Is our student ready to move to NLA 2 (Natural Language Acquisition stage 2)?
We know that the GLP (Gestalt Language Processor) will move into the next stage when they are ready. But are they now ready you might think? When are they ready? How do I know? If you are not sure whether your child is ready to move forward then go and see your GLP trained Speech Therapist. Together you can work out what the next steps are and how to help your child settle into NLA 2. It’s very exciting!!
Tip
The first useful tip: keep a language sample of phrases your child says. This is very helpful!
You might want to check with your Speech Therapist and offer some language sampling you have taken so they can help you figure out where your child is currently. Always keep an Utterance Journal that you can share with your Speech Therapist and with others who look after your child.
Basically, we want to listen out for phrases our child says that you or nursery don’t say routinely; that way you can presume that this is not an echo but a mixing together of two chunks of gestalts. Watch out for those coco melon phrases though: double check it really isn’t an NLA 1 gestalt that is copied verbatim from a favourite you tube video.
You can best support your child best by listening, and thus figuring out what your child is TRYING TO SAY. Often your child might skip over the parts of gestalts they don’t want to say. This is common in older kids who have long gestalts, sometimes even whole episodes or whole stories!
Try and tease out their shorter mitigations and then focus on practicing and modelling those as they are so much more useful!
So back to our question: are they ready?
Are their gestalts covering a variety of situations and contexts?
Make a note in your journal to see what the backgrounds are to each phrase you ear, so for example:
Transitioning: ‘it’s time for the park’ ‘what’s next’ ‘shoes on’
Bed Time: ‘we need to wash’ ‘let’s get in (bath/bed)’ ‘ready for our book’
Toilet/nappy: ‘we need the potty’ ‘where’s the potty’ ‘let’s wash hands’
Mealtime: ‘time to eat’ ‘go get a spoon’ ‘yummy num num’
Park/going out: ‘look at the squirrel’ ‘funny doggy’ ‘I wanna swing’
At the shops: ‘let’s get the trolley’ ‘lots of veggies’ ‘no tomatoes’ ‘ooh long queue’ ‘back to the car’
And… does the child use the phrases for a variety of functions?
labelling
providing information
calling out
affirming
requesting
protesting
directing
We need to offer lots of similar language models so that in their own time our children can extract/mitigate useful phrases for what they want to express. The more similar utterances a child hears around him the more he/she can discover the communalities. Once the child has a small range of phrases, he/she can mix them up and create semi-original own phrases.
If the answer is YES!! our child has perhaps not all but a range of functions and a range of situations where they use a variety of easily mitigable gestalts then yes they are ready for moving to stage 2 of NLA!
Hurrah!
Keeping a journal of what your child is saying and in what circumstance is crucial to help with our ongoing detective work!
Next time I will be looking at how we can help our NLA 2 GLP produce even more of their own mix and match phrases.
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.
Many parents contact me at London Speech and Feeding because they are worried about their child’s speech. Perhaps their child is difficult to understand, has a persistent lisp, struggles with feeding, snores at night, or always seems to have their mouth open.
What many families don’t realise is that these concerns may all be connected.
Increasingly, research and clinical experience are highlighting the important role of Orofacial Myofunctional Health, the way the muscles of the face, mouth, tongue and airway work together to support breathing, eating, sleeping and communication.
When these muscles are not functioning optimally, children may develop what are known as Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs).
What Is Orofacial Myofunctional Health?
Orofacial Myofunctional Health refers to the healthy function and coordination of the:
lips
tongue
jaw
cheeks
facial muscles
airway.
These structures play a vital role in:
breathing
swallowing
chewing
speaking
facial growth
dental development
sleep quality.
When everything is working well, the lips remain gently closed at rest, breathing occurs through the nose, and the tongue rests against the roof of the mouth.
This seemingly simple posture has a profound influence on how a child’s face, teeth and airway develop.
What is an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder?
An Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder occurs when there is an abnormal pattern of muscle function involving the face, mouth, tongue or airway.
Children with OMDs may experience difficulties with:
speech
feeding
swallowing
sleep
breathing
dental development
facial growth.
In many cases, these difficulties are linked to chronic mouth breathing.
