Practical tips for speech and language development

ByLondon Speech and Feeding September 16, 2024September 24, 2024

As parents, we all want our children to develop strong communication skills. This starts early, with the simple sounds and babbles of a new-born baby. Here are some practical tips to help you encourage your baby or toddler’s speech and language development through play and everyday activities.

General tips for creating a language-rich environment

Talk to your child frequently throughout the day: Even when they’re young, they’re absorbing information. Describe what you’re doing, name objects around the house, and respond to their babbling.
Read aloud regularly: Books are a great way to introduce new words and concepts. Choose books with simple language, bright pictures, and repetitive phrases.
Sing songs and nursery rhymes: These provide a fun way to practise pronunciation and rhythm.
Label objects: Put labels on toys, furniture, and everyday items to help your child associate words with objects.

Engage with your child in their play activities

Pretend play: Encourage imaginative play by pretending to be different characters or animals.
Build and create: Use blocks, Legos, or playdough to build and create different structures.
Outdoor activities: Explore the world around you. Talk about different plants, animals, and weather conditions.

Tips for effective communication

Get down to their level: When talking to your child, get down on their level to make eye contact and show that you’re listening.
Use simple language: Avoid using too many complex words or long sentences. In the early years (0–3 years) try and make things concrete, stay in the ‘here and now’ — point and gesture lots to help your child understand what you say
Be patient: Give your child time to respond and don’t rush them.
Model good language: Use clear and correct language yourself.
Speak in your native, natural Language: If English is your second language try and speak to your child in your native language: it is more natural and your will probably know better how to speak and sing to young children in your own native language.

Reading to your child

Reading to your child is a powerful way to boost their language skills and create lasting memories.

Reading to your child is more than just a bedtime ritual; it’s a powerful tool for fostering their language and literacy skills. Studies have shown that children who are read to regularly develop larger vocabularies, stronger comprehension skills, and a greater love of learning.

Why is reading so important?

Vocabulary expansion: When you read to your child, you expose them to new words and concepts. This helps them build a strong vocabulary, which is essential for effective communication and learning.
Improved comprehension: Reading aloud helps children understand the meaning of words and sentences. This improves their comprehension skills, making it easier for them to learn and understand new information.
Enhanced cognitive development: Reading stimulates a child’s brain and helps them develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and imagination.
Stronger emotional bonds: Reading together creates a special bond between you and your child. It’s a time for cuddling, bonding, and sharing stories.
The Reach Out and Read Foundation found that children who are read to regularly have significantly larger vocabularies and better language skills than those who are not.
A study published in the journal Paediatrics revealed that reading to children can have a positive impact on their academic achievement, even years later.

By making reading a regular part of your child’s life, you are investing in their future success. So, grab a book, get cozy, and enjoy the wonderful world of stories together!

Here are some great books I love using in my Speech Therapy sessions:

Books for 6 months to 2 years

Touch and Feel Books

Touchy-Feely Farm by DK Books: This book features different textures to explore, such as soft fur, rough bark, and squishy mud.
Baby Touch: Animals by DK Books: This book introduces various animals and their textures, like soft feathers, scaly skin, and furry coats.

Lift-the-Flap Books

Peek-a-Boo! Animals by DK Books: This book has flaps to lift revealing different animals hiding underneath.
Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill: A classic lift-the-flap book that encourages spatial awareness and vocabulary.

Pop-Up Books

Pop-Up Farm by DK Books: This book features fun pop-up elements that bring the farm to life.
Pop-Up Jungle by DK Books: Explore a vibrant jungle with this interactive pop-up book.

Sound Books

Sound Books: Farm by DK Books: This book features sounds that correspond to different farm animals.
Sound Books: Safari by DK Books: Listen to the sounds of various safari animals in this interactive book.

Interactive Books

That’s Not My… Series by Usborne: These interactive books feature tactile elements that encourage exploration and vocabulary.
Peek-a-Boo! I Spy by DK Books: This board book with flaps encourages visual tracking and vocabulary.

These books are designed to engage young children through their senses and encourage exploration. The repetitive nature of these books helps toddlers learn new words and concepts while having fun.

Books for 2 years ++

Classic favourites

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle: This colourful and interactive book is a classic for a reason. It introduces simple words, colours, and days of the week.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle: This repetitive story helps children learn colours and animals.
Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill: A simple hide-and-seek book that encourages vocabulary and spatial awareness.

