The Praise Craze - does praise encourage the right behaviour?

The Praise Craze - does praise encourage the right behaviour?

When children are learning a new skill, be it learning to walk, riding a bike or learning to talk, adults have a very important role. This role is perceived differently depending on what country you come from or what your cultural references are. For example, in China and in … Read More
Is silence always golden? Not speaking by 2 years old - late talkers, should you be worried?

Is silence always golden? Not speaking by 2 years old - late talkers, should you be worried?

Late talkersEinstein famously didn’t start talking until he was 3 years old. Other famous late talkers include mathematical genius Ramanujan, a nobel prize winner (Gary Becker), a US talk show host (G. Gordon Liddy) and even Mussolini. Although research papers have used slightly different criteria (in terms of amount … Read More
A sticky subject - Glue Ear!

A sticky subject - Glue Ear!

What is glue ear?You may have heard teachers or other professionals use the term ‘glue ear’, however unless your child has had a diagnosis, it is unlikely that anyone has spoken to you about it at length, told you the warning signs and given you information on what to … Read More
Happy Families - and how to keep it that way!

Happy Families - and how to keep it that way!

After I’ve dished out a bit of first-class Speech, Language or Communication advice, parents often say to me ‘that’s great, but I’ve got 2/3/4 (+) children at home!’ It’s a very good point – balancing the demands of a busy family can leave little time for extra work on … Read More
A good turn deserves a language boost! - turn-taking

A good turn deserves a language boost! - turn-taking

Process of language learningThe process of learning language is complex and all children will pick it up at different rates. Generally, there are some key themes and pieces of advice that are given to help with the development of language for children who are developing typically and for those … Read More
I think my child has a stutter - how can I help them?

I think my child has a stutter - how can I help them?

We all stutter.It might be when we are nervous, when we give a speech, get angry, excited, face something that scares us or just when we have lots to say. You may have heard the term ‘dysfluency’. Speech and Language therapists refer to a stutter using this term as … Read More
What are phonics? and 4 ideas on how you can support your child to read

What are phonics? and 4 ideas on how you can support your child to read

Can you remember how you learnt to read?Many of us can't remember exactly how we learned to read, yet we all know how important this skill is in our daily lives. From reading our social media messages on our phone, to being able to read the instructions that come … Read More
Bilingual baby - will it delay speech?

Bilingual baby - will it delay speech?

Some numbers around being bilingualCan you guess how many languages there are in the world? Give it a go...There are 6,900 different languages. 6,900 different sets of a combination of sounds that we use to represent the world around us!The literacy trust (2000) estimates that there are over 300 … Read More
Screen time and technology - a speech and language therapist perspective

Screen time and technology - a speech and language therapist perspective

Screen timeThe amount of time children in the UK spend online has doubled in the past decade (to an average of 15 hours a week in 2015, Ofcom). Screen time and technology is often in the news, and can get a pretty bad press. But is technology affecting our … Read More
Fidget spinners – tiresome trend or teaching tool? Speech and language therapist perspective

Fidget spinners – tiresome trend or teaching tool? Speech and language therapist perspective

Fidget spinners – the latest trend amongst children, now also causing a media frenzy. We have browsed the internet to summarise for you where fidget spinners came from, why schools are having issues for them, and some surprising benefits. Plus, my top homemade fiddle toys.Media Frenzy for Fidget spinnersRead More
Why is developing Theory of Mind important for speech therapy?

Why is developing Theory of Mind important for speech therapy?

As adults we understand that others have emotions, we comment on this to show we understand and respond to their needs (most of the time!). Being able to do this is called having a theory of mind (ToM).Theory of Mind skills are directly related to mental state, emotional vocabulary … Read More
Supporting the development of Theory of Mind in school age children

Supporting the development of Theory of Mind in school age children

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, I’m not a mind reader” is something that I have been told by many children I’ve worked with on Theory of Mind. However, if you go into a primary school class, you will be amazed how many of the children are using their … Read More
The best 2 books for developing language skills

The best 2 books for developing language skills

In previous blogs we have talked about how to support your child’s language skills. One thing that Speech and Language therapists recommend a lot is to read repetitive books with your child. In this blog we will look at some of the favourites and explore ideas on how to … Read More
Dump the Dummy – 5 tips to help you with dummy extraction to minimize meltdowns

Dump the Dummy – 5 tips to help you with dummy extraction to minimize meltdowns

When I speak to parents these days, they often mention their child has a dummy like it is a guilty secret... Dummies can be useful in helping children comfort themselves, settle off to sleep, and can also give parents a little piece and quiet - what's wrong with that? … Read More
Making language more colourful - using colourful semantics

Making language more colourful - using colourful semantics

What is colourful semantics?Many Speech and Language therapists use a therapy approach called Colourful Semantics (CS), created by Alison Bryan. You may have already heard about it or even be using some of its principles with your child. CS provides an easy to use framework to support language structures … Read More
11 Tips on how to develop communication skills at the park

