Rethinking the PECS Approach

ByLondon Speech and Feeding
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I want to talk about some concerns of SLTs, parents and increasingly autistic adults who explain to us how this communication method did not really work so well and why.

What is PECS in a nutshell:

PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) is based on the idea of exchanging pictures in return for desired items. For more advanced users, it is used to communicate different functions such as emotions, comments, negations using the exchange of a sentence strip. It was founded on the principles of Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA).

How does that look in practice?

In my experience, having been trained in the approach myself, the overall aim is eventually for the child to spontaneously go and get their picture book (PECS book), open it, look through a range of pages to select the correct picture of what they want to have or say, then go and find their communication partner, and finally place that picture onto the communication partner’s outstretched palm to be rewarded with an item or with a response of some sort. Or the child selects a range of pictures to create a little sentence, such as: ‘the blue fish swims in the sea’, ‘the red bird flies in the sky’ or ‘I see a red bird’ for example. This can be part of a structured table top activity.

The system follows a series of phases, starting from simple picture exchanges to eventually construction of sentences using symbols. PECS’s aim is to promote communication initiation and reduce frustration for those who struggle with speech.

So far so good one might say, why not? Before I go into the various concerns, I would want to add my own working experience with PECS, and whilst it is my opinion, I would say I have NEVER seen a working PECS book being used spontaneously!

My experience

I have seen attempts of stages 1 and 2 done quite well, in schools, and where people knew that I was coming in “to have a look at how PECS is working with child X”. Yes, in those instances an effort was made of course to try and show me how it worked. I must add that have never been very impressed. I cannot recall it used for any other items than: biscuits/quavers/crisps/ raisins and bubbles/puzzle pieces or spinners.

If we want to see a child trained to exchange for these items in a structured setting, i.e., the child sits at a little table with the adult sitting opposite enticing the child with one or other item, then yes that can be done successfully. I have seen children exchange 25 pictures with a crisp on it, for said crisp and they might have asked for another 25 of those crisps given half the chance. Yes. Good. But. I have yet to see a child go to their PECS book and go through all the motions that I mentioned above to get a crisp. In school they don’t need to: they know that crisps are only available when the PECS book is being practised. Otherwise, let’s be honest, it’s fruit at 10.30 am!

So, they don’t get a spontaneous opportunity to ask for highly motivating items as that is not how school works, is it? ‘SIR! Can I have a crisp?’ At 10.02am, in the middle of maths? Didn’t think so… So in reality this does not get practised in my experience.

A few concerns in no particular order:

Limited Generalisation

One issue often raised is the limited generalisation of skills learned through PECS. The structured nature of the program may result in a child only being able to communicate effectively within the specific contexts where they were taught to use the system (as I suggest above: crisps: yes, please let’s do the PECS for it). This limitation can pose challenges when trying to apply communication skills in new or unstructured/spontaneous situations.

Lack of Spontaneity

Critics suggest that PECS can sometimes lead to scripted and less spontaneous communication. This is also what I have observed. Since the method is designed to follow a structured progression, there is a concern that individuals might struggle to initiate communication outside of the established framework, potentially hindering their ability to engage in more natural interactions.

Narrow range of communication functions being practised

While PECS is quite successful in focusing on requesting and naming items, there are many other important communication functions, such as expressing emotions, asking questions, giving opinions or greetings for instance. We can argue that a communication core board where we have a whole range of different core words available lends itself much better to practising a range of communicative functions.

The Pictures are movable

They are attached to the book via Velcro. They are constantly being picked and exchanged and then returned to the book. This means that the pictures tend to be always in different places. This goes against the motor planning that takes place when one is learning a new skill: imagine you want to learn to touch type and the letters always move and are at different places? How can you be quick about finding a letter? You can never get to “automatic” with this type of approach.

Communication is not taught via behavioural means

Only if you say “banana” in the way that I dictate that you should will you get a piece of banana. Who does that? Nobody. Typically, child points to the counter where there is a banana and says: ‘ba’ or ‘ana’ and mother/carer will look over there and say ‘oh banana! You want a banana? Ok there you go have a piece.’ Or something like it. Mother will not say: ‘SAY BANANA or else you won’t get it.’ Child hears mum saying ‘Banana’ each time and with time will point and say ‘banana’ or ‘I want-a-nana’ or something. This is how communication is learned: through the adult modelling it cheerfully all day long and the child hearing it and then gradually copying it.

