Speech sounds practice at home

ByLondon Speech and Feeding July 15, 2024March 25, 2026

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.

Feeding · Speech and Language Therapy

Dynamic assessment – Let’s look beyond the checklist
ByLondon Speech and Feeding September 15, 2025November 6, 2025
As a parent, you’re always observing your child, celebrating his or her milestones, and sometimes, wondering if he or she is quite on track. When it comes to speech, language, play, attention, and listening, these early years are a whirlwind of development! It’s natural to seek guidance if you have concerns, and that’s where a truly comprehensive assessment comes in.

But what exactly does ‘comprehensive’ mean, especially when it goes beyond a typical checklist? You can find any number of check lists online these days but whilst they can give you an overall idea of what a child is typically expected to do at any given age, it can also start leading you into a rabbit hole of anxiety of ‘what-iffery’.

At The London Speech and Feeding Practice I believe in something far more insightful than a static evaluation: Dynamic Assessment. Think of it as an in-depth, interactive investigation into your child’s unique communication landscape, exploring not just what he or she can do, but how he or she learns and why he or she might be facing challenges. This is so important.

What makes an assessment ‘dynamic’?

Imagine trying to understand a child’s personality by just looking at a single photograph. It gives you a glimpse, but it hardly tells the whole story. Traditional, formal assessments, while valuable, can sometimes be like that photograph – a snapshot of skills at one specific moment.

Dynamic assessment, on the other hand, is a living, breathing process. It’s called ‘dynamic’ because:
- It’s interactive and responsive: It adapts to your child’s needs in real-time. It’s not about sticking rigidly to a pre-set schedule of tests. Instead, it’s about observing, gently prompting, and providing support to see how your child responds and learns. This allows me to understand his or her learning potential, not just his or her current performance.
- It’s holistic and multi-faceted: I look at the whole child. We delve deep into not just speech and language, but also his or her play skills (a crucial window into cognitive and social development), attention and listening abilities, and his or her social engagement. These areas are intricately linked, and a delay in one can often impact others.
- It integrates multiple perspectives: Your insights as a parent are invaluable! Before we even meet, my comprehensive onboarding questionnaire gathers essential background. During the assessment, your feedback, observations, and comments are woven into the fabric of our session. You are the expert on your child, and your voice is central to forming a complete picture.
More than just ‘speech’: A deep dive into development

You might initially be concerned about your child’s speech sounds, or perhaps his or her ability to form sentences. These are vital areas, but my approach goes much further. I’m keen to understand:
- The ‘why’ behind the ‘what’: Is a child struggling with language because of difficulties with understanding instructions (receptive language), or with expressing themselves (expressive language)? Are his or her attention skills impacting his or her ability to follow a conversation? Is his or her play demonstrating imaginative thought, or does he or she prefer more structured, repetitive activities? These nuances are critical.
- Differential diagnosis: This is where the skill of an experienced clinician truly comes into its own. Through dynamic assessment, I can differentiate between a developmental delay (where a child is following a typical progression but at a slower pace) and a disorder (where his or her development is following an atypical pattern). This distinction is vital because it guides the type of support and intervention that will be most effective. Understanding the cause of the delay or disorder is paramount to creating a targeted, impactful therapy plan.
The art of observation

While I draw upon evidence-based practice as well as a formal, standardised assessment as well as my extensive clinical knowledge, I also rely heavily on the art of observation. From the moment your child walks into the room, I’m establishing rapport, engaging them in play, and creating a safe, fun environment. It’s through this genuine interaction – often without them even realising they’re being ‘assessed’ – that the most authentic insights emerge.

This is where the magic happens:
- Building rapport: A child who feels comfortable and connected will show you so much more of his or her true abilities and personality. I pride myself on creating an atmosphere where children can relax and simply be themselves.
- Play as a window: Play isn’t just fun; it’s a child’s natural language. It reveals his or her understanding of the world, his or her problem-solving skills, his or her social engagement, and his or her ability to use symbols and language.
- Skilled interpretation: My years of experience allow me to see beyond surface-level behaviours and interpret the subtle cues that might indicate underlying strengths or challenges. This goes far beyond what any standardised test alone can capture.
Why choose a clinician who offers dynamic assessment?

