AMAZINGLY EASY Activities that we can do at home and in the clinic to help our children practise those targets!
I bet you have wondered what amazing things are done by a therapist in the clinic that you could not possibly do at home…? Well, if so I am here to tell you that you will be absolutely fine with just a few select toys and games and you will be able to get those targets done in a jiffy!
What we clinicians do very well and what you probably can’t do yourself is formulate and design the targets that are important for your child to practice. Once we have assessed or reviewed your child’s progress and needs we can then design the perfect next step of targets for you.
So for example, we have decided your little one needs to be practicing their ‘r’ sounds at the beginning of short words. We decided that based on our clinical expertise and our assessment and we have already worked with your child and managed to get this tricky ‘r’ sound just about right on its own. Now we are ready for short word practice.
It has been researched that in order for the brain pathways to re-shape or reform we need to get about 100 words in per day of our target sound. That sounds like quite a lot, right? But actually….. it’s not that bad. After all you only need to say 5-7 words about 20 times and hey presto that’s about 80-100 words.
So here are some simple games I use in my clinic all the time and these games are easily available online or in your local toy shops and this is how to do them:
Pop the Pirate
Pop the Pirate, sooo good and popular:
Lay out your target words which you will have been given by your speech therapist and put a few swords on each word.
Each time your child picks up a sword they will need to say the target word 5 x, like:
rip rip rip rip rip or run run run run run just like that in a row, bish bash bosh.
Then they can stick the sword into the barrel. Onto the next sword which they can pick and then again
race race race race race and stick in another sword
So with this little lot I put out 5 target words and 3 swords on each.
You will therefore get…… 15 words per picture, and that makes….75 words , there that is nearly all you need to do.
If you then do another little game like this one:
Magnetic board game
This is a Magnetic Board game, and they are suddenly EVERYWHERE. But you could also just take a baking sheet and some fridge magnet you might have kicking about.
Same principle as before, but now since this is your SECOND game of the day and you have already got 75 targets under your belt you only need to do one more round of 5 target words each:
Each time your child picks up a magnet piece they will say the target word 5 more times:
Ray ray ray ray ray and DONE you will now at the end of this short round have 105!! target words done with just two little fun games.
How good is this? Your child won’t hardly notice that they are in fact doing their speech therapy homework.
You’re welcome 🙂
Get in touch if you would like me to help finding good targets for your child to work on. They can be speech and/or language targets with this game method.
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.
There are various great ways to treat speech sound disorders and I use all the approaches available selectively; I decide what works with each individual child and I also vary the approach depending on the child’s frame of mind at any given time during my session.
Some of the approaches are more “drill-based” and require a child to be able to pay attention and really participate actively in the therapy, and this is what I am showing you today with this video clip.
My little student here has been working with me for some time and from only saying a handful of words which were not very easy to understand he has come a long way. He does have some features of Verbal Dyspraxia which I shall briefly outline here:
Making sounds in general is a struggle, especially when asked to copy certain sounds, example: ‘can you say: a ee ou oo?”
Repeating sound sequences or words sequences is hard, for example: “say p-t-k in sequence” or “say fish chips fish chips fish chips
When saying the same word again and again, different mistakes can be heard
Intonation difficulties: speech sounds monotonous
Vocabulary is very limited
Some therapy approaches are more play based, for example the Core Word method: here we pick a few words at a time which are very significant to the child and therefore highly motivating to try and say. These could be characters of Pokemon or Minecraft for example, or simple words like “GO!”
When you watch the video you will see that I use a lot of visual prompting, such as showing him where the tongue is moving to or from. I do this with my index finger and this approach is called Tactile Cueing or “Cued Articulation”. Part of the approach is to give a visual prompt and then reduce the prompt as the learner is more able to produce the correct sounds. Once he can produce the sound on its own, we quickly move to the sound within a word.
I do mix and match my approaches and in fact here I am drilling but I also use the Core Word which for him (YELLOW) — it’s his favourite colour and I happen to have quite a few good games where a YELLOW something or other can be asked for….. WHO KNEW!? 🙂
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
If you’ve found yourself wondering ‘Why can my child say a word one day, but not at all the next?’ it might be that your child has a motor speech difficulty. This means the challenge isn’t that your child doesn’t know what they want to say; it’s that their brain finds it harder to plan and coordinate the movements needed for clear speech. This speech difficulty is called Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
In this post, I’ll explain what CAS can look like in 2–5 year olds, what an assessment usually involves, and what you can start doing at home to support your child without turning life into ‘speech homework all day long’.