One other gripe I personally have but I am reliably informed by all my parents that they share this about PECS:

IT IS SO LABOUR INTENSIVE!

There are 10, 50, 100’s of little pictures that first of all need laminating… then velcroing, then finding and replacing. As I said above, it’s a constant moveable feast for one, but also you LOSE them. Yep. You want to find the picture for “trampoline”. ‘Where is it? I saw it yesterday… We had it outside when we practised you asking for the trampoline. I am sure we put it back? Where is it??? Ok. We need to print off a new one.’

It is also labour intensive for the first stage where you need to have TWO adults to ease the exchange (pick up and release of picture into the communication partner’s hand). Who has two adults available for what can be weeks until the child is able to pick up and release by themselves?

YEP. So it’s really not for me you can tell! I much prefer Core boards (see my previous post on using one) or electronic speech generating AAC devices like GRID, or LAMP or TOUCHCHAT. These are all great to use and there is good support out there for introducing these.

Finding a Balance

While the concerns surrounding the PECS approach are valid, it’s fair to note that the method also has some merits. There is anecdotal evidence of many individuals who have successfully improved their communication skills and quality of life through PECS. But, finding a balance between using PECS as a stepping stone and ensuring the development of more comprehensive and SPONTANEOUS communication is key.

As educators and therapists, we need to extend the focus beyond requesting and labelling by incorporating symbols that represent emotions, actions, and more complex ideas. This expansion encourages a broader range of communication functions. When the time is right, gradually transitioning from PECS to more advanced communication methods such as Core boards or electronic AAC tools and speech-generating devices is the way forward.

We want to value all communication equally and our approach ought to be playful and child-led and to focus on intrinsic motivation instead of extrinsic rewards and reinforcers.

If you have any questions or if you are looking for a therapist who endorses play-based and child-led therapy approaches, please do reach out.

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

    So for example we hear phrases like:

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

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

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

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

    Good phrases:

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

    Here in my video clip of train play I use:

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

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

    2. Watch out for Pronoun confusion or reversal:

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

    Instead model from a:

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

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

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

    You could say:

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

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

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

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

    Repeat: ‘it’s raining!’

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

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

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

    In my train video clip:

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

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

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

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

    5. USE SILENCE!

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

    You will see this works wonders!

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

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    The power of containment: A therapeutic approach for autistic children

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding
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    The practice of wrapping or swaddling children, often referred to as ‘containment,’ has been used for centuries to soothe and comfort infants. I use this therapeutic approach with autistic children at the London Speech and Feeding Practice. While it might seem counterintuitive, the act of being tightly wrapped can provide significant benefits for children who struggle with sensory processing, emotional regulation, and communication.

    Understanding sensory processing and autism

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      • Reduces sensory overload: By creating a controlled sensory environment, containment can help to reduce overstimulation and promote a sense of safety.
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      • Facilitates calming: The deep pressure input can help to calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety.
    • Improved Body Awareness:
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    • Facilitates Communication – and this is obviously where I come in as a Speech and Language Therapist:
      • Swaddling creates a safe space: When a child feels calm and secure, they are more likely to engage in communication.
      • Enhances joint attention: The shared experience of being wrapped can foster joint attention, which is essential for language development. You can see this one in my highlights where I swaddle my student in the yoga mat (picture above). She absolutely loves it, and what is more she is calm and steady when usually this child likes to be on the move constantly. Here we have a wonderful moment of joint engagement. She looks at me, she can listen to what I say or sing, and she can tell me in her own way to carry on rolling her or to carry on singing or providing calming pressure to her legs and arms or to stop.