Modern classics for children 3 years – 6 years

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler: A fun and imaginative story that introduces more complex vocabulary and rhyming.
Room on a Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler: Another rhyming story that encourages counting and vocabulary.
The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr: A playful and imaginative story that introduces various foods and social skills.

Books for children 6 years ++

The Adventures of the Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: A philosophical tale that introduces complex vocabulary and themes.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl: A whimsical and imaginative story that introduces a variety of characters and settings.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling: A classic fantasy series that introduces a wide range of vocabulary and concepts.

Remember: The best books for your child are the ones they enjoy. Encourage them to explore different genres and find stories that spark their imagination.

Please feel free to contact me.

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.

Speech and Language Therapy

Learn the benefits of Cycles Phonology Approach in Speech Therapy
ByLondon Speech and Feeding March 6, 2023February 10, 2023
Cycles Phonogogical approach

When your child attends Speech and Language Therapy, it can look like your child’s therapist is playing. Therapy needs to be fun, which means carrying out therapy through the medium of play. But remember every approach used has evidence behind it. We need to know that therapy will be successful, so an evidence-based approach is essential.

One of the approaches used for Speech Therapy (i.e., working on speech sound production) is the Cycles Phonology Approach. This approach focuses on the patterns and processes rather than each individual sound. For example, it may be working on final consonant deletion, so the omission of the final sound in words. As Speech and Language Therapists we understand that children can get frustrated and fatigued working on the same sound every day. This approach attempts to solve that. Hodson suggests, the approach is also useful for children with more speech sound errors, as therapists see progress in areas not targeted.

How does the Cycles Phonology Approach work?

Your Speech and Language Therapist will assess your child’s speech development and will then analyse the results. They will also look for which sounds they can produce with support (this is called stimulability). They will analyse patterns in the results and will formulate a plan.

The Cycles Phonology Approach intervention allows your child to work in blocks. This might mean they work for half a week for 30 minutes on (e.g., clusters). Then the next half they’ll work for 30 minutes on a different process (e.g., omission of sounds at the end of words).

Research has found that the following error patterns respond well to this approach:
- Syllables (identifying the different parts in a word e.g., “ae-ro-plane”)
- Final Consonant deletion (omission of the final sound e.g., “ca” instead of “cat”)
- Initial consonant deletion (omission of the first sound e.g., “at” instead of “cat”)
- Fronting (instead of making a sound at the back of the mouth, it’s made at the front e.g., “tat” instead of “cat”)
- Backing (instead of making a sound at the front of the mouth, it’s made at the back e.g., “gun” instead of “bun”)
- S blends (e.g., “sl, sm, sn, sk, sw”)
- Gliding of liquids (e.g., “lellow instead of yellow”, “wabbit instead of rabbit”)
What does a Speech and Language Therapy session look like when using the Phonology Cycles Approach?

The format of the session remains the same for whichever speech sound pattern your child is working on. Your child’s Speech and Language Therapist will review the previous session. Then they will use an activity to work on your child hearing the sound several times (this is called ‘auditory bombardment’). Then your child will practise saying the sound. Next, the Speech and Language Therapist will check if your child can say any of the sounds which they haven’t been able to produce before, with support. This is called a stimulability check. After this, your child will take part in an activity which builds their awareness of sounds in words (such as a rhyming or syllable activity). The session will finish with another auditory bombardment task (i.e., hearing their tricky sound repeatedly).

I will give you advice for practising at home, as it’s vital that your child learns in the correct way. We aim for 100 turns in therapy sessions, so it’s vital your child is motivated.

Contact me to improve your child’s speech sounds and improve their confidence when talking.

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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Book corner

Book Corner – Pip and Posy by Axel Scheffler
ByLondon Speech and Feeding August 6, 2021January 31, 2023
Pip and Posy by Axel Scheffler

One of my all time favourite book series, Pip and Posy, oh sooo good.

Before I tell you a bit about this book, just a few tips on reading aloud to children who are behind with their language and struggle to talk.

It is often assumed that “reading a book” means that we read the text exactly as it stands. We tend to read it quite quickly and, therefore, we also turn the pages quite quickly to match our reading. This may be too quick and not quite the right way of reading to your child, if she/he is struggling with speech and language development.

