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Can I Do Speech Therapy at Home?

You CAN do speech therapy at home! Armed with this list of 30 resources, you can get started today.You CAN do speech therapy at home! Armed with this list of 30 resources, you can get started today.

Great ideas for speech therapy at home!

Learning to speak clearly isn’t always as easy as you’d think. With so many different sounds to create, it’s no wonder kids often struggle. After all, toddlers have plenty of exploring to do. They don’t have time to sit around and think about how to say words correctly. They’d much rather dump a gallon of milk on the floor and smash cookies into it. Or paint some pink eyebrows on themselves using their sister’s fingernail polish. {Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything…}

While your 2-year old is starting to talk a lot more, you still can’t understand him. Everything he says sounds like gibberish to anyone outside of you immediate family and he’s growing frustrated. “But he’s only 2,” you say.  True but then you need to decide if this is something he will “outgrow” or if there really is a bigger issue.

PLEASE NOTE: I am NOT a speech language pathologist. The VERY FIRST THING you should do if you suspect an issue with your child’s speech is SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP. The following are simply steps I personally took to encourage my child to talk. As with all health issues, each diagnostic is different, so please work closely with a professional


 

When is it time to start worrying?

Most parents know when there’s a problem. If you baby doesn’t babble, you may get worried. If you toddler isn’t speaking at all, you will wonder. But when your 3 or 4-year-old is still struggling to speak clearly, you will want to have him checked out.

One easy way to determine if you should seek a professional is by following this simple rule: By the age of 3, your child should have a vocabulary of 600 words. Of those words, 80% of them should be easily understood by someone who does not know the child.
If your child falls into that category, you need to consider outside therapy. It’s scary and frustrating but it’s in your child’s best interest.

Did you know that 5-10% of all preschool children have speech delays? Know that you aren’t alone and getting help is easy. You can head to your local school district or ask your pediatrician for advice. The school district is required to provide free speech therapy for kids who need it, while the doctor may suggest a more expensive route.

No matter how you decide to face the issue, there are several ways to work with your child right at home. With the handy-dandy Internet, you can find all kinds of great information to help you out.

You CAN do speech therapy at home! Armed with this list of 30 resources, you can get started today.

Check out the list of helpful resources we’ve gathered for you to use along with the help of a LICENSED PROFESSIONAL.

7 Websites for Speech Therapy at Home:

www.RapidSpeechTherapy.com

https://speech-therapyathome.com/

www.Home-Speech-Home.com

www.teachspeech365.com

www.speechandlanguagekids.com

www.speechiefreebies.com

http://www.talkingpoint.org.uk/

Vitamins to Help Overcome Speech Delays

We’ve recently stumbled on a product on Amazon that has insanely great reviews for helping with speech delays. We’re still in the testing stages but I wanted to mention it, in case it really is a miracle worker, like the reviews state. 
I’ll be checking back in with our thoughts and experience, once we’ve had a chance to really test it for a long period of time. In the meantime, I encourage you  to read the reviews and do your own research. As usual, I’m skeptical but there are hundreds of reviews praising the progress people have seen with their kids’ speech skills. 

10 Apps for Speech Therapy at Home:

Articulation Station- by Little Bee Speech

Elmo Loves ABCs for iPad- by Sesame Street

Auditory Workout-by Virtual Speech Center Inc.

DrOmnibus- Happy Therapy- by DrOmnibus

SpeakColors- by RWH Technology

Kadho English – Learn English for Preschool Kids- by Kadho

Sound Touch- by SoundTouch

Articulation Vacation- by Virtual Speech Center Inc.

LinguiMind ABC’s, Numbers, Colors, Letter Flash Cards, in English, Spanish + French- by Luis Medrano

Itsy Bitsy Spider – by Duck Duck Moose

You don’t wanna miss this!

Working with a speech therapist doesn't have to be confusing! Together, you can help your child learn much faster!