Signs your child may have an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder
Breathing and sleep signs
mouth open at rest
mouth breathing during the day
snoring
noisy breathing
restless sleep
frequent waking
dark circles under the eyes
chronic congestion
fatigue despite a full night’s sleep.
Speech signs
lisping
unclear speech
distorted speech sounds
difficulty producing certain sounds
persistent articulation difficulties
reduced speech intelligibility.
Feeding and swallowing signs
picky eating
messy eating
food remaining in the cheeks
gagging easily
difficulty chewing
long mealtimes
tongue thrust swallowing.
Facial and dental signs
narrow palate
crowded teeth
open bite
overbite
underbite
long face appearance
receding chin
poor lip seal.
If several of these signs sound familiar, a comprehensive assessment may be worthwhile.
Why does mouth breathing matter?
Many parents assume mouth breathing is simply a habit.
In reality, mouth breathing is often a symptom that something is preventing efficient nasal breathing.
Common causes include:
enlarged tonsils
enlarged adenoids
allergies
chronic nasal congestion
recurrent infections
structural airway differences
tongue tie
prolonged dummy use
thumb sucking
poor oral posture.
When nasal breathing becomes difficult, children naturally begin breathing through their mouths.
Over time, this can affect how the face, jaws and airway develop.
What does healthy oral posture look like?
Healthy oral posture is surprisingly simple:
lips
gently closed
tongue
resting against the roof of the mouth
teeth
slightly apart
breathing
through the nose.
This posture helps guide healthy jaw growth, facial development and airway formation.
Think of the tongue as a natural orthodontic support system. When it rests in the correct position, it helps shape the upper jaw and supports healthy facial growth.
The consequences of chronic mouth breathing
1. Speech difficulties
Children who breathe through their mouths often have altered tongue posture and reduced oral stability.
This can contribute to:
lisping
distorted sounds
reduced speech clarity
difficulty learning new speech sounds.
2. Feeding and swallowing difficulties
A low tongue posture may affect:
chewing efficiency
swallowing patterns
food management
oral motor coordination.
Many children develop a tongue thrust swallow, where the tongue pushes forward instead of moving efficiently during swallowing.
3. Poor sleep quality
Mouth breathing can contribute to:
snoring
restless sleep
frequent waking
daytime fatigue
reduced concentration.
Poor sleep can have a significant impact on learning, behaviour and emotional regulation.
4. Changes to facial growth
Over time, chronic mouth breathing may influence:
jaw development
facial proportions
dental alignment
airway size.
This can result in:
narrow palates
crowded teeth
long facial appearance
increased orthodontic needs.
5. Oral health concerns
The nose acts as a natural filter and humidifier.
When children breathe through their mouths:
The mouth becomes dry.
Saliva protection is reduced.
Risk of tooth decay increases.
Gum health may be affected.
Why this matters for speech therapy
Speech does not develop in isolation.
The tongue, lips, jaw and airway work together to support clear communication.
At London Speech and Feeding, we look beyond speech sounds alone.
A child who presents with:
persistent speech difficulties
lisping
feeding challenges
open mouth posture
snoring
poor sleep
may benefit from an assessment that explores underlying orofacial myofunctional factors.
Addressing these foundations can often support more effective progress in speech and feeding therapy.
How London Speech and Feeding can help
A comprehensive assessment may include observation of:
breathing patterns
lip posture
tongue posture
swallowing function
feeding skills
speech sound development
sleep concerns
oral structures.
Where appropriate, recommendations may include:
orofacial myofunctional therapy
speech therapy
feeding therapy
home programmes
ENT referral
orthodontic referral
collaborative multidisciplinary support.
The good news
Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders are often highly treatable when identified early.
Supporting healthy breathing, tongue posture and oral muscle function can positively influence:
If your child regularly breathes through their mouth, snores, struggles with speech clarity or has feeding difficulties, a specialist assessment may help identify the underlying cause.
speech clarity
feeding skills
sleep quality
facial growth
dental development
overall wellbeing.
At London Speech and Feeding, we are passionate about looking beyond symptoms and understanding the whole child. Contact me!
Sometimes the key to clearer speech starts with a simple question:
‘Is my child breathing through their nose?’
Sonja McGeachie
Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Owner of The London Speech and Feeding Practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can mouth breathing cause speech problems?
Yes. Mouth breathing can alter tongue posture, lip strength and oral stability, which may contribute to articulation difficulties and lisps.