Instead, perhaps try this:

Sit opposite your child so that she can see you easily – check out my previous post – and start by letting your child open the book.

Now, instead of reading and pointing to everything you see, it can be really helpful to “hang back” and wait for your child to lead. S/he can point to what is interesting and then talk about freely what s/he can see. You can then respond and expand on what your child is pointing to or saying.

So, for example:

Child points to Posy looking out of the window and says: “Posy”.

You can then fill it and reply with : yes! there she is! – now give her some time to reply and take her turn.

If she is struggling to say anything more you might add: She is looking at the rain…. . – take another break and wait and let your child take her turn.

Letting your child take the lead and waiting, allowing your child to fill in and take a turn, is a great way to encourage a two-way conversation and it allows your child to lead the pace of what is being said.

So then, Pip and Posy – the scary Monster:

What’s it about:

Posy is bored indoors as it’s raining. She decides to bake some cupcakes and whilst waiting for her cakes to bake there is a knock at the door…..a big blue monster appears. Posy feels scared and starts to cry. Soon she realises that it’s her friend Pip dressed up in a monster costume and now she feels fine and both end up having fun trying on the monster costume. The sun has now come out and they go and play in the garden. It all finishes with a lovely picnic and those home made cupcakes. Happy end!

All Pip and Posy books are simple in that your child will discover every day situations and they are truly beautifully written and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

Age group:

Around 1-6 years

Explore these themes:
- animals
- foods and drinks
- friendships
- household activities
- toys and games
- dress up and monsters
- places – kitchen, garden
- what’s a picnic
Develop Speech Sounds, particularly good for:
- K – kitchen, cupcakes, cases, careful , costume, cry
- M – monster, mixture, milk
- P – Pip, Posy, paper, put, popped, open
Concepts:
- matching
- labelling
- describing
- predicting
- prepositions (in/into/upstairs/downstairs/inside/outside)
Emotions and Social concepts
- making friends
- taking turns
- feelings: bored/sad/scared/happy/delighted/hungry/ curious
Published by:

Nosy Crow Ltd in the UK in 2013 (ISBN: 9780857632432)

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

Bilingualism – should I speak only English with my speech delayed child?
ByLondon Speech and Feeding November 13, 2023November 20, 2023
Introduction

Bilingualism is a beautiful aspect of our diverse world. Growing up in a bi- or multi-lingual household is a wonderful gift, allowing children to communicate with a broader range of people and access many cultures.

My own two children grew up in a bilingual German-English speaking household. They have both been so enriched by this experience, not only language- and learning-wise but of course also culturally: their world has always been so open and colourful. Growing up in inner London and having their German family and mum’s friends as well, this has been a wonderful experience. Both my boys speak German well (not quite like native speakers but like very good second language speakers) and both have very easily learned 3rd and 4th languages additionally when in secondary school.

Whilst bilingualism has untold benefits, it’s not uncommon for bilingual children to take slightly longer to reach certain speech milestones. This should not be automatically mistaken for speech disorders but rather seen as a natural part of bilingual language development.

Bilingualism and speech delays

Sometimes, of course, we do see speech delays or disorders where a child’s speech development lags significantly behind their peers. We often see a delay in both languages equally, making it extra hard for to communicate effectively. BUT PLEASE KNOW the family speaking in multi-lingual languages never caused the delay/disorder!

If there is a delay or a disorder any number of other reasons could have caused it, such as:
- hearing impairments,
- reduced phonological awareness,
- sensory processing issues,
- reduced attention and reduced joint attention,
- neuro-developmental delays or difficulties,
- general or specific learning difficulties
- or sometimes other genetic factors.
So, to say that the difficulty is due to a child being exposed to several languages is a red herring. (no offence to herrings!)

Speech therapy

Speech therapy can be powerful to help bilingual /multilingual children with speech delays unlock their full linguistic potential. By providing individualised assessments, targeted interventions, and involving families, speech therapy can bridge the gap between speech delays and bilingualism. It’s essential for the therapist and parents to work together to support the children in their unique linguistic journeys, helping them communicate effectively and thrive in both of their languages.