5 Toys for Speech Therapy at Home:

Ball Poppers:

Kids will squeal with delight as the ball pops out. Say words like “ball, pop, up” etc. very clearly so the child can easily understand you. Use the toy to get the child to answer questions. “Where did the ball go? How high did the ball pop? Can you find where the ball landed?” Check out all the fun designs, including a sock monkey, penguin, unicorn and shark!

Mr. Potato Head:

Kids will love creating funny faces and telling you about them. Ask funny questions like “How will Mr. Potato Head walk if he has a hat on his feet?” or simply say “What color is Mr. Potato Head’s hat?” Open ended questions encourage little ones to start the conversation.

You CAN do speech therapy at home! Armed with this list of 30 resources, you can get started today.

Jumbo Farm Animals:

Bear got a set of Jumbo Farm Animals for Christmas  when he was 2 and as a 4 year-old, he still plays with them. The large chunky size is perfect for little fingers to easily grasp. Little ones love animals, so by asking questions, such as “Where does the cow sleep? What does he eat?,” you will be encouraging your young one to speak.

Play Doh:

Keep little hands busy as you talk about what they are creating. For older kids, you can give them simple instructions, such as “Make something you would find in a forest.” Then allow the child to describe it to you, in as  much detail as possible, while encouraging them.

Magnetic Fishing:

A fun set of word fish is perfect for kiddos who need to work on beginning and ending sounds. The fish each have a picture and a word on them, such as “boat” or “pear.” The fishing games with speech words seems pricey but you can always create your own. Simply print off pictures, cut into fish shapes, place a magnet on the backside and laminate. Make a fishing pole out of a dowel rod, string and a strong magnet.

 

5 Board Games for Speech Therapy at Home:

Headbanz

Encourage funny interaction with kids while they guess the image on their headband.

Bubble Talk

Allow kids to think of their own hilarious “bubble” with their own funny reactions.

Sneaky Squirrel Game

Using a pair of sturdy tongs, kids will relax and open up while they giggle about your poor fine motor skills.

You CAN do speech therapy at home! Armed with this list of 30 resources, you can get started today.

Jenga

Nothing is more fun for kiddos than watching something (LOUDLY) tumble to the ground. For extra practice, put a letter on each block and allow the child to practice their alphabet while they play.

Bean Boozled

Kids will love describing the taste of each jelly bean. From dog food, rotten eggs, skunk and baby wipes to barf, stinky socks and boogers, there is no shortage of reaction!

5 Books for Speech Therapy at Home:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

by Bill Martin Jr.

Perfect for kids who need help with ch, k, m, or b sounds.

I’m a Dirty Dinosaur

by Janeen Bryan

Perfect for kids who need help with d, t, sn, sh, k,  or p sounds.

You CAN do speech therapy at home! Armed with this list of 30 resources, you can get started today. Go Dog Go

by P.D. Eastman

Perfect for kids who need help with g, d, h or t sounds.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

by Bill Martin Jr.

Perfect for kids who need help with b, n, t, d, s.

Click, Clack,Moo Cows That Type

by  Doreen Cronin

Perfect for kids who need help with ck, c, m, t or f.


I am NOT a licensed speech pathologist. Please understand that the first step in correcting speech problems is to consult with a licensed speech pathologist. Once you’ve diagnosed the problem, you can begin working at home with your child, under their direction.

Incorporating fun books, games, apps and toys makes working alongside your struggling child a little bit easier!

You CAN do speech therapy at home! Armed with this list of 30 resources, you can get started today.

DISCLAIMER: Please seek professional help if you suspect any issues with your child. The above ideas are simply things that OUR SLP suggested we work on at home with our own child. Please understand, I am NOT offering any professional advice, but simply sharing what we have used in our own family. I know and understand the (necessary yet stressful) gap that keeps parents wishing they could do more for their child. Your SPL can provide more activities or ideas to help you feel included with your child’s progress. Don’t give up, mama. With professional help and a great support system at home, your child will be rocking those hard words before you know it!