU” “WANT” ‘MORE” and then point to the cup of Water on the counter. Child could then reply either by shaking his/her head and/or pointing to “NOT” which also stands for “NO”. Then adult can point to “NOT” “MORE” and do an OK sign as well. Eventually Child can initiate a request and point to “I” “ WANT” “MORE” and then point to the cup on the counter.

This is not as cumbersome or limited as it first sounds or appears. Here’s why: As adult you can talk normally and, of course, many words you are using will not be on this board. But some will be, and you will be surprised how many you can find when you start using it. So you could say quite normally: Hey lovely (name of your child) would YOU LIKE some MORE water? The words in capital are on the board which you can point to as you speak normally. Basically, you are showing/saying to your child: “We can speak and these are the pictures we can use to help us; We call this TOTAL COMMUNICATION, as communication is so much more than just words! Great communication can be silent, where we use our facial expression, our smile, our eyes, our hand gestures, body movements and yes, of course, words. But when words fail us, these boards are so helpful.

This still does not answer your original question of: why would I want to do this, I want my child to talk!? You are a SPEECH Therapist, please help my child TALK, not point to pictures, that is not what I had in mind.

Let Me Explain

When speech is difficult for a child it doesn’t mean that there is nothing to talk about! Of course, we want all our children and all people to speak because it is the easiest and most effective way of communicating, no doubt! However, sometimes this is very hard for some children and whilst we are always working towards speech where possible, we also want to make sure that whilst figuring out how to speak, your child has a MEANS TO COMMUNICATE. Using a board like this might well be a temporary strategy but whilst you are using it and working on their speech you will find a reduction in tantrums and frustration as you child is able to express themselves more effectively.

Often we find that as soon as we offer a CORE VOCABULARY like the above sample a child who has had no or very few words suddenly blossoms and starts to point to new words on the board and starts to PRACTICE USING THESE WORDS!! Practice makes perfect, right? Yes it totally does! There is lots of evidence that tells us that using Core Vocabulary Boards ENHANCE AND SUPPORT SPEECH PRODUCTION AND NOT HINDER IT. Using a board like this will only ever be helpful to your child and will never make your child “lazy” – too lazy to speak? NO SUCH THING!

Here is what one of my parents says about the core board we use with her little boy:

“the board has been a game changer, my son is a visual learner so it really helps to have the board as he associates communication so much easier this way. We have incorporated his twin sister who models it’s use and have definitely seen improvement in speech through its support and his frustration around being unable to verbally communicate at times has definitely lessened”
K Connolly, Mother of Tom (aged 3.5 years).

Reading and hearing this makes me so happy!

In addition to general core board above I also sometimes use a Core Board that is specific to an activity, such as for example BLOWING BUBBLES. Below is an example of such a board, which you can use very nicely during a bubble blowing activity and sometimes it is a nice place to start for newcomers, this can be an easy introduction. You can download this and many similar boards on www.widgit.com for free!

There is so much more to say about AAC and using Coreboards, visit my Instagram you can find a bit more information on how I use them.

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.
READ MORE Using AAC – Augmentative and Alternative Communication for non-verbal and early verbal children
Speech and Language Therapy

Cycles Approach speech therapy: Why syllables come first
ByLondon Speech and Feeding April 29, 2026April 28, 2026
and why it matters more than you might think!

If your child’s speech is difficult to understand, it can feel tempting to focus straight away on individual sounds: those tricky /S/, /K/, or /SH/ sounds that just won’t come out clearly.

But in therapy, we don’t always start there.

When a child is very difficult to understand, and I have ruled out that the underlying cause is motor-based, I often opt for the Cycles Phonological Approach. This is helpful for those kids where we can feel like we don’t know where to start! The Cycles Approach helps to generate a broad overall increase in speech clarity by sequentially targeting a variety of speech patterns over the course of 8–10 weeks.

So rather than working on one sound until it’s ‘fixed,’ we:
- Work on patterns (not just individual sounds)
- Target each pattern for a short period of time
- Then cycle to the next one
- And come back around again later
This mirrors how speech development naturally happens: gradually, with increasing accuracy over time.

Why don’t we start by fixing erroneous sounds straight away?

To use a metaphor, if a child doesn’t have a strong syllable structure, working on individual sounds is like decorating a house that doesn’t have solid walls yet.

Many children with speech sound difficulties:
- Drop syllables (e.g. ‘banana’ → ‘nana’)
- Simplify longer words
- Struggle to maintain rhythm and stress patterns
So, before we refine speech sounds, we need to build the framework of speech.

Why syllables come first in every cycle

In the Cycles Approach, we always begin with 2- and 3-syllable words, even if that’s not the main concern.

Why?

Because syllable awareness supports:
- Speech clarity (intelligibility)
- Word structure and sequencing
- Prosody (rhythm and stress)
- Motor planning for longer words
Without this, even perfectly produced sounds can still be hard to understand in real speech.

