Blog for Parents

Blog for Parents

most common speech sound goals

5 of the Most Common Speech Sound Goals & How to Treat Them

January 20, 2025 No Comments

Supporting young students in speech therapy is a rewarding process— but sometimes difficult as well. As an elementary SLP, you’re already familiar with the unique challenges that students face in mastering speech sound disorders. Intelligible speech is important for academic success, relationships with peers, and so much more. Let’s explore five of the most common speech sound goals, how to differentiate instruction for individual needs, and interactive resources you can use to help students reach these goals. What to Know about Speech Sound Disorders Before beginning therapy sessions with your students, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of both

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most common language goals

An SLP’s Guide to Treating 5 of the Most Common Language Goals 

January 7, 2025 No Comments

If you feel like you’re in a Groundhog Day loop, there’s a good reason for it! Many of your students likely come to you with the same language goals, even if they need slightly different approaches. Language delays are found in children with a variety of needs and diagnoses, and it’s likely that you will need to address foundational skills for many students. Let’s dive into some of the most common language goals and identify engaging and effective ways to approach them! What You Need to Know About Language Delays Language delays are often associated with a variety of childhood

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impacts of covid-19 on communication

Impacts of COVID-19 on Communication: Key Factors for Parents & SLPs

December 16, 2024 No Comments

The COVID-19 pandemic left a lasting impact on many parts of life, including children’s speech and language development. Since the lockdown in 2020, there has been a significant increase in children with speech and language delays. For both parents and SLPs, understanding the root causes of these issues and addressing the delays is vital to the success of these children. Let’s consider the impacts of COVID-19 on communication and what can be done to help families and their children! Silent Impact of COVID-19 on Communication Development While physical health concerns were at the forefront of COVID-19, the results were so

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treating phonological processing disorders

Everything You Need to Know to Begin Treating Phonological Processing Disorders 

September 9, 2024 No Comments

Treating phonological processing disorders is a key piece of what you do as a pediatric SLP. It’s important to understand how phonological processing disorders differ from other speech sound disorders, how to get caregivers on board, and how to choose the best treatment approaches to help your clients. You CAN help children develop more intelligible speech and set them up on a path for successful communication all of their lives! Understanding Phonological Processing Disorders Before you begin to educate caregivers about phonological processing disorders (PPDs), it’s important to ensure you have a solid understanding of this type of speech sound

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How to Support Caregivers with Research Strain

September 18, 2023 No Comments

Research strain is a common issue for caregivers navigating a new diagnosis or when they’ve recently become aware of a developmental delay. If you’re an early intervention or preschool speech-language pathologist, recognizing this common issue and learning how to support caregivers with research strain will result in a more successful therapy experience. Researching the causes of developmental delays It’s a natural response for caregivers to search for a cause of a developmental delay or diagnosis especially if the family feels surprised by the information. It’s a way to try and regain some control over a situation that may feel overwhelming

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small boy looking at bubbles

Speech Regressions in Toddlers: Why They Happen and How to Help

August 28, 2023 No Comments

Have you heard the comment, “Contact your pediatrician if you notice a regression in skills?”… Let’s talk about what speech regressions really mean, why they happen, and how to help. What is a Speech Regression? Regression is a decline in skills. This occurs when a child is not performing skills they once were able to.  In regards to speech and language, this might look like a toddler who: stops using words to make requests and now uses jargon or crying has a significant decrease in interaction with other children or adults and seems much more focused on solitary play stops

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SLP working with child with apraxia

Understanding Childhood Apraxia of Speech: A Beginner’s Guide for Parents and SLPs

August 14, 2023 No Comments

Maybe you’re familiar with the term “childhood apraxia of speech” or not. Your child may have recently received this diagnosis, or you have a suspecting child on your caseload. Either way, there’s always more to learn about this rare speech disorder! Read on to learn more about what childhood apraxia of speech is, the likelihood of it to occur, telltale signs, and what to expect in an evaluation and therapy in this beginner’s guide to all things childhood apraxia of speech.  What is Childhood Apraxia of Speech? Childhood apraxia of speech (also referred to as CAS) is a neurological motor

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kids working on carryover of their articulation skills

4 Tried-and-True Strategies for Effective Carryover in Articulation Therapy

July 31, 2023 No Comments

Kids often get stuck in therapy. They can make a sound (or sounds) in structured activities but need help to move beyond that. The answer to this dilemma is they are lacking in CARRYOVER. Implementing carryover activities in articulation therapy is essential, and they don’t have to be difficult either!  Try these 4 tried-and-true strategies for effective carryover in your articulation therapy sessions TODAY!  Start Early! First thing’s first– know that you should start addressing carryover skills as soon as possible! By implementing carryover strategies in small chunks over the entire course of a child’s therapy journey, you’re instilling self-confidence

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young child with IFSP playing

IEP and IFSP: A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding All Things IEP and IFSP

July 3, 2023 No Comments

IEP and IFSP– these might be acronyms you’ve heard before or they may sound like you need to start singing the ABCs. Either way, lean in and let me teach you all you need to know about these terms and what they mean for you and your child.  What are They? IEP stands for Individualized Education Plan. It is an educational document describing the services and accommodations needed for children with disabilities ranging in age from 3 to 21. IFSP stands for Individualized Family Service Plan. An IFSP is used to outline services needed for children with delays from birth

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young child with a walker showing new milestones

SLP Expert Opinion: Milestones vs Averages and Why Developmental Milestones Have Changed