What is childhood apraxia of speech (CAS)?
Children with CAS often have lots to communicate about (and strong ideas!) but their speech may come out as:
Unclear
inconsistent
hard to ‘copy’ on demand
frustrating for them and for you
CAS is not caused by laziness and it is not a parenting issue. It is also not something children simply ‘grow out of’ without support. But with the right therapy approach, children can absolutely build clearer speech over time.
Many families come to me after months (or years) of being told:
‘She’ll talk when she is ready’
‘He’s just shy’
‘It’s probably a speech delay’
‘It’s normal for toddlers’
And sometimes it is a general delay. But sometimes it’s something more specific, like CAS.
There’s also been a huge rise in parents seeking information online, and CAS is often mentioned alongside speech sound difficulties such as:
phonological delay (pattern-based speech errors)
articulation difficulties (one sound that won’t come out clearly)
inconsistent speech disorder
These can look similar at first glance, which is why a specialist assessment matters.
Signs of childhood apraxia of speech in 2–5 year olds
Children develop speech at different rates, and not every unclear speaker has CAS. But here are some common features that may raise a flag, especially when you notice several together.
1) Inconsistent speech errors
Your child might say the same word in different ways:
‘banana’ → nana / baba / mana
‘daddy’ → gaga / daddy / dadi
This inconsistency is one of the biggest clues.
2) Difficulty copying words on request
Some children speak more easily in natural play, but when asked ‘Say ___’, they freeze or the word becomes much harder.
3) Limited sound repertoire
They may use only a small set of consonants (like /M/, /N/, /B/, /D/) and avoid others.
4) Vowel distortions
Many children with typical delays mainly struggle with consonants. But in CAS, vowels can also sound ‘off’ or change between attempts.
5) Speech that sounds effortful
You might notice your child:
pauses between sounds
tries multiple times
looks like they’re ‘searching’ for the right mouth movement
6) Longer words are much harder
‘Car’ might be easier than ‘carry’, and ‘carry’ easier than ‘caterpillar’.
7) Prosody differences (rhythm and stress)
Some children with CAS sound a little unusual in their speech rhythm, stress, or intonation.
8) Frustration or reduced confidence
When a child is frequently misunderstood, they may:
talk less
use gestures more
become upset when asked to repeat themselves
Important note: none of these signs alone prove CAS but they are a strong reason to seek a speech assessment rather than waiting.
CAS vs phonological delay vs articulation difficulty (quick guide)
These are some of the most common questions I hear.
If it’s mainly an articulation difficulty…
A child may consistently say one sound incorrectly (for example, ‘thun’ for ‘sun’- lisp- but everything else is developing well.
If it’s mainly a phonological delay…
You might notice clear patterns, like:
leaving off the ends of words (‘ca’ for ‘cat’)
swapping back sounds for front sounds (‘tar’ for ‘car’)
Patterns are often consistent and respond well to phonology-based therapy.
If it might be CAS…
Speech often feels less predictable, harder to imitate, and more impacted by word length and complexity.
If you’re unsure, that’s completely normal, and exactly why assessment matters.
What happens in a CAS assessment?
A high-quality speech assessment for possible CAS usually includes:
1) Parent discussion and developmental history
We talk about:
pregnancy and birth history (where relevant)
feeding history
early sounds and babbling
first words and how speech has progressed
family history of speech/language needs
2) A speech sound assessment
Your child might be shown pictures or play-based prompts so we can hear:
what sounds they can say
what they simplify
whether errors are consistent or inconsistent
3) An oral-motor and movement check
This isn’t about ‘strength’. It’s about coordination and planning. We look at how your child manages speech movements and transitions.
4) Stimulability testing
This means: how easily can your child learn a new sound or word with support?
For CAS, we often explore how they respond to:
slowed-down speech
visual cues
rhythm/tapping
short, simple syllable shapes
5) Functional communication and confidence
We look at how speech impacts daily life:
being understood at nursery
joining in with peers
asking for help
managing emotions when misunderstood
At the end, you should leave with:
a clear explanation of what we think is going on
a therapy plan
practical home strategies
realistic next steps
What parents can do at home
Here are CAS-friendly strategies you can start right away.