Image by Freepik

Speak your home language at home

Many parents report that they worry about speaking their home language at home and instead they have been focusing on just speaking English at home. They now rarely use their home language with their child. They fear that speaking a language other than English with their child will cause further delay and hinder their progress. All parents want the best for their child and often parents fear that their child won’t fit in or will be seen as ‘different’. So we can understand why parents feel that the English language is the only one worth having.

But the opposite is the case: it is crucial to speak in both languages freely, both at home and outside the home! Both languages will benefit your child, no matter what the delay or difficulty is. Acquiring a ‘mother tongue’ or native language is absolutely vital for children to have a good, solid linguistic grounding on which to build other languages. Bilingual children may mix languages during speaking and parents may equally mix their languages. This does not hinder language development and is a natural part of linguistic development.

Speak freely and naturally

What is far more important than the question: ‘which language should I say this in?’ Instead think: ‘let me speak freely and naturally, let me respond naturally, in good intonation and let communication flow freely to the child.’

Speech therapy can be a crucial resource for bilingual or multilingual children and their families.

We work on targeted interventions to address speech and language difficulties, helping your child develop essential communication skills. For home practice between therapy sessions, we can recommend tailored treatment plans to help you help your child in daily life. Our input could be focusing on articulation, phonological awareness, attention and listening, vocabulary development and grammar.

Family support is crucial in speech therapy. We like to work closely with parents to provide guidance and strategies for fostering language development in both languages at home.

If you have any worries about your child being delayed in a bilingual or multilingual household do get in touch and we will be happy to support you in your journey.

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

Discover speech and language regression in autistic children and how you can support your child
ByLondon Speech and Feeding February 17, 2023January 3, 2024
There’s often this idea that autistic children have extensive vocabulary and knowledge, but this is not always the case. In fact, 30% of autistic children have language regression.

Goldberg (2003) suggested that speech and language regression refers to the decline in a young child’s speech and communication abilities. We know that regression in speech, language and communication skills often occur before the age of two years. 25% of autistic children develop language at word level between 12 and 18 months of age before losing this language they have learned. As you’re probably aware this regression in communication is a diagnostic indicator of Autism.

We understand that you want your child to progress, and you struggle to watch as their frustration grows as you feel helpless. I want to provide you with tips so that you can feel empowered to support your autistic child and reduce the impact their communication skills have on the family.
1. Reduce frustration by providing visuals to support their communication
2. Model gestalts. We know that autistic children are often gestalt language processors. Learn more about gestalt language processors in one of my previous posts.
3. Praise the ability to communicate. Focus on what they say not how they say it. E.g., good listening, nice talking.
4. Provide your child with choices (using real objects to represent your choices). E.g., do you want an apple or banana?
5. Your child must be motivated and have a purpose to communicate. So, ensure you use highly motivating objects for conversations
6. Provide them with opportunities to communicate. We need to teach children that if they want something, there’s a process that you need to have the opportunity to ask for it. We find that if parents understand what their child wants (without them asking), the object is given to them, and so there’s no reason for your child to ask.
7. There’s this idea that we need to teach children eye contact. This is not always the case. Your child is unique, we do not want to take their unique skills away.
8. Model words which are concrete. E.g., words such as ‘finished’, ‘more’. You can model these several times within the day. You can use a gesture to make the word more visual (see the images below). We know that autistic children are often visual learners.
Makaton for “more”

Makaton for “finished”

Credit: Little Dots Makaton, Polkadot World

Remember that if your child has speech, language and communication regression, it doesn’t mean your child will stay static.

It’s vital that you seek support from a qualified Speech and Language Therapist. We can tell you at what point in the communication development that your child is at. And we can support you through the process. We can provide you with an individualised plan specifically for your child to ensure you maximise their potential.

Contact me for 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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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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Autism Therapy · Speech and Language Therapy

Let’s live and breathe AAC
ByLondon Speech and Feeding April 24, 2024March 28, 2024
We all have the right and want to express thoughts, feelings, and needs. For non-speaking or minimally speaking children, finding an avenue to communicate effectively can be a challenging journey. Parents are often at a loss as to where to start. Sometimes a little bit of Makaton signing has been used here and there but we mostly find that gradually signing fades as parents feel that it just doesn’t seem to get copied and used by the children.

