10 Tips for Parents of Children with Speech Sound Delays
Facing speech sound delays in young children, where "car" becomes "tar" and "fish" is "wish," is a common challenge for many families. Finding ways to support your child before their appointment with a Speech Pathologist can feel overwhelming. Here are some practical tips to assist your child in their everyday conversations:
Nurture Confidence: Boosting your child's confidence is paramount. Avoid discussing their speech issues in their presence, discourage imitation or teasing from others, and genuinely praise them daily.
Minimize Distractions: Background noise like TV or music can hinder your child's ability to focus on sounds. Create a quiet environment for conversation by pausing distractions when speaking.
Check Hearing: Recurrent glue ear, affecting around 30% of children with speech difficulties, can impair hearing. Get your child's hearing checked if they struggle with speech sounds.
Sound Play: Engage in fun sound activities like singing, rhyming, or clapping out syllables to help your child develop speech sounds.
Model Speech: Children learn by watching and imitating. Sit face-to-face with your child so they can observe how you articulate sounds.
Reinforce, Don't Correct: Instead of constantly correcting your child's speech, focus on understanding their message and subtly repeat back correctly to reinforce the right pronunciation.
Socialise: Encourage your child to interact with peers as they learn a great deal from each other.
Quality Talk Time: Dedicate regular calm, interactive sessions with your child, engaging in activities like storytelling, painting, or board games, to promote speech sound learning and confidence.
Interpretation: Be prepared to interpret for your child in new social situations to facilitate smooth conversation and bolster their confidence.
Seek Professional Guidance: While some speech substitutions are normal, others may signal underlying issues. Consult an experienced Speech Pathologist to assess your child's speech and provide guidance tailored to their needs.
Remember, every child is unique, and support strategies may vary. Seeking professional help early ensures your child receives the necessary assistance to overcome speech challenges.