1) Choose ‘power words’
Pick 1–2 words that matter most in your child’s daily life, such as:
more
help
mummy
again
stop
open
These words are motivating and functional.
2) Keep it short and successful
For many children with CAS, the goal is quality over quantity.
Try five minutes a day rather than 30 minutes of struggle.
3) Support speech with rhythm
Some children benefit from:
tapping a beat on the table
clapping syllables
using a gentle ‘marching’ rhythm
This can help the brain organise the sequence of movements.
4) Celebrate approximations
If your child says ‘moh’ for ‘more’, that’s communication!
We want them to feel:
safe
understood
proud to try again
Confidence is a key part of progress.
A short parent story (anonymised)
One mum said to me:
‘We kept being told to wait. But I could see my child understood everything; they just couldn’t get the words out. Once we had an assessment and a plan, it felt like we finally knew what to do. The biggest change was his confidence. He started trying more.’
When should you seek support?
You don’t need to wait until school.
It’s worth getting an assessment if your child is:
hard to understand compared with peers
becoming frustrated or withdrawing from talking
inconsistent with words they used to say
struggling to imitate speech sounds
showing signs that match CAS
Early support can reduce stress for the whole family and help your child feel successful in communication.
Here’s how I can help:
✅ A detailed speech assessment (including whether CAS is likely)
✅ A clear therapy plan with realistic goals
✅ Practical home strategies you can use immediately
✅ Support for nurseries and schools (where needed)
✅ In-person sessions in North-West London and online options
Your child is communicating the best way they can, and with the right support, speech can become easier, clearer, and more confident.
Sonja McGeachie
Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Owner of The London Speech and Feeding Practice.
Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.
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!
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 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.
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.
This particular student has a mild motor planning difficulty and six weeks ago he came to me with a very strong lisp. In addition to the lisp he is struggling to produce a number of sounds, SH and L on its own and all the clusters (FL/BL/KL/PL) but also CH together with some vowel difficulties.
Here I use the ‘Flat Tyre’ Sound, to offer as an image for a new S sound and the ‘Tick Tock’ Sound for a new image of the T sound. Both cards are from the Bjorem Speech Sound Deck, which I love and use almost daily.
Gestural Cues
I like to use all the ‘cued articulation’ hand cues by Jane Passy for consonants and fricatives. Here we use our fingers and hand to illustrate what our tongue does, and we also show whether a sound is voiced or voiceless. When I use one finger it is voiceless (k/f/s/p) and when I use two fingers for the same cue it means that the voice needs to be turned on: (g/v/z/b/n/m). For vowels I like to use Pam Marshalla’s cue system.
Simultaneous production
We say the word together.
Direct imitation
I say the word and my student copies me directly.
Imitation after a delay
I say the word and then after a little wait my student says the word.
Spontaneous production
My student has now learned to say the word by him/herself.
Offering feedback
It sounds like… I just heard… I didn’t hear the first sound there? Can you try again?
Letting the student reflect
By just shaking my head or by looking quizzical so that my student realises something didn’t quite go right.
Postitive reinforcement
‘Yes that was it, do it again, nice one…’
Cognitive reframing
This is a technique where we identify different semantic cues and metaphors or imagery cues, so instead of teaching or focusing on a sound we try out viewing each syllable from a different point of view.
For example: ‘yellow’. I have had great success with this one: we start with just saying ‘yeah yeah yeah’. I might make a little joke and say something like ‘imagine your mum says tidy your bedroom, what do you say or what do you think?’ Answer: ‘yeah yeah yeah’. Then we practice ‘low’ together, I might blow some bubbles high and low and we talk about ‘low’. And then we put ‘Yeah’ and ‘Low’ together and now we have YELLOW!! It might at first still sound a bit odd, like ‘yea-low’ but we soon shape that up and have the real word.
Each student is different and having a great rapport is crucial to our success.
Then a little game break after some 7–10 or so repetitions and always trying to finish on a positive note.
What game breaks do I use:
Very quick ones! Students can post something, place a counter in a game, take out a Jenga block from the tower, pop in a counter for ‘connect 4’, stick a sword into the Pop the Pirate barrel or add a couple of Lego blocks to something they are building.
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.