11 Tips on how to develop communication skills at the park

The summer holidays, bank holidays, and some (hopefully) sunnier weather are great excuses to take your Speech and Language therapy practice out and about. The park is a great place to start!There’s a lot of great opportunities to practice communication skills, and no, it’s not just your child perfecting … Read More
Why is the sky blue ? Tips for developing language through questions

Why is the sky blue ? Tips for developing language through questions

Question time with your children - developing language through questionsChildren ask a lot of questions! Anyone with a toddler will have experienced the endless why questions and we know that keeping the dialogue going at these moments forms the platform for developing language.Asking questions is one thing but what … Read More
How to use rhyme and song for social skills and language - tips from a speech therapist

How to use rhyme and song for social skills and language - tips from a speech therapist

How can rhyme and song help?We know how much young children enjoy rhyme and song (especially silly ones), and it's a lovely way to bond and share time with your baby or child. But did you know you are also helping your child learn social skills, language, and even … Read More
Squabbling siblings - AKA Sibling Mediation 101

Squabbling siblings - AKA Sibling Mediation 101

Squabbling siblings - we've all been thereBrothers and sisters – can be best friends and worst enemies, all within the space of 5 minutes. Throw a communication difficulty into the mix, and things can become more challenging and you have squabbling siblings. Your child might not have the language … Read More
It's on the tip of my tongue! Top 9 word finding games

It's on the tip of my tongue! Top 9 word finding games

What are word finding difficulties?How often have you had that frustrating feeling of not being able to think of the word you wanted to say, be it the name of a neighbour, your last holiday destination, or the title of a book you wanted to recommend. This ‘tip of … Read More
What can I do to help correct my child's speech? Some practical takeaways to help a speech error

What can I do to help correct my child's speech? Some practical takeaways to help a speech error

How do you know what to do with a speech error?In a previous article we discussed the difference between speech and language and how to spot potential difficulties with each. It can be hard to know what do when your child makes a speech error, do you ignore … Read More
5 hacks to make back to school morning routine smoother!

5 hacks to make back to school morning routine smoother!

Ah, that back to school feeling... Whether you’re feeling relieved the 8 weeks are over, or regretting the fact the time flew by so quickly, I’m sure we’re all dreading those frantic school mornings that will soon be upon us. As well as over-hauling your children’s pencil cases for … Read More
How was school? *silence* - sound familiar? Some speech therapist tips for conversation starters

How was school? *silence* - sound familiar? Some speech therapist tips for conversation starters

Conversation startersEngaging children after a long day at school, finding out about their day and how they feel about certain activities can be challenging at best! However, getting the conversation started and keeping it going can make you feel closer, support their language and help them to consolidate what … Read More
How can speech and language therapy help my child?

How can speech and language therapy help my child?

How can speech and language therapy help my child?Speech and language therapy can help by providing treatment, support and care for children who have difficulties with communication.Speech and language therapists are qualified health professionals who can support children with primary speech, language and communication difficulties, such as stammering as … Read More
What is selective mutism?

What is selective mutism?

Talking about Selective MutismImagine being faced with a paralyzing fear every day of your life. Well-intentioned people may encourage you to face that fear, but to you, it is the scariest thing in the world. Around 0.71 to 1.9 percent of young school children are likely to have Selective … Read More
Why I love lego therapy. A love letter from a speech and language therapist.

Why I love lego therapy. A love letter from a speech and language therapist.

Lego therapy loveI love it when research finds that something my students love doing is also really beneficial. Lego has been one of my favourite toys since childhood (I loved my pirate island), and a key part of my therapy toolkit since I qualified. But how can I … Read More
How to support children with selective mutism

How to support children with selective mutism

Supporting children with selective mutismOur recent article discussed how scary talking can be for children with selective mutism. The good news is that changes to your own communication style and the environment make a big difference to the happiness and confidence of your child. Remember that selective mutism … Read More
4 Halloween crafts and games to help with speech and language

4 Halloween crafts and games to help with speech and language

Halloween craftsIt’s that spooky time of year, when witches, ghosts and ghouls appear... and fairly often (at least in my experience), little children who want to get in on the activities but aren’t always old enough to go trick-or-treat-ing. You can still let them join in on the Halloween … Read More
MyChoicePad Top 5 language apps

MyChoicePad Top 5 language apps

Language Apps for your child and you!There’s an app for everything these days (except one that will do your laundry). From banking to shopping, keeping track of your fitness and even sleeping!According to Techcrunch.com May 2017, we are using nine apps a day and 30 a month.Children’s App creators … Read More
The Colour Monster - A great book for emotional awareness

The Colour Monster - A great book for emotional awareness

It is not an easy task for a small child to understand their emotions. That is why we love this book ‘The colour monster’ by Anna Llenas. The story of this cute little creature’s day aims to help our own little monsters raise their emotional awareness and make … Read More
Reward Games in Speech and Language Therapy - 4 Top Ideas

