The Role of Parents in Speech Therapy: How to Support Your Child at Home
How Parents Can Support Their Child's Speech Therapy at Home
When it comes to speech therapy, parents aren’t just observers—they’re essential partners in their child’s progress. Research consistently shows that when parents actively participate in their child’s speech therapy journey, children are more likely to achieve long-lasting success. At Clae Speech Therapy, we value the powerful role that parents play, as consistent support at home can amplify the gains made in therapy sessions, making each lesson more impactful.
For families in Olathe, KS, and the Kansas City area, we believe in empowering parents with tools and strategies to make a difference. In this blog, we’ll discuss practical ways parents can support their child’s speech therapy journey, creating a collaborative environment where children can thrive.
Active Parental Involvement: The Key to Therapy Success
Speech therapy doesn’t end when the session does. To maximize the benefits of each session, children need consistent reinforcement of new skills, vocabulary, and communication techniques in their daily lives. That’s where parents come in. By taking an active role, parents can help reinforce these skills at home, making learning a continuous and enjoyable process.
Here are three ways parental involvement contributes to the success of speech therapy:
Increases Consistency: The more frequently a child practices communication skills, the faster they improve. Parents who are involved in speech therapy help ensure that these skills are practiced regularly, building consistency.
Builds Confidence: When parents actively support their child’s therapy, it encourages the child and lets them know they’re making progress. This positive reinforcement builds confidence, which is essential for motivation.
Strengthens Parent-Child Bonds: Working together on speech therapy goals can create a stronger emotional bond between parent and child. The shared goal of improving communication can deepen trust and understanding, which are invaluable in any family relationship.
Below, we’ll explore specific ways you can actively support your child’s speech therapy journey at home.
Ways to Be Involved in Speech Therapy
1. Reinforce Skills with Practice at Home
After each session, ask your child’s therapist for suggestions on simple exercises or activities you can practice together at home. By reinforcing the skills your child has worked on in therapy, you’re helping them build muscle memory and confidence.
Examples of Practice Activities:
Articulation Games: For children practicing certain sounds, try articulation games that involve saying words with that sound while playing together, like identifying objects around the house that start with the sound.
Repeating Key Phrases: If your child is learning to speak in sentences, create routines where they use phrases that are relevant to daily life, like asking for snacks or describing what they see.
Mirror Practice: For certain speech sounds, practice in front of a mirror so your child can see how to shape their mouth and tongue. This is particularly helpful for articulation skills.
By incorporating these exercises into daily routines, such as during meals or playtime, you make learning natural and enjoyable, giving your child more opportunities to grow.
2. Create a Language-Rich Environment
One of the most powerful things you can do as a parent is to create a home environment that’s rich in language. A language-rich environment surrounds children with words, sentences, and sounds that expose them to the building blocks of communication.
Tips for Creating a Language-Rich Environment:
Talk About Everything: Describe what you’re doing as you go about your day. For example, narrate while you’re cooking, explaining each step and ingredient. This helps your child learn descriptive language.
Read Together Daily: Reading is one of the best ways to expose your child to new vocabulary. Encourage them to point out pictures, repeat words, and talk about the story. Choose books that reflect your child’s interests to keep them engaged.
Sing Songs and Rhymes: Music is a fantastic tool for learning language, rhythm, and sounds. Sing nursery rhymes or songs together, and let your child sing along. The repetitive and rhythmic nature of songs makes language learning feel like fun, not practice.
This type of exposure not only improves vocabulary and comprehension but also builds a foundation for the skills your child is developing in therapy.
3. Stay Informed and Partner with Your Child’s Therapist
To best support your child, it’s important to understand their goals and progress. Schedule regular check-ins with your child’s therapist to discuss their improvement, areas that need more focus, and any questions you have about how to help at home. This communication ensures that everyone is aligned and working together for the best outcomes.
How to Stay Involved and Informed:
Regularly Attend Therapy Sessions (if possible): Observing sessions or joining the last few minutes of each session helps you stay updated on what your child is working on. Many therapists will also share tips for parents to use at home.
Ask for Progress Updates: During consultations or check-ins, ask for updates on your child’s progress and specific skills to reinforce at home. This helps you stay in tune with your child’s achievements and keeps motivation high.
Use Visual Reminders at Home: Work with your therapist to create visual aids, like flashcards or charts, to remind your child of the sounds or phrases they’re practicing. For instance, if your child is working on “s” sounds, you can create a chart where they place a sticker each time they practice correctly.
By keeping communication open with your child’s therapist, you not only stay updated but also gain valuable insights that allow you to effectively support your child at home.
Why Parent Involvement is Especially Important for Young Children
Younger children, especially those aged 1–5, are in a crucial stage for language and speech development. At this age, children are learning words rapidly, imitating sounds, and understanding how language fits into their environment. Involving parents in therapy makes this period of rapid growth even more effective.
The involvement of parents has been shown to enhance these benefits:
Encourages Language Exploration: When young children feel safe to explore sounds and words with their parents, they’re more likely to experiment and learn.
Provides Consistent Reinforcement: Younger children benefit from frequent, consistent reinforcement of therapy skills. Practicing language skills with their primary caregivers helps those skills “stick.”
Promotes Emotional Support: Early speech therapy can sometimes feel challenging for young children. A supportive parent by their side can provide the encouragement they need to keep trying and stay engaged.
Supporting Your Child’s Therapy Journey with Clae Speech Therapy
At Clae Speech Therapy, we believe that parents are invaluable allies in their child’s journey to clear and confident communication. Our family-centered approach prioritizes collaboration, ensuring parents feel empowered and equipped to help their children thrive. Through personalized strategies and regular communication, we’re here to support you in every step of the therapy process.
Ready to get started? Schedule a free consultation with Clae Speech Therapy today to learn more about how we can work together to support your child’s speech, feeding, and myofunctional therapy needs. With our expert team and your involvement, your child will gain the confidence and skills to communicate with clarity and pride.