How to Encourage Speech Therapy Skills at Home

Group speech and language therapy can be so beneficial for children, but the sessions are usually only one or two hours a week. Children need multiple repetitions, people and environments to learn and practice new skills. If you want to increase your child’s speech and language skills, try some of these tips at home to help support what they are learning in language therapy. The more children are exposed to the strategies and skills they learn, the more progress they will make. Incorporate these tips at home, at the park and throughout your day, and watch as your child finds ways to communicate what they’ve experienced in group speech or language therapy.

Tips to build the bridge between speech therapy and home life:

• Talk about what was done during group therapy without overwhelming your child with questions. 
• Use songs at home during daily routines (getting ready for school, getting dressed, eating, etc.). Phrases and chunks of language from songs can be an effective way to connect, increase attempts at communication and build language. 
• Use group member or therapist names (and photos, if permission is given) at home to encourage children to talk about them away from the session. 
• Honor any activities and moments of the session that were meaningful to your child.
• Do an activity at home that your child enjoys during speech therapy sessions. 
• Model language to request, comment, ask for assistance or share joy. For example: I need it, Look at that, Help me, or I like this!
• Group therapy can be overwhelming for some children, so be sure to provide appropriate sensory supports if needed (such as less verbal input, headphones or calming sensory activities) before, during and after the session. Provide children with ways to communicate these needs via signs, communication boards or AAC devices. All modes of communication are valid and should be honored. 
• Observe children at home and provide opportunities to initiate communication about speech therapy sessions. Sometimes magical moments happen when we decrease language input and simply observe children without expectations.  
• For more tips, ask your speech-language therapist(s) for best ways to support your child at home. 

The above tips were provided by Johanna Hoffman, M.A., CCC-SLP, of True Colors Speech Therapy in north San Diego County. Learn more at www.truecolorsspeechtherapy.com.