In essence, a dynamic assessment provides a rich, nuanced, and truly personalised understanding of your child. It’s an investment in:
- Accuracy: Leading to a more precise diagnosis and understanding of his or her unique profile.
- Tailored support: Enabling the creation of highly individualised therapy goals that truly meet your child where he or she is and gently guide him or her forward.
- Empowerment: You’ll leave with not just answers, but also practical strategies and a clear path forward, feeling confident and informed.
If you’re seeking a thorough, empathetic, and truly insightful assessment for your child’s communication development in London, I invite you to get in touch. Let’s work together to unlock your child’s full potential.

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 · Neurodiversity · Speech and Language Therapy

Explaining pronoun reversal: A window into gestalt language processing
ByLondon Speech and Feeding April 2, 2025April 2, 2025
Have you noticed your child referring to themselves as ‘you’, or calling you ‘me’? This seemingly confusing mix-up of pronouns, known as pronoun reversal, often raises concerns for parents. Below I outline why your child does this and want to reassure you that it is to do with his or her unique language learning style.

Gestalt language processing: Learning in chunks

Many children, particularly those on the autism spectrum, use a gestalt language processing approach. Unlike analytic language processors who learn individual words and build sentences, gestalt language processors learn language in whole ‘chunks’ or ‘gestalts’. Think of these gestalts as pre-packaged scripts they pick up from their environment — phrases, sentences, even snippets of songs or movie lines.

As Marge Blanc, author of Natural language acquisition on the autism spectrum, explains, ‘When a child picks up an entire gestalt (script), he’s got the pronoun of the original speaker. So ‘pronoun reversal’ is nothing more than that.’

So your child is simply repeating what they’ve heard, without yet understanding the individual word meanings or grammatical functions.

Imagine your child hearing ‘You want a rice cake?’ repeated frequently. They might then use this phrase to express their own desire for a rice cake, even though it doesn’t grammatically fit. So they are thinking and saying ‘You want a rice cake?’ and the meaning of this phrase is: ‘I want a rice cake’. This isn’t a sign of confusion, but a natural step in their language development. They’re working with the tools they have: the scripts they’ve acquired.

How can we support their natural language journey

Instead of trying to ‘correct’ pronoun usage, our role as caregivers and speech therapists is to support the child’s natural language progression. Here’s how we can do this:
1. Learn about their gestalt stage and run with it: In the early stages (1–3) of gestalt language development, correcting pronouns can be counterproductive. These children are still processing language as whole units, not individual words. Direct corrections can lead to frustration and hinder their natural language exploration.
2. Patience and trust: Gestalt language processing follows a predictable, albeit sometimes non-linear, path. By understanding their current stage, we can provide targeted support. Language sampling and scoring, guided by the Natural Language Acquisition framework, help us pinpoint their stage and tailor our approach.
3. Model language strategically: In the early stages, avoid using pronouns like ‘you’ and ‘you’re’. Instead, model language from the child’s perspective or use joint perspectives. For example, instead of ‘Are you thirsty?’, try ‘I’m thirsty!’ or ‘Let’s get some water’,
The big picture: Language unfolds naturally

Pronoun reversal is a stepping stone, not a stumbling block. As gestalt language processors progress, they begin to break down these gestalts into smaller units and develop their own self-generated language. This is when their understanding and use of pronouns naturally emerge.

By shifting our perspective from ‘error correction’ to ‘developmental support’, we create a nurturing environment for these children to thrive. We empower them to navigate their unique language journey, ultimately leading to more meaningful and independent communication.

So, to summarise:
- Pronoun reversal is a typical characteristic of early-stage gestalt language processing.
- Focus on modelling language from the child’s perspective or a joint perspective.
- Avoid correcting pronouns in the early stages.
- Trust the process and support the child’s natural language development.
Let’s celebrate the diverse ways our children learn to communicate and empower them to find their unique voice!

If you have any questions or would like some help with understanding your little gestalt language learner, please get in touch with me via my contact form.

