Children learn most of the speech-sounds in English from ages 1-6 years in a generally predictable order. When children have trouble with a sound or multiple sounds, we get lots of questions from parents about how we can help:
"How do you teach this sound?"
"What does therapy look like?"
"How long will it take?"
"Should I wait until s/he is older?"
These are great questions!
SLPs are trained in a variety of techniques to teach children speech sounds. We use our fingers, mouths, pictures, videos, tools, and words to show children what they need to do. And yes, even toddlers can learn new sounds in therapy!
We build this speech-sound work into play, because play is how children are motivated and learn. For younger children, this might be in pretend play or structured toys. For older children, this is often within turns of board games.
Traditional articulation treatment follows a hierarchy of increasingly complex steps, similar to climbing a ladder. This "speech-sound ladder" illustrates the steps of therapy. The length of time varies from child to child. We can usually offer estimates of therapy length after a few sessions, once we see how quickly the child responds to our techniques and how quickly they are climbing this ladder. Frequent home practice helps children climb these steps even faster!
When children need help with speech production, early intervention is best. Progress is often faster when children are younger. Additionally, improved speech clarity supports social interactions and relationships. It also helps with early reading and spelling, once children enter school.
If you have questions about your child's speech sounds, consult with a speech-language pathologist (SLP). We can help!
