Speech & Language Therapy
Information for Parents & Carers
Helping your Child with
Unclear Speech
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Some children have difficulty learning to listen to and use the correct
speech sounds in words, sentences and during conversation. For
example, they may say tat for cat, dock for sock, boon for spoon.
Here are some general ideas we hope may be useful before your child
sees a Speech and Language Therapist.
Don’t make your child repeat words
Instead, repeat what the child has said but say it
correctly. For example, if you child says “I want
my big tar!” – you could say “You want your big
car”. Make the “c” a little louder than the other
sounds. Remember at this point your child may
not be able to say it correctly, so your aim is for
your child just to hear how it should be said.
Encourage gesture and pointing
Let your child take you to the item if necessary or point to it. If it is not
within the room, show them that it is alright to gesture with their hands;
so us the action of drinking to ask for drink or to make a train action to
request a toy train. In everyday situations try to make gestures
yourself as you say words, e.g., driving action when going out in the car.
This will give your child the idea.
Narrow down the topic your child is talking about
For example, “are you telling me about something on the telly?” or “are
you talking about something that happened in school?” Let you child
answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to help you tune-in and continue the conversation.
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Build self esteem
If you have understood part of your child’s conversation,
repeat is back. This will show them that they have been
understood and may encourage them to say more. Give
praise for other things they do well, such as listening and
trying.
Reduce any possible frustration or embarrassment for your child
Use comments such as ‘Mummy wasn’t listening properly’. This is much
better than saying “I don’t understand what you said” (which can make
the child feel they are not speaking well). You may want to encourage
your child to tell you at a later time, if you are unable to understand.
Don’t pretend to understand
Instead, try asking questions or saying “Show me….” Encourage the use
of gesture and mime as well as your child taking you to things.
Finally, check that your child is hearing well. Ask your Health
Visitor, GP or School Health Nurse about a hearing test if you are
concerned. Even if this is fine, make a point of speaking slowly and
clearly to your child as a general rule, so that they hear good examples
of speech production and can more easily learn the rules about how
words are pronounced.
Remember that what your child says (the content) is more important
than how they say it.
It is important for children to enjoy having conversations and to feel
that they are doing well communicating with others.
Useful Websites
www.ican.org.uk/talkingpoint
www.afasic.org.uk/pdf/improving-the-making-of-sounds.pdf
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Sometimes it might not be the right time for you (or your child) to
commit to speech and language therapy for your own personal
reasons. Please be honest about this and be aware that if you do not
attend appointments without letting us know you will be discharged.
For further information please contact:
Speech and Language Therapy Service on 01633 431633
8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday or visit our website at
www.sltgwentabhb.nhs.uk
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Expiry Date:- September 2017
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