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 · Echolalia · Speech and Language Therapy

Support your autistic child’s communication by learning the stages of Gestalt Language Processing
ByLondon Speech and Feeding September 28, 2022January 3, 2024

If your child is using echolalia and/or has a diagnosis of autism, then your child’s way of processing language is most likely different to the classic way children typically learn language. We call this process Natural Language Acquisition or Gestalt Language Processing.

Step by Step guide to Gestalt Learning

Let’s explore the following stages of Gestalt Processing:

Stage 1: communicative use of whole language gestalts

(e.g., “let’s get out of here”)

Children and young people in this stage use echolalia. They need to hear more gestalts or scripts. So, your job is to model, model, model and to use functional language that your child can repeat back.

Stage 2: mitigated into chunks and re-combining these chunks

(e.g., “let’s get” + “some more”) and (e.g., “let’s get” + “out of here”)

This is when you take parts of gestalts or phrases and then combine it with other parts.

Stage 3: further mitigation (single words recombining words, formulating two-word phrases)

(e.g., “get…more”)

They are going beyond their gestalts. Furthermore, they may begin to label different objects.

Stage 4: formulating first sentences

(e.g., “let’s get more toys”)

You may see more grammatical errors during this phase as they are creating unique sentences. Please don’t worry about this, it means they are playing and experimenting with language. As communication partners, you could model the correct form of the sentence.

Stages 5 & 6: formulating more complex sentences

(e.g., “how long do you want to play inside for?”)

You can see that language learning is a process, that is trialled and tested, used in different contexts for children to be able to learn and use language appropriately.

My next blog will give you activities ideas and how you might use them specifically with a Gestalt Language Processor.

Remember early intervention is vital. So, if you have any concerns, please seek the advice of a Speech and Language Therapist.

Contact me, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist Sonja here.

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

READ MORE Support your autistic child’s communication by learning the stages of Gestalt Language Processing
Speech and Language Therapy · Top tips

Principles of motor learning in childhood apraxia of speech: A guide for parents and therapists
ByLondon Speech and Feeding March 22, 2024March 22, 2024
Image by Freepik

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a complex neurological disorder that affects a child’s ability to plan and coordinate the movements necessary for speech production. Children with CAS often have difficulty with articulation, prosody, and fluency, making it challenging for them to communicate effectively. While there is no cure for CAS, speech and language therapy can significantly improve a child’s communication skills and overall quality of life. Understanding the principles of motor learning is crucial for both parents and speech therapists to support children with CAS on their speech journey.

What is MOTOR LEARNING?

Motor learning refers to the process of acquiring and refining new skills through practice and experience. This applies to all aspects of movement, including speech production. The brain constantly receives sensory information about the movements being made and adjusts them based on the desired outcome. A breakdown or interruption of this process can make it difficult for children to plan, sequence, and coordinate the intricate movements involved in speech.

What key principles do we use in speech and language therapy for motor learning?
- Task Specificity: Speech Therapy activities that directly target the specific speech sounds or skills your child is working on. For example, if your child is struggling with /p/, practising isolated /p/ sounds, words with /p/, and phrases with /p/ would be most beneficial.
- Massed vs. Distributed Practice: We consider the optimal amount and distribution of practice sessions throughout the day. Massed practice involves concentrated practice in a single session, while distributed practice spreads practice sessions throughout the day. The best approach depends on the individual child’s learning style and attention span.
- Feedback: We provide clear and immediate feedback to help your child understand the accuracy and effectiveness of their attempts. This feedback can be auditory, visual, or touch based.
- Error Correction: We aim to gently correct errors so that we can help your child refine their movements and avoid developing bad habits. The focus is on providing specific cues and guidance rather than simply pointing out mistakes.
- Variety and Progression: We gradually introduce new challenges and variations in speech therapy activities to prevent plateaus and maintain motivation.
- Motivation and Engagement: A big part of our work is to make therapy sessions fun and engaging to keep your child motivated and actively participating. We use games, songs, and activities that your child enjoys while incorporating targeted practice opportunities.
What about home work?