What do ‘2 and 3 beats’ mean?

When we talk about ‘beats’ we mean syllables you can clap.

Try it:
- ‘Table’ → ta-ble (2 beats 👏👏)
- ‘Banana’ → ba-na-na (3 beats 👏👏👏)
In therapy, we help children:
- Hear the beats
- Feel the rhythm
- Produce the full word (without dropping parts)
What this looks like in therapy

In my sessions, this part of the cycle is active, visual, and repetitive.

You might see me using:
- 👏 Clapping or tapping out syllables
- 🧩 Using visual supports or blocks for each beat
- 🎲 Play-based repetition of target words
- 🎯 High-frequency practice (lots of turns!)
I also keep the focus on success and flow, rather than correction.

If you’re watching the video clip I’ve shared here, you’ll notice:
- I’m not over-correcting every sound
- I’m prioritising getting the whole word out
- I’m building rhythm, confidence, and consistency
Why this stage is so powerful

It can look simple, but it’s doing a lot of heavy lifting.

Working on syllables helps children:
- Say longer words more clearly
- Reduce ‘mumbling’ or collapsing of words
- Improve overall intelligibility quickly
- Prepare for more precise sound work later
Often, parents notice early wins like:

✨ ‘They’re easier to understand already’

✨ ‘They’re saying longer words!’

✨ ‘They’re more confident speaking’

And that’s before we’ve even fully targeted specific sounds.

But will my child still learn their sounds?

Yes. Absolutely.

The Cycles Approach is structured so that after syllables, we move into:
- Early developing sounds
- Then more complex patterns (like fronting or clusters)
And importantly, we come back around again.

Nothing is missed. It’s just sequenced in a way that supports success.

A different way of thinking about progress

One of the biggest mindset shifts with the Cycles Approach is this:

👉 We’re not aiming for perfection straight away

👉 We’re aiming for gradual system-wide change

That means:
- Your child doesn’t need to ‘master’ something before moving on
- Progress builds across cycles
- Speech becomes clearer over time, not overnight
So, to sum up

Starting with syllables might seem unexpected but it’s one of the most powerful foundations we can give a child whose speech is hard to understand.

By building rhythm, structure, and confidence first, we make everything that comes next more effective.

If your child is starting speech therapy and you notice we’re clapping words like ‘banana’ or ‘elephant’, there’s a very good reason for it.

We’re not going backwards.

We’re building from the ground up.

We’re making later sound work more effective and more likely to generalise into everyday talking.

Next steps:

If you’re concerned about your child’s speech clarity or wondering whether they might benefit from a structured approach like this, feel free to get in touch. I offer individualised assessments and therapy plans tailored to each child’s speech profile whether that’s early sound development, phonology, or motor speech difficulties.

Sonja McGeachie

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Owner of 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.

Parent FAQ section

Why is my child practising words like ‘banana’ instead of sounds like /K/ or /S/?

Because your child first needs to be able to hold and produce the full shape of a word. If they’re dropping syllables (e.g. ‘banana’ → ‘nana’), working on individual sounds won’t carry over into real speech. We build the structure first, then refine the sounds.

What if my child can already say some long words?

That’s great. But we’re looking for consistency and clarity across many words, not just a few familiar ones. This stage helps stabilise that skill so it becomes reliable in everyday talking.

How long will we stay on syllables?

Usually, this is a short but important phase within each cycle. We revisit it regularly, but we also move on to other patterns (like specific sounds or sound processes) within the same therapy block.

Will this delay my child learning their sounds?

No. In fact, it often speeds things up overall. Once the syllable structure is in place, children are much more able to use correct sounds in longer words and sentences.

What can I do at home?

Keep it simple and playful:
- Clap out words together (e.g. ‘el-e-phant’)
- Emphasise full words naturally in conversation
- Repeat back what your child says with the full structure (without pressure)
Consistency and exposure matter more than correction.

My child gets frustrated. Will this help?

Yes. Many children become frustrated when they’re not understood. Improving syllable structure often leads to quick wins in clarity, which can boost confidence and reduce that frustration.

Building clearer speech: Why we practise syllables first

What are syllables?

Syllables are the ‘beats’ in words.
- ‘Table’ = 2 beats (ta-ble)
- ‘Banana’ = 3 beats (ba-na-na)
Why is my child working on this?

If your child:
- Drops parts of words (‘banana’ → ‘nana’)
- Mumbles longer words
- Is hard to understand
…then we need to build the structure of words first.

This helps your child:

✔ Say longer words clearly

✔ Be easier to understand

✔ Feel more confident speaking

What does this look like in therapy?

We practise:
- Clapping or tapping out beats 👏
- Saying full words with rhythm
- Repeating target words through play
- Using visuals or actions to support learning
How you can help at home

Keep it light and playful, little and often!