Should I be worried if my child snores?
Regular snoring is not considered normal in children and may indicate airway obstruction or sleep-disordered breathing.
Can enlarged tonsils affect speech?
Yes. Enlarged tonsils may affect resonance, tongue positioning, swallowing and breathing patterns.
What age can children be assessed?
Children of all ages can be assessed if parents have concerns about speech, feeding, breathing or oral development.
What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy focuses on improving breathing patterns, tongue posture, lip seal and oral muscle function to support overall health and development.
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.
If you’ve found yourself wondering ‘Why can my child say a word one day, but not at all the next?’ it might be that your child has a motor speech difficulty. This means the challenge isn’t that your child doesn’t know what they want to say; it’s that their brain finds it harder to plan and coordinate the movements needed for clear speech. This speech difficulty is called Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
In this post, I’ll explain what CAS can look like in 2–5 year olds, what an assessment usually involves, and what you can start doing at home to support your child without turning life into ‘speech homework all day long’.
What is childhood apraxia of speech (CAS)?
Children with CAS often have lots to communicate about (and strong ideas!) but their speech may come out as:
Unclear
inconsistent
hard to ‘copy’ on demand
frustrating for them and for you
CAS is not caused by laziness and it is not a parenting issue. It is also not something children simply ‘grow out of’ without support. But with the right therapy approach, children can absolutely build clearer speech over time.
Many families come to me after months (or years) of being told:
‘She’ll talk when she is ready’
‘He’s just shy’
‘It’s probably a speech delay’
‘It’s normal for toddlers’
And sometimes it is a general delay. But sometimes it’s something more specific, like CAS.
There’s also been a huge rise in parents seeking information online, and CAS is often mentioned alongside speech sound difficulties such as:
phonological delay (pattern-based speech errors)
articulation difficulties (one sound that won’t come out clearly)
inconsistent speech disorder
These can look similar at first glance, which is why a specialist assessment matters.
Signs of childhood apraxia of speech in 2–5 year olds
Children develop speech at different rates, and not every unclear speaker has CAS. But here are some common features that may raise a flag, especially when you notice several together.
1) Inconsistent speech errors
Your child might say the same word in different ways:
‘banana’ → nana / baba / mana
‘daddy’ → gaga / daddy / dadi
This inconsistency is one of the biggest clues.
2) Difficulty copying words on request
Some children speak more easily in natural play, but when asked ‘Say ___’, they freeze or the word becomes much harder.
3) Limited sound repertoire
They may use only a small set of consonants (like /M/, /N/, /B/, /D/) and avoid others.
4) Vowel distortions
Many children with typical delays mainly struggle with consonants. But in CAS, vowels can also sound ‘off’ or change between attempts.
5) Speech that sounds effortful
You might notice your child:
pauses between sounds
tries multiple times
looks like they’re ‘searching’ for the right mouth movement
6) Longer words are much harder
‘Car’ might be easier than ‘carry’, and ‘carry’ easier than ‘caterpillar’.
7) Prosody differences (rhythm and stress)
Some children with CAS sound a little unusual in their speech rhythm, stress, or intonation.
8) Frustration or reduced confidence
When a child is frequently misunderstood, they may:
talk less
use gestures more
become upset when asked to repeat themselves
Important note: none of these signs alone prove CAS but they are a strong reason to seek a speech assessment rather than waiting.
CAS vs phonological delay vs articulation difficulty (quick guide)
These are some of the most common questions I hear.
If it’s mainly an articulation difficulty…
A child may consistently say one sound incorrectly (for example, ‘thun’ for ‘sun’- lisp- but everything else is developing well.
If it’s mainly a phonological delay…
You might notice clear patterns, like:
leaving off the ends of words (‘ca’ for ‘cat’)
swapping back sounds for front sounds (‘tar’ for ‘car’)
Patterns are often consistent and respond well to phonology-based therapy.
If it might be CAS…
Speech often feels less predictable, harder to imitate, and more impacted by word length and complexity.
If you’re unsure, that’s completely normal, and exactly why assessment matters.
What happens in a CAS assessment?