    A few pointers for when you try this at home: How to practise containment safely and effectively

    • Create a safe environment: Ensure the wrapping material is soft, breathable, and free from any hazards.
    • Observe your child’s cues: Pay attention to your child’s body language and verbal cues to determine their comfort level.
    • Respect your child’s boundaries: If your child shows signs of distress, stop the containment immediately – this might seem obvious but sometimes we adults get so carried away with some ‘great idea’ that we have seen work elsewhere. And so we can be a little too ‘determined’ sometimes to ‘make it happen’… perhaps this rings a bell with some of my readers.
    • MAKE IT FUN: Start carefully and take it step by step. See if the student is having a nice time. It is all about trust and therefore it might not work the very first time you do it.

    It’s important to remember that containment is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Some children may respond better to other sensory-based interventions. However, for many autistic children containment can be a valuable tool in their journey towards improved communication and emotional regulation.

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    Early Intervention Speech and Language Therapist

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

    The London Speech and Feeding Practice

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    Unlocking language and thinking skills: The power of sequencing

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    Sonja demonstrates the power of sequencing

    As speech and language therapists, we often use a variety of techniques to help children develop their communication and cognitive skills. One incredibly valuable tool in our toolkit is the use of sequencing activities. But what exactly is sequencing, and why is it so beneficial?

    What is sequencing?

    Sequencing, at its core, involves arranging items, events, or actions in a specific order. This could involve putting pictures in the correct order to tell a story, following the steps in a recipe, or understanding the order of daily routines like brushing teeth or getting dressed.

    The link between sequencing and language

    Sequencing is fundamental to language development and is quintessential to executive functioning skills in several ways:

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    • Explanations and instructions: Providing clear explanations or instructions requires the ability to sequence information logically. For example, explaining how to play a game or how to get from one place to another. In the video clip below we are working on ‘how do make a sandwich’.
    • Vocabulary development: Sequencing helps children understand temporal words and phrases like ‘first,’ ‘then,’ ‘next,’ ‘before,’ and ‘after’.
    • Sentence structure: Constructing grammatically correct sentences often involves sequencing words in a specific order (e.g., subject-verb-object).

    Beyond language, sequencing plays a crucial role in developing executive functioning skills. These are higher-level cognitive skills that help us plan, organise, and manage our time and actions.

    Sequencing activities can help children improve in the following areas:

    • Planning and organisation: Sequencing tasks require children to think ahead, plan the steps involved, and organise them in a logical order.
    • Problem-solving: When they are faced with a problem, sequencing helps children break it down into smaller, more manageable steps.
    • Working memory: Holding information in mind and manipulating it, such as remembering the steps in a multi-step direction, is supported by sequencing skills.
    • Cognitive flexibility: Being able to adjust to changes in a sequence or think of alternative sequences promotes cognitive flexibility.

    Examples of sequencing activities

    Here are some practical examples of sequencing activities you can do with your child:

    • Picture sequencing: Use a set of picture cards to tell a short story or illustrate a process (e.g., making a sandwich, going to the park). Ask your child to arrange the cards in the correct order.
    • Story retelling: After reading a story, have your child retell it, focusing on the order of events.
    • Following instructions: Give your child multi-step instructions to follow (e.g., ‘First, get your shoes. Then, put on your coat. Next, go to the door.’).
    • Sequencing during play: Integrate sequencing into everyday play. For example, while building with blocks, talk about the steps: ‘First, we put this block here. Next, we add this one…’
    • Daily routines: Create visual schedules for daily routines, like getting ready for school or bedtime, to help children understand the sequence of events.
    • In the video clip below I am using an on-line language activity which is often fun for children as they can use their finger to swipe the pictures effortlessly into the right place and, if we realise at the end of the story that we have made a little error, we can then easily re-jig the pictures into their correct place.

    In conclusion

    Sequencing activities offer a powerful way to support children’s language development and enhance their executive functioning skills. By helping children understand and create order, we equip them with essential tools for communicating, learning, and navigating the world around them.

    Do get in touch via my contact form if you are concerned about your child’s development.

    Sonja McGeachie

    Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

    Owner of The London Speech and Feeding Practice.