Try this:
- Clap words together أثناء play (e.g. toys, food, animals)
- Model full words naturally (‘Yes, ba-na-na!’)
- Repeat and expand what your child says
Example:

Child: ‘nana’

You: ‘Yes! Ba-na-na‘

Important to know
- This is a key first step in speech therapy
- We will move on to sounds—but this helps them stick
- Small changes here can make a big difference in clarity
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READ MORE Cycles Approach speech therapy: Why syllables come first
Speech and Language Therapy

Can AI help my child’s speech delay? What it can do and what it can’t
ByLondon Speech and Feeding March 11, 2026March 9, 2026
If you’re worried about your child’s speech, you are absolutely not alone. Many parents I work with tell me the same thing:

‘I’ve been Googling…’
‘I asked ChatGPT what activities to try…’
‘TikTok said we should practise this sound every day…’

It makes complete sense. When waiting lists are long, evenings are quiet, and your child is struggling to communicate, it’s natural to look for help wherever you can find it.

AI tools can actually be helpful in some ways. But they also have clear limits especially for children with significant speech delays or speech sound disorders.

Here’s an honest, balanced guide to what AI can do, and what it simply can’t.

✔️ What AI can help with

1. Explaining things in simple language

AI can be very helpful for explaining speech and language terms in a way that’s easy for parents to understand for example, what a phonological delay is, or what Childhood Apraxia of Speech means. It can also suggest possible reasons for a child’s speech delay based on the information you provide.

The difficulty is that parents (or teachers) can only ask questions based on what they notice or perceive to be the problem. In practice, this doesn’t always tell the full story. For example, parents often report that their child ‘can say certain words’, but during an assessment we may find those words are actually produced with consistent error patterns. These patterns give important clues about the underlying nature of the difficulty, whether it’s a delay or a disorder and they guide the speech therapist in choosing the most effective targets to improve intelligibility.

2. Suggesting games and activities

AI is very good at suggesting ideas for games and practice, such as word lists, simple play activities, sound practice games, book suggestions, and ways to encourage talking within everyday routines. These can be especially helpful when you feel stuck or want some fresh inspiration for supporting your child at home. It can help to think of AI as a big ideas bank, somewhere to dip into when you need new, playful ways to keep practice engaging.

3. Helping you prepare questions for a therapist

Some parents use AI to list questions before an assessment, understand reports and organise concerns.

This can make therapy feel less overwhelming and more collaborative.

Used this way, AI can actually support the therapy process.

❌ Where and why AI cannot replace real life speech therapy

There is substantial research supporting the effectiveness of real-life speech therapy compared to generic online resources or AI-generated suggestions. Here are some key points highlighting why in-person therapy is often more beneficial:
- Personalisation: Speech therapists assess each child’s unique needs, strengths, and challenges through direct observation and interaction. This personalised approach allows for tailored interventions that address specific issues, which generic resources cannot provide.
- Nuanced understanding: Therapists are trained to recognise subtle cues in speech production, including the nuances of sound articulation, language comprehension, and social communication. This expertise enables us to identify underlying issues that may not be apparent through generic assessments.
- Motivational support: A speech therapist can provide encouragement, motivation, and emotional support, which can significantly enhance a child’s willingness to participate and engage in therapy. This relational aspect is crucial for building confidence and reducing anxiety around communication.
- Evidence-based practices: As a highly trained and specialised speech therapist I utilise evidence-based practices that are grounded in research, ensuring that the techniques used are effective and up to date. This contrasts with generic online information, which may not always be reliable or validated.
- Progress monitoring: In-person therapy allows for ongoing assessment and adjustments to the treatment plan. We track progress over time and modify strategies as needed, ensuring that the therapy remains effective and relevant.
Research studies consistently show that individualised, face-to-face interventions lead to better outcomes in speech therapy than generalised approaches. For parents and caregivers, seeking professional help tends to provide a more effective path toward improving their child’s communication skills.

The healthiest way to think about AI

AI works best as a starting point, not a substitute. You might use it to understand your child’s report and learn how speech develops,

But if your child has significant delay or difficulty being understood, what makes the real difference is:
- A tailored assessment
- A clear therapy plan
- Expert target selection
- Ongoing adjustment
- Support for both child and you the parent!
Dear parents,

If you’ve been turning to AI for help, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. It means you care!

But please know the best outcomes usually come from combining your daily support at home with guidance and support from your speech therapist who knows you and your child.

Many of my past and present clients tell me that they really value my ‘handholding’ and me guiding them in between the sessions. A quick check in is often all that is needed but it makes a huge difference!

If you’d like support or advice, please contact me and I can help guide the next steps.

Sonja McGeachie

Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

Owner of 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.

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READ MORE Can AI help my child’s speech delay? What it can do and what it can’t