A high-quality speech assessment for possible CAS usually includes:
1) Parent discussion and developmental history
We talk about:
pregnancy and birth history (where relevant)
feeding history
early sounds and babbling
first words and how speech has progressed
family history of speech/language needs
2) A speech sound assessment
Your child might be shown pictures or play-based prompts so we can hear:
what sounds they can say
what they simplify
whether errors are consistent or inconsistent
3) An oral-motor and movement check
This isn’t about ‘strength’. It’s about coordination and planning. We look at how your child manages speech movements and transitions.
4) Stimulability testing
This means: how easily can your child learn a new sound or word with support?
For CAS, we often explore how they respond to:
slowed-down speech
visual cues
rhythm/tapping
short, simple syllable shapes
5) Functional communication and confidence
We look at how speech impacts daily life:
being understood at nursery
joining in with peers
asking for help
managing emotions when misunderstood
At the end, you should leave with:
a clear explanation of what we think is going on
a therapy plan
practical home strategies
realistic next steps
What parents can do at home
Here are CAS-friendly strategies you can start right away.
1) Choose ‘power words’
Pick 1–2 words that matter most in your child’s daily life, such as:
more
help
mummy
again
stop
open
These words are motivating and functional.
2) Keep it short and successful
For many children with CAS, the goal is quality over quantity.
Try five minutes a day rather than 30 minutes of struggle.
3) Support speech with rhythm
Some children benefit from:
tapping a beat on the table
clapping syllables
using a gentle ‘marching’ rhythm
This can help the brain organise the sequence of movements.
4) Celebrate approximations
If your child says ‘moh’ for ‘more’, that’s communication!
We want them to feel:
safe
understood
proud to try again
Confidence is a key part of progress.
A short parent story (anonymised)
One mum said to me:
‘We kept being told to wait. But I could see my child understood everything; they just couldn’t get the words out. Once we had an assessment and a plan, it felt like we finally knew what to do. The biggest change was his confidence. He started trying more.’
When should you seek support?
You don’t need to wait until school.
It’s worth getting an assessment if your child is:
hard to understand compared with peers
becoming frustrated or withdrawing from talking
inconsistent with words they used to say
struggling to imitate speech sounds
showing signs that match CAS
Early support can reduce stress for the whole family and help your child feel successful in communication.
Here’s how I can help:
✅ A detailed speech assessment (including whether CAS is likely)
✅ A clear therapy plan with realistic goals
✅ Practical home strategies you can use immediately
✅ Support for nurseries and schools (where needed)
✅ In-person sessions in North-West London and online options
Your child is communicating the best way they can, and with the right support, speech can become easier, clearer, and more confident.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?’
Write key pieces of information down on paper. Research suggests that Autistic learners understand written text better than speech.
You could have a ‘word of the day’ from chosen reading material that you explore together.
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”
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.
Many parents notice speech errors when their children are toddlers. At that stage it often feels quite normal. Young children are still learning the sounds of their language, and those early mispronunciations can be very endearing.
But as children grow older, parents sometimes begin to wonder:
‘Should my child still be speaking like this?’
A common concern I hear from families is that their child is still difficult to understand even after starting school. Sometimes it is a parent who notices it first. Other times it is a teacher who gently mentions that classmates occasionally struggle to understand what a child is saying.
When this happens, parents naturally wonder whether it is something their child will grow out of, or whether some extra support might help.
When should children’s speech be clear?
Children learn speech sounds gradually over several years. Some sounds develop earlier, while others take longer to master.
By the time children reach five to six years of age, most of their speech should be clear enough for unfamiliar adults to understand. There may still be a few tricky sounds developing (such as /R/ or /TH/), but overall speech should be fairly easy to follow.
If a child is frequently difficult to understand at school age, it can sometimes indicate that a speech sound difficulty has persisted beyond the stage when it would normally resolve on its own.
Why some children remain hard to understand
There are several reasons why speech clarity may still be developing in older children.
Phonological patterns
Some children continue to use speech patterns that are typical of younger children. For example:
saying ‘tat’ instead of ‘cat’
saying ‘doe’ instead of ‘go’
leaving sounds out of words
These patterns are called phonological processes. They are a normal part of early speech development, but when they persist into the school years they can make speech difficult for others to understand.
Difficulty producing specific sounds
Other children may have difficulty producing certain individual sounds clearly. This might include sounds such as:
/S/
/SH/
/R/
/TH/
These difficulties are called articulation difficulties.