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

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

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    Principles of motor learning in Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding

    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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    The joy of container play: Exploring play development and understanding of how things work

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding
    The joy of container play
    Designed by Freepik

    Have you heard the term ‘Container play’? I use this very often with children in my sessions as it is so versatile and an enjoyable activity that can be done in parallel with a child or together. Container play is a powerful tool for fostering development in young children, especially those with developmental delays. This seemingly mundane activity provides a rich environment for sensory exploration, motor skill development, and cognitive growth.

    What is container play?

    Container play involves children interacting with various containers—boxes, buckets, bowls, cups, various bags, etc.—and filling, emptying, and transferring objects within and between them. Objects can include literally anything: small beads, bead chains, table tennis balls, wooden pegs, dinosaurs or any other little person toy, blocks of varying sizes, sand, water, or any other safe material. Larger containers obviously take larger items: socks, stuffed animals, bigger balls, bigger blocks etc really the choices are endless.

    Benefits for children with developmental delays:

    Sensory exploration:

    • Touch: Children explore different textures and temperatures of containers and objects.
    • Sight: They observe how objects look inside and outside the containers, how light reflects off them, and how colours change.
    • Sound: They listen to the sounds of objects clinking, rattling, and splashing.
    • Proprioception: Filling and emptying containers helps develop body awareness and spatial awareness.

    For neurodivergent children who might have sensory regulation difficulties, consider the following adaptions to accommodate your child’s sensory needs:

    • Over-stimulation: For children who are easily overstimulated, start with simple setups using a limited number of containers and objects. Gradually increase the complexity as they tolerate it.
    • Under-stimulation: For children who seek sensory input, provide a variety of textures and materials, such as sand, water, slime, or beans.
    • Temperature: Offer a variety of temperature options. Some children may enjoy warm water or cool sand.
    • Lighting: Adjust the lighting to create a calming or stimulating environment.
    • Focus on one sense at a time: Initially, focus on one sensory aspect, such as the feel of sand or the sound of water.
    • Weighted containers: Use heavy containers filled with rice or beans to provide deep pressure input.
    • Fidget toys: Incorporate fidget toys into the activity to provide sensory input and help with self-regulation.
    • Tactile exploration: Encourage exploration of different textures using objects with varying surfaces.

    Fine motor skill development:

    • Hand-eye coordination: Scooping, pouring, and transferring objects require precise hand-eye coordination.
    • Pincer grasp: Picking up small objects helps develop fine motor skills like the pincer grasp.
    • Strength and dexterity: Manipulating containers and objects strengthens hand muscles and improves dexterity. Opening and closing containers can be a huge area of interest; how does the top screw back on, or off?

    Cognitive development:

    • Cause and effect: Children learn that their actions (e.g., pouring water or sand) have consequences (e.g., the water spills).
    • Spatial awareness: They develop an understanding of concepts like inside, outside, full, empty, and over/under; also how big is the vessel and how much goes in before it’s full or spills over. How small is the vessel opening and what do I need to do to get the beads into the container.
    • Problem-solving: Children learn to solve problems, such as how to get an object out of a narrow container or how to transfer water without spilling.

    Social and emotional development:

    • Communication: Container play can encourage communication as children interact with others, sharing toys and commenting on their actions. Asking for help to open and close a container is often a great opportunity to practise ‘help me’ or ‘open it’
    • Turn-taking: Sharing containers and materials helps children learn to take turns and cooperate.
    • Sensory regulation: For children with sensory sensitivities, container play can be a calming and self-regulating activity.

    Tips for engaging children in container play:

    • Create a safe and inviting environment. A shower curtain on the floor makes things easier for tidy up afterwards. And it allows for spillages.
    • Provide a variety of containers: Use different sizes, shapes, and materials. Use containers that are visually interesting and pleasing, perhaps a festive biscuit tin, or a tin that looks like train engine. Use see-through containers at first which make the filling and emptying more obvious. This is important for children who have no previous experience with this type of play and need to ‘warm up’ to it. Once a child loves and is used to container play you can go wild with all types of containers.
    • Offer a variety of objects: Include balls, blocks, sand, water, and other age-appropriate materials.
    • Join in the fun! Start off the process, show your child what the joy of the activity is for yourself, how fun it is to fill and empty containers, provide enough containers for your child to start playing alongside you, and comment on their actions.
    • Follow your child’s lead: Allow them to explore and experiment at their own pace.
    • Adapt activities: Adjust the level of challenge based on your child’s abilities and interests.