They live and breathe their system

This is where we need to pick up the pieces and start again: because all successful families where children start using their boards or their electronic AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) systems do this one thing: THEY LIVE AND BREATHE THEIR SYSTEM.
- They have boards in every single room of the house;
- They have a board in the car, attached to the side of car door so their child can point to it as they need to;
- They have a smaller board in their handbag/rucksack when out and about;
- They have a board for shopping and attach it to the shopping trolley;
- They are never ever without their board.
Because they realise that a child should never be without their mouths to speak, should never be without a means to speak. They use their own board to model and the child has always access to their board to model back or to just look.

This is where success begins

Success begins at consistent and joyful use of the board/AAC system throughout the entire day. If we think about it, doesn’t it make sense? Of course, it does! We talk to our child for the first two years of their life continuously wherever we are and our child is continuously encouraged to use their mouths for talking in all situations.

Same goes for Signing: Makaton or any other sign system is a very powerful means to aid communication and I certainly advocate and use it in practice. Though much like words, signs are very elusive and temporary—as soon as the sign has been made it is gone and no longer present. Same with words of course. This can be difficult for people who need longer to process information.

The beauty of symbols or photographs is that they are permanent: they don’t vanish, they stay and with the core board they stay in the same place! This is very reassuring. We can learn where a symbol is and we can be assured that it will still be there the next time we look at the board.

AAC core board

Here is a picture of a core board:

You can download this and other boards for free on the Saltillo Word Power website.

It has 48 cells and we can see the most frequently used core words on here, words that we use 80% of the day when talking with our non-speaking/minimally speaking children, younger children and children with cognitive delay. We keep our sentences short and we say phrases pertaining to their daily lives;
- Let’s GET your toy
- PUT it here, PUT it away, PUT it IN
- Let’s READ a book
- UP you get
- WANT some MORE?
- That’s GOOD isn’t it?
- Let’s OPEN the box and LOOK
And so on… All these phrases can be aided with the above board. Your child will learn OVER TIME and OVER CONTINUOUS USE where GET/PUT/MORE/WANT/IN—where these symbols are. For children who are slow to process this is so helpful, to have a visual representation of what has just been said. It aids understanding in the first place. Gradually as a child starts to copy they will point to powerful symbols themselves and if they want to speak they can also speak of course:

A child might point to WANT + MORE and then say with their mouths: BANANA!

Board examples

Here are some other boards I have made specifically for daily situations and preferences of some of my students. Here is one for toileting:

And another one:

These boards incorporate high-frequency and versatile words, enabling us to make little sentences.

Building Language and Literacy Skills

AAC Core Boards are not just tools for immediate communication. They also play a pivotal role in language and literacy development. By using these boards, non-speaking children engage with words and symbols, reinforcing their understanding of language structure and grammar.

Over time they naturally absorb language patterns, laying the foundation for improved literacy skills.

Customisation for Individual Needs

Every non-speaking child is unique, and their communication needs can vary significantly. AAC Core Boards are designed with this diversity in mind. The boards can be adapted to include specific vocabulary relevant to the child’s daily life, interests, and activities. This personalisation ensures that the AAC Core Board is a true reflection of the child’s personality and needs, making communication more engaging and effective.

Collaboration between AAC Core Boards and Speech Therapy

While AAC Core Boards are an incredible tool, they are only used effectively by the non-speaking child when the board is used BY ALL COMMUNICATION PARTNERS around the child.

Again, I know I am being repetitive here, but the board needs to be used and modelled by the adults constantly in the first place and for a period of time before we can expect our children to take an interest and use the boards themselves. Think how long it typically takes for a child to learn their first word: around a year! During that time the adults talk constantly to their child without hesitation or expectation! The same goes for introducing this new way of communicating.

Collaborating with your child’s speech-language therapist (SLT) ensures that your child receives the right guidance in using the AAC system. SLTs can assess your child’s communication abilities, recommend appropriate boards and provide guidance on how to best implement them.

Conclusion

For non-speaking children, AAC Core Boards are bridges to their world.

These boards foster language development, social interaction, and personal expression. AAC Core Boards offer a beacon of hope, helping non-speaking children break through communication barriers and thrive in a world that is waiting to hear their voices. Boards are simple for anyone to use and understand. Have a go! You will be surprised how lovely it is to use a board with ease and once your child sees you do this, you have a chance for your child to start copying you…and express something! HOW ABOUT THAT! I look forward to hearing your stories!

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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