A child might understand exactly what they want to say but find it hard to produce the sound accurately with their tongue, lips or airflow.
Motor speech planning challenges
For some children, the difficulty lies in the planning and coordination of the movements needed for speech.
Speech requires very precise timing between the tongue, lips, jaw and breath. If the brain finds it difficult to organise these movements consistently, speech can sound unclear or inconsistent.
In some cases this may relate to Childhood Apraxia of Speech, although only a full assessment can determine this.
Why clarity matters for school-age children
Speech clarity becomes particularly important once children start school.
At this stage, children are:
Answering questions in class
Talking with friends
Reading aloud
Developing confidence in communication
When speech is difficult to understand, children sometimes become more hesitant to speak, particularly in group situations.
This can affect confidence and participation, even when the child has lots of ideas they would like to share.
The good news: speech can improve
The encouraging news is that speech sound difficulties can often improve significantly with the right support.
Speech therapy focuses on helping children:
Learn how sounds are produced
Practise accurate speech movements
Understand how sounds change meaning in words
Build consistency through structured practice
Different children benefit from different therapy approaches. Some need support with phonological patterns, while others benefit from more motor-based practice that strengthens speech coordination.
Often therapy combines several strategies to support the child’s individual speech profile.
When to seek advice
If your child is already at school and you find that people outside the family often struggle to understand them, it can be helpful to seek advice from a speech and language therapist.
A detailed assessment can help identify:
Which sounds are causing difficulty
Whether patterns such as fronting or sound substitutions are present
Whether motor planning challenges may be contributing
Which therapy approach is likely to be most effective
Early support can help children develop clearer speech and greater confidence in communication.
Every child’s speech journey is different
Speech development is not the same for every child. Some children master speech sounds quickly, while others need a little more guidance along the way.
The important thing is that support is available when children need it.
With the right strategies and practice, many children make excellent progress and develop speech that is clearer, more confident and easier for others to understand. If you are concerned about your child’s speech clarity or ongoing speech sound errors, a speech and language assessment can help identify the underlying difficulty and guide the most appropriate support.
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.
For many families, Halloween is an exciting time filled with costumes, decorations, and sweets. But for children who are sensory sensitive, whether they’re autistic, have sensory processing differences, or simply find new experiences overwhelming, Halloween can feel like a night of chaos rather than fun.
The bright lights, unexpected noises, strange textures, and social pressure to ‘join in’ can quickly become too much. The good news? With some thoughtful planning and gentle support, you can make Halloween a positive and manageable experience for your child.
Understanding sensory overload
Sensory overload happens when a child’s brain receives more sensory input than it can process. This might mean:
Costumes that itch, squeeze, or feel strange on the skin.
Loud sounds like doorbells, fireworks, or shrieking decorations.
Crowds and unpredictability during trick-or-treating.
Strong smells or tastes from face paint or unfamiliar sweets.
When overloaded, children may cry, cover their ears, hide, run away, or ‘shut down.’ These reactions aren’t ‘bad behaviour’, they’re signs of distress. The goal isn’t to eliminate Halloween fun, but to adjust it to your child’s comfort level.
Step 1: Choose costumes wisely
Costumes are often the biggest trigger. Scratchy fabrics, tight seams, or masks that restrict breathing can be unbearable for some children.
Try these tips:
Go sensory-friendly: Use soft, breathable fabrics and remove tags. Many retailers now sell sensory-safe costumes.
Test it early: Let your child wear the outfit around the house before Halloween. If it’s too much, simplify — maybe themed pyjamas or a favourite T-shirt with Halloween accessories.
Skip the mask: Face paint can be equally challenging, always test on a small patch of skin first. A comfortable headband or hat might be enough to feel ‘in costume.’
Remember, participation doesn’t require perfection. Your child can still ‘be’ their favourite character without a full costume.
Step 2: Plan your Halloween environment
Before the big day, think about what parts of Halloween your child enjoys — and what might overwhelm them.
At home:
Keep decorations minimal and predictable. Avoid motion-activated sounds or flashing lights.
Practise knocking at your own front door or saying ‘trick or treat’ with a trusted adult.
Have a ‘quiet space’ ready, a cosy corner or room where your child can retreat if things get too intense.