    Container play is a simple yet powerful tool that can support the overall development of young children, especially those with developmental delays. By providing a rich and engaging sensory experience, container play can help children build essential skills in motor, cognitive, social, and emotional domains.

    If you have any questions or would like to have more in-depths demonstration of this or other play styles for your child please contact me.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    Sonja McGeachie

    Early Intervention Speech and Language Therapist

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

    The London Speech and Feeding Practice

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

    1
  • · ·

    Speech sounds practice at home

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding

    Speech therapists use a variety of tools to help children master specific sounds, and then the students are sent home with some practice sheets to use daily. Parents are able to observe what we do in the session, but I know that back at home three days later they can’t quite remember what it was all about and how to do the practice.

    Here I explain the importance of visual cues, finger shapes, pictures, and semantic prompts (fancy speech therapy term for word clues!). By understanding these tools, you can turn practice time into a fun and engaging experience for both of you.

    Why Visual Cues matter?

    Imagine learning a new language just by listening. It’s tough, right? Young children learning new speech sounds face a similar challenge. Visual cues act like flashcards for their minds, giving them a clear picture of how to position their mouth and tongue.

    • Mirrors: Encourage your child to watch your face (and theirs) in the mirror as you make the sound together. This helps them see the tongue placement and lip movements required.
    • Mouth pictures: Speech therapy sheets often have pictures of mouths making specific sounds. Point to the picture and explain how the tongue and lips look, then have your child try to imitate it.
    • Your face is the best cue! Don’t underestimate the power of your own face. Over-enunciate the sound and let your child observe your mouth movements. Watch this little video clip where I am teaching the /SH/ sound to my little student. You cannot see him but we are both sitting on the floor opposite one another so that he can see me easily.

    Finger fun: making sounds with our hands

    Finger shapes are another powerful tool in my speech therapy arsenal. Think of them as fun reminders of how to position the tongue.

    • ‘Open Wide’ fingers: For sounds like /AH/ and /OH/, hold your fingers wide apart, mimicking an open mouth.
    • ‘Tongue Up’ fingers: For sounds like /T/ and /D/, touch the tip of your thumb to your other fingers, creating a little ‘wall’ like the tongue tip touches the teeth ridge.
    • ‘Snake Tongue’ fingers: For the /S/ sound, wiggle your pinky finger to represent the snake-like tongue tip.
    • In this little video clip I am demonstrating the C-shape moving forward which I had taught my child, showing how the windy sound (/SH/) travels forward with lips open and slightly pursed.

    Bringing sounds to life with pictures

    Pictures serve as visual prompts to connect the sound with a familiar word.

    • Video clip: I am using the WINDY SOUND picture and the FLAT TYRE sound picture to represent /SH/ and /S/ respectively
    • Point and Say: Point to each picture and say the word clearly, emphasising the target sound. Encourage your child to repeat.

    Unlocking sounds with semantic prompts

    Semantic prompts are fancy words for clues that help your child guess the target sound. They can be simple questions or descriptive words.

    • ‘Can you feel the wind whooshing?’ (/SH/)
    • Think of tyre going flat, or a balloon losing air, or a train coming to a slow halt (/S/)

    Practice makes progress, but fun makes it funnier!

    Remember, the key is to keep practice sessions light and engaging. Here are some extra tips:

    • Short and sweet: Stick to short practice times (5-10 minutes) to avoid frustration.
    • Make it a routine: Integrate practice time into your daily routine, like after breakfast or before bedtime.
    • Positive reinforcement: Celebrate your child’s efforts with praise and high fives!
    • Make it multisensory: Incorporate sensory activities like blowing bubbles for /F/ or feeling the wind for /SH/.

    Parents you’re a vital part of your child’s speech development, and together we can make huge progress quickly.

    Please contact me if your child has speech sound difficulties.

    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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