Yes we need your help and here are some examples of how this could look:
- Task Specificity: During story time, focus on practising target sounds present in the story. Have your child repeat words or phrases containing the sound and encourage them to identify the sound in other words.
- Massed vs. Distributed Practice: Instead of one long practice session, try shorter, more frequent sessions throughout the day. This can help maintain focus and prevent fatigue. It is recommended to go for 100 repetitions of the target sound per day, every day in between the sessions. We can decide together how you can best do that through either massed or distributed practice. We can decide after the session.
- Feedback: Use a mirror to provide visual feedback on lip and tongue placement during sound production. Record the child’s speech and play it back to help them self-monitor their accuracy.
I quite like this mirror below but any table top mirror will work as long as it is not too small. Your child should see their whole face easily.
- Error Correction: If the child makes an error, gently model the correct sound or movement without shaming or criticising. Provide specific cues such as ‘lips together’ for /p/ or ‘tongue up’ for /t/.
- Variety and Progression: We will guide you on exactly what words to practise so this is something you need not worry about.
- Motivation and Engagement: Use games, songs, and activities that your child enjoys. Play a game of ‘I Spy’ focusing on words with the target sound or create silly sentences with the sound to make practice fun.
Let’s work together!

It is crucial for parents, therapists, and other caregivers to work collaboratively to ensure a consistent and comprehensive approach to supporting your child’s speech development. Speech and Language Therapists can provide guidance and resources on implementing these principles at home, while parents can share observations and progress updates to inform therapy sessions.

Remember, every child with CAS learns at their own pace. By understanding and applying the principles of motor learning, parents and speech therapists can create a supportive and stimulating environment that empowers children with CAS to reach their full communication potential.

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.

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 · Neurodiversity · Speech and Language Therapy

How do we know our Gestalt Learner is moving to Stage 2?
ByLondon Speech and Feeding February 14, 2024February 14, 2024
Image by Freepik

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.

If you need help with your child, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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

Why Imitation is so Important
ByLondon Speech and Feeding December 1, 2021February 10, 2023

Why imitation is so important and how can speech and language therapy help children who struggle to imitate?

Imitation or copying starts in early infancy. When we observe a young baby and his parent or familiar adult we can see clearly and frequently that the baby will be intently looking at adult’s face and try to copy their facial expressions, smiles and all those funny baby sounds we often make with young babies.

These sounds are called “motherese” and are the beginnings of a little conversation between the parent and the baby. The “conversation can go back and forth for a long time and include sounds, as well as facial expressions.

A little later on, once the baby can crawl and sit up unaided the copying then goes on to include toys and objects. Mum or Dad will show their toddler how to use a drum or how to put a little train on the wooden tracks and the toddler will try and copy this. They may not succeed and be a little clumsy perhaps but the act of copying anything and everything their favourite adult does is typically seen throughout the day.

We all know and have laughed at mums or dads saying; ssshhh don’t say that in front of the baby he/she will copy you, watch your mouth! (as dad is swearing at the broken radiator….)

This imitation goes on for years and includes eventually of course little words, more words, putting words together and then creating sentences, all the while our toddler is listening to how their adults speak, not only what they say but how they say it. This is how dialects and accents can be transmitted easily from parent /family to child.

Copying in Children with Autism

We know that children with autism often struggle to imitate. We see children on the spectrum typically having great difficulty to copy adults or children; this can be seen in very reduced play with their peers in nursery for example.

Children with autism tend to have reduced joint attention and engagement with others and need to develop the ability and awareness to copy others in order to then engage more jointly with others.

Speech and Language Therapy can help with Parent Child Interaction work and Coaching, here is how:

During my coaching work with parents I teach step by step how to help a child who struggles to imitate:

We look at all the researched skills and actions that adults can take to help their little one to copy, starting with close observation of their child’s interests, then following and including their child’s play and copying/imitating their child in how they play. I teach steps in a graduated way so that it is easy to see the progress and joyful to have the results at the end.

The results are clear to see over time: our children on the spectrum learn to imitate actions, with objects and gestures, then sounds and words. Alongside this increased imitation skill the child can then develop more joint attention and engagement.

I would always recommend Parent Child Interaction Training as a first port of call as we learn so many great techniques which are well researched by the Hanen Programme, www.hanen.org. Do drop me a line if you would like to find out more.

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

READ MORE Why Imitation is so Important