If you’re going out:
Choose earlier, quieter times for trick-or-treating.
Visit a few familiar houses instead of the whole street.
Bring ear defenders or noise-cancelling headphones.
Have a clear exit plan if your child needs a break.
Sometimes, watching from the window and handing out sweets can be just as enjoyable! it still offers social participation without sensory overload.
Step 3: Prepare socially and emotionally
Halloween involves a lot of unexpected social interaction: strangers at the door, unfamiliar greetings, and different rules.
Help your child by:
Using visuals or stories: Read picture books about Halloween or make a short social story about what will happen.
Role-playing: Practise saying ‘Trick or treat!’ or handing out sweets in a fun, low-pressure way.
Labelling feelings: Explain that it’s okay to feel nervous or to take a break if something feels ‘too loud’ or ‘too much.’
Children feel safer when they know what to expect. Predictability reduces anxiety and makes participation more enjoyable.
Step 4: Rethink the treats
Not every child enjoys sweets; some dislike sticky textures or strong flavours. Offer non-food alternatives like stickers, glow sticks, or small toys.
If your child has feeding difficulties or oral sensitivities, it’s okay to opt out of the traditional treats entirely. They can still join in by giving treats or decorating treat bags instead.
Halloween doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s version. Maybe your family watches a ‘not-too-scary’ film, carves pumpkins, or does a flashlight treasure hunt indoors. The goal is joyful connection, not conformity.
A calm, happy experience, even if it looks simple from the outside builds positive associations your child will carry into future celebrations.
In summary
Halloween can be full of sensory surprises, but with empathy, planning, and flexibility, it doesn’t have to end in tears.
The more you adapt to your child’s sensory needs, the more they learn that they are safe, understood, and included not just at Halloween, but in every celebration.
As with all things in speech and feeding development, progress starts with connection. When children feel regulated and supported, communication and confidence follow.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
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.
As a parent, you’ve likely experienced the triumphant feeling when your child, who’s been working so hard on his or her /S/ sound, produces it perfectly in a therapy session. He or she is rocking those ‘sun’ and ‘socks’ words, his or her lisp seemingly a distant memory. You leave feeling elated, confident that all that hard work is finally paying off.
Then you get home. And within minutes, you hear it: ‘Thooper!’ instead of ‘Super!’ Or maybe the clear /R/ in ‘rabbit’ from therapy reverts to a ‘wabbit’ when his or she is playing with his or her toys. It’s frustrating, confusing, and can feel like you’re back to square one.
So, what’s going on? Why is it so difficult for children to take those amazing skills learned in a focused therapy session and seamlessly apply them to their everyday conversations? You’re not alone in wondering this. It’s a common challenge in speech therapy and understanding the ‘why’ can help both parents and children navigate this crucial stage.
The brain’s habits: Old pathways are strong pathways
Think of your child’s brain as having established ‘pathways’ for how he or she produces certain sounds. If he or she has been lisping his or her /S/ sound for years, that neural pathway is deeply ingrained. It’s like a well-worn path through a field: easy to follow because it’s always been there.
In therapy, we’re essentially trying to forge a new path. We’re teaching him or her a new, more accurate way to make the sound. This new path is initially faint, like a barely visible trail. It takes conscious effort and repeated practice to strengthen it. Outside of the structured therapy environment, his or her brain often defaults to the old, comfortable, and well-established pathway, even if it’s not the most accurate.
The demands of daily conversation: A multitasking challenge
Therapy sessions are designed to be focused and controlled. We isolate sounds, practice them in specific words, and provide immediate feedback. There are minimal distractions, and your child’s full attention is on his or her speech production.
Now, consider daily conversation:
Speed: We speak much faster in natural conversation than we do during structured practice. There is less time to think about individual sounds.
Cognitive load: Children are simultaneously thinking about what they want to say, understanding what others are saying, processing social cues, and managing their emotions. Adding the conscious effort of producing a new speech sound correctly on top of all that is a huge cognitive demand.
Variety of contexts: In therapy, we might practise ‘sun’ and ‘socks’. In real life, the /S/ sound appears in countless words, in different positions within words, and alongside a vast array of other sounds. Each new word and phonetic context present a fresh challenge.
