Most young children make speech errors.
Some children with additional needs find it hard to pronounce some speech sounds accurately.
Your child may benefit from speech therapy if speech errors:
- continue past the age when most children have mastered speech sounds
- are affecting how well they are understood
How to help with speech sounds
There are things you can do if your child is finding some speech sounds difficult.
Get on their level
Try to get down to your child’s level so that you are face-to-face with them when you are talking. This will help your child to see how you are moving your mouth to make sounds.
Talk slowly and try to make clear speech sounds.
Practise making speech sounds when looking in the mirror. For example, when you are brushing your teeth.
This can help your child see how they need to position the different parts of their mouth to get specific sounds.
Say it back the correct way
If your child mispronounces a word, try repeating it back in the correct way. Do not ask them to say it after you. You just want them to hear the sound.
For example, if they say, “I made a nake” you could say “you made a snake” - emphasising the ‘s’ sound.
Try other ways to communicate
If you do not understand what your child is saying, ask them to tell you in another way.
For example, they could show you using gestures or objects.
Even if you do not fully understand something they say, nod or smile and comment about what is happening. For example, “yes, we’re making play dough snakes”.
Play games where you listen to and practise different speech sounds in a fun, non-pressured way.
For example, play with a toy snake, saying the snake goes “sss”. You could pop bubbles, saying “pop”, or fly a toy plane, saying “vvv.”
Useful resources
What is typical speech sound development? (video)
When to get support
Contact a speech and language therapist (SLT) for advice and activities to help your child’s speech sound development.
This content was adapted from information provided by Enable Ireland.