June 19, 2023 1 Comment

You’re frustrated. Other kids the same age as your child are talking so much more than yours is, but your pediatrician is saying there is nothing to worry about. People are saying the developmental milestones changed recently too. What does all this mean, and what should you do next? Let’s dive right in and answer these questions! The Pediatrician Says Don’t Worry There’s a lot of talk about milestones when you have little ones, but one of the most frequently asked questions I hear is “Why don’t the milestones SLPs talk about match what my child’s pediatrician says?”  This is

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Scissor Activities in Speech

Scissor Activities in Speech

September 12, 2022 No Comments

Are you the type of SLP who is always up for a good craft, or does the idea of “art” make you sweat? Incorporating scissor activities in the speech room can be a way to bridge these two styles. Why work on scissor skills? Child development skills Scissor practice works on several childhood development skills, including bilateral coordination, eye-hand coordination and develops hand strength. The two most important to me as an SLP are bilateral coordination and hand strength. Bilateral coordination Bilateral coordination is the ability for our brain to use both sides at once. This not only helps with

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Miniature Objects vs. Picture Cards in Articulation Therapy

September 8, 2022 No Comments

Where do you fall in the debate over using miniature objects vs. picture cards in speech sessions? Most SLPs have a definite preference for one. There are a few (like me!) who tend to drift back and forth depending on the child or the target.  Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using each in articulation based speech therapy sessions. Using miniature objects in speech Speech miniatures are so cute! You see the IG posts, and they look fun and engaging. They really are! But there’s a lot more to it than that. Pros Participation Miniature objects

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Expecations for speech clarity

Expectations for Speech Clarity

September 1, 2022 No Comments

Parents are often confused by speech clarity guidelines especially when it comes to late talkers. If you can’t understand what your child is trying to tell you, isn’t that a clarity issue? Not necessarily. Late talkers are limited with how much language they have which means they struggle to communicate their wants, needs, and feelings. But there are other children who have language skills within expected ranges that are hard to understand because of they way they form their speech sounds. How do speech sounds develop? Many children don’t develop all mature speech sounds in the English language until they’re

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young girl holding book in speech

Using Books in Speech Therapy

August 25, 2022 No Comments

Speech-language pathologists know using books is one of the BEST ways to build language, but are often quick to assign that task to caregivers. Our graduate school classes are great at telling us the “why” we should do something but tend to be weaker in the “how.” If you don’t get experience working with another therapist who incorporates books into the therapy room, it’s easy to feel a little uncertain as to how to do it. The challenges of using books in speech therapy It takes a looong time. Most story books are long especially if they are designed for

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happy girl on slide action word

Why Action Words are Important

August 22, 2022 No Comments

The role of verbs in language development The first words children say are almost always labels for common (to them) objects or people. Makes sense, right? It’s easier to attach meaning to a noun especially one that we have a lot of experience or interaction with. As little ones start building their vocabulary, you’ll find they move on to a wider variety of words. Social words/greetings: These are words like “hi” and “bye” and ones that go along with social games like “peek-a-boo” (even if it’s shortened to just the “boo”). Verbs: These begin as labels for actions like “jump”

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cute puppet for feed me game

Feed Me Games for Speech Therapy

August 15, 2022 No Comments

“Feed Me” games for speech therapy are classics because they: are easy to set up engage kids for a long time While they are most often used for articulation trials, they can be used for a wide range of language goals too. Ready to add a “feed me” game to your speech therapy room? Let’s get started! What you need At it’s most basic, you’ll need something that “eats” and food to feed it, but that leaves space for a lot of creativity! As an Amazon affiliate, I may receive a small commission if you purchase products through my links.

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cute child saying first word

What counts as a first word?

August 11, 2022 No Comments

Parents are often surprised (and relieved) at our first meeting when I let them know that a lot of the communication their child is attempting does count as a first word. What counts as a first word? A word is any consistent, and generally unique label, for a specific object, person, action, etc. Here are a few things that count: Exclamations Environmental and animal sounds Signs Vocal approximations Exclamations: These are some of the first words little ones pick up because they are usually said with a lot of emphasis and intonation. These include “uh-oh” and “ow!” Environmental and animal

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sandcastle with ocean themes in speech therapy label

Ocean Themes in Speech Therapy

July 25, 2022 No Comments

When you think ocean themes in speech therapy are you assuming it’s for those of us who see students in the summer? It’s time to reconsider! Ocean themes cover a wide range of activities which means an even wider range of speech and language goals to target. Related themes or titles: Sea creatures Under the Sea Speech on the Beach Sharks Pirates A visit to the Aquarium Speech rooms love pirate themes in September to tie in with Talk Like a Pirate Day! Books with an Ocean Theme Links to purchase books may contain Amazon affiliate links. I receive a

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toddlers playing near each other

5 Types of Communication Intents

February 19, 2021 No Comments

Early language is more about communication intents than vocabulary. Let’s take a look at 5 types we see in early language. Requests When little ones need support with language skills, we tend to focus on requests. This is because: They’re usually very motivating They’re naturally reinforcing It’s easier to set up situations that encourage these interactions They make our days more manageable “Late talkers” have more frequent and bigger tantrums because they’re frustrated by their lack of language (aka their ability to tell you what they want). Helping them learn to express their wants and needs can decrease these outbursts.

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collage of moms playing with their children

What is your parenting play style?

January 18, 2021 No Comments

We all have different interests and different ways of learning. We can use these to find our parenting play style so we enjoy the activities we do with our kids as much as they do! For a quick, free quiz with suggestions for activities you’ll love, click here. Activities based on parenting style: Creative types love messy, hands-on projects. Try arts and crafts, cooking with kids, and sensory bins! You might also like dramatic play like dress-up and creating performances. Active types are ready to go when it comes to sports and other physical activities. You can try children’s sports

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