Lack of immediate feedback: In therapy, the speech therapist is right there to provide instant correction and reinforcement. In a playground, during a family dinner, or while playing with friends, that immediate, consistent feedback isn’t present.
The role of automaticity: Making it second nature
The ultimate goal of speech therapy isn’t just correct sound production; it’s automaticity. This means producing the sound correctly without having to consciously think about it. It’s like learning to ride a bike. Initially, every pedal stroke and steering adjustment is deliberate. Eventually, it becomes second nature.
Generalisation is the process of moving from conscious, controlled production to unconscious, automatic production. This takes time, consistent practice, and exposure to a wide variety of real-life speaking situations.
How can we help? Bridging the gap
So, what can parents do to help their children bridge this gap between therapy success and everyday speech?
Be patient and positive: This is a marathon, not a sprint. Celebrate the small victories and avoid getting discouraged by setbacks. Your positive reinforcement is crucial.
Practise little and often: Instead of long, infrequent practice sessions, aim for short, consistent bursts throughout the day. ‘Sprinkle’ in opportunities to practise their target sounds in natural conversations.
Create ‘sound awareness’ moments: Gently draw your child’s attention to his or her target sounds in everyday words. For example, if he or she is working on /R/, you might say, ‘Oh, you said ‘wabbit.’ Can you try to make your /RRR/ sound for ‘rabbit’?’
Model correct production: Continue to model the correct production of their target sounds in your own speech.
Collaborate with your speech therapist: Your therapist is your best resource! Ask them for specific strategies and activities you can do at home to support generalisation. They can also provide guidance on when and how to gently correct your child.
Tips and tricks
Below I have listed a few good tips and tricks that can help the transition from therapy room to daily life:
Empowering your child as the ‘sound detective’:
‘Secret sound listener’: Instead of you doing the correcting, make your child the detective. When you’re having a conversation, say ‘your /S/ sounds are sometimes a bit “slippery”’ (or whatever fun, non-judgmental term you like). Ask your child to quietly listen for your /S/ sounds. You can even purposely make a few ‘slippery’ ones (or correct yourself immediately after) and see if they notice. This shifts the focus from being corrected to actively listening and identifying the sound in a non-threatening way.
‘Sound scorecard’: For a short period (maybe 10–15 minutes during a specific activity, like dinner or a game), provide a small notepad and pencil. Explain that your child is going to listen for his or her /S/ sounds and gently mark a tally every time he or she uses it correctly. The goal isn’t perfection, but awareness. This gives your child agency and a visual representation of progress. You can even make it a game: ‘Let’s see how many /S/ sounds we can catch in five minutes!’
/S/ sound song/rhyme creation: Work together to create silly songs or rhymes that are packed with /S/ sounds. The sillier, the better! You can sing them in the car, while doing chores, etc.
/S/ sound superpower: Frame the new sound skill as a ‘superpower’. ‘You’re getting so good at using your /S/ superpower! It’s going to help you speak so clearly and confidently.’
Highlighting successes: Always go out of your way to acknowledge and praise successful /S/ productions in natural conversation. ‘I really understood you clearly when you said ”s_top”.’ or ‘That /S/ sound was perfect when you told me about the “s_tory”!’
Important considerations:
Keep it low-pressure: The goal is generalisation, not perfection. If your child is feeling pressured, he or she will likely revert to old patterns.
Focus on awareness, not just correction: Help your child become aware of his or her own speech rather than relying on you for corrections.
Short, frequent bursts: A few minutes of subtle focus multiple times a day is more effective than one long, forced session.
Acknowledge feelings: If your child expresses frustration about ‘being corrected’, validate these feelings. ‘I understand it can feel like a lot of listening, but we’re just trying to help you use that super /S/ sound all the time!’
By incorporating these strategies, you can help your child naturally integrate the new /S/ sound into daily speech, fostering independence and confidence without it feeling like constant ‘testing’ or ‘correction’. Generalising new speech sounds is arguably the hardest part of speech therapy, but it’s also the most rewarding. With patience, consistent effort, and a collaborative approach between parents and therapists, children can successfully integrate their new, clearer speech sounds into every aspect of their daily lives.
Any comments or if you need help and support with your child’s speech please do not hesitate to get in touch with me: simply fill out the contact form here on the website. I endeavour to reply within 48 hours.
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.