Reward Games in Speech and Language Therapy - 4 Top Ideas

Reward gamesNone of us go through the experience of taking a Ryanair flight (with children), without the promise of the warm sunny destination at the other side. We don’t put in the elbow grease required for making cookie dough, without the promise of the sweet, soft and crumbly cookie … Read More
Unclear speech and how to tell developmental verbal dyspraxia

Unclear speech and how to tell developmental verbal dyspraxia

Developmental Verbal DyspraxiaEvery time we produce a speech sound or string of speech sounds in a word, we rely on the cooperation and coordination of certain speech muscles and oral structures. To produce sound we coordinate our lips, tongue, teeth, palate, jaw, breathing etc. For more information on what … Read More
Clusters at Christmas - practice speech sounds with your child at home

Clusters at Christmas - practice speech sounds with your child at home

Clusters at ChristmasPracticing speech sounds with your child is fun all year round but the Christmas season brings with it the opportunity to practice lots of festive words! Check out clusters at Christmas!What is a cluster sound?Words with cluster sounds (also known as blends) require that your child says … Read More
9 tips for a child with social communication issues. The MyChoicePad Christmas Survival Checklist

9 tips for a child with social communication issues. The MyChoicePad Christmas Survival Checklist

Your Christmas Survival Checklist for Children with Social Communication DifficultiesIt’s the most wonderful time of the year... isn’t it? For children who find social situations a challenge, the holidays can be a very mixed blessing! All children find themselves getting over-excited and having a few meltdowns at this time … Read More
6 good communication habits for the New Year

6 good communication habits for the New Year

New Year good communication habitsAmongst consuming an abundance of food, opening presents, returning some of them (!) and watching Christmas movie after Christmas movie, this time of year often keeps us occupied in one other way; thinking about our new years resolutions.In fact it’s hard to get through the … Read More
What is auditory processing and why is it controversial?

What is auditory processing and why is it controversial?

Auditory processing disorder (APD, also known as Central Auditory Processing Disorder) is a controversial topic. NHS choices provides information about auditory processing disorder, yet you might hear a sharp intake of breath if you mention it to your child’s Speech and Language Therapist.What is auditory processing?When most people … Read More
Will using sign language impact on my child’s ability to speak words?

Will using sign language impact on my child’s ability to speak words?

What is sign language?We all use sign language. We nod our heads in agreement or shake them in disagreement, we wave hello and wave goodbye, sign thanks to kind drivers that let us go and refrain from signing anything to those who don’t! When we visit a country where … Read More
12 YouTube Videos for Teaching Speech, Language and Communication Skills

12 YouTube Videos for Teaching Speech, Language and Communication Skills

YouTube - teaching through video in less than 5 minute ‘bites’!Free training!Video is the perfect medium to teach parents and education staff signs to use with children to help their communication development. Many of the signs we use to help can be found on YouTube:Makaton- Their YouTube channel … Read More
Can grammar ever be fun? Our top 3 games

Can grammar ever be fun? Our top 3 games

The phrase ‘grammar fun’, for some of us, may seem like an oxymoron at best. The explicit approach to learning how to structure sentences may bring with it memories of tedious drills and the rote learning of rules. However, for many of us, grammar will have been absorbed, through … Read More
Laurel or Yanny - and what it reveals about the listening process for children

Laurel or Yanny - and what it reveals about the listening process for children

Yanny or Laurel? Isn’t listening to a single word meant to be child’s play?Yes, it’s the latest viral sensation. The game to play (and debate) with your colleagues, family and friends. But how can two people listen to the same clip and hear two completely different words? Scientists have … Read More
Lost Voice Guy - more about the communication aid he uses and what they are

Lost Voice Guy - more about the communication aid he uses and what they are

Lost Voice GuyLee Ridley, known as ‘Lost Voice Guy’, is the first comedian to win Britain’s Got Talent... and also the first communication aid user to win! Lost Voice Guy may not “speak”, but he certainly has a voice - sharing his experiences of cerebral palsy and communication aid … Read More
5 Reasons YOU are your child's best Speech Therapist

5 Reasons YOU are your child's best Speech Therapist

5 Reasons YOU are your child’s best Speech and Language TherapistSpeech and Language Therapists are keen to get parents involved in the therapy process, but is this just a cop-out to avoid doing the work themselves? Yes, it can be tricky to convince a child to practice their new … Read More
Hurray for Play! From 0-3 years and how it aids language development

Hurray for Play! From 0-3 years and how it aids language development

Hurray for play!Play has been likened to a fertiliser that nourishes the brain ‘with the behavioural equivalent of miracle Gro’ (John Medina 2008). Play facilitates learning, encourages creativity and imagination, supports and develops our memory, language, social skills, problem solving ability and much more!Play is the ‘work of childhood’ … Read More
So your kid needs a speech therapist - what happens next?

So your kid needs a speech therapist - what happens next?

WHY YOU ARE THE KEY PLAYER IN YOUR CHILD’S THERAPYWhen speech and language therapists put together a therapy program for your child, their decision will be informed by a few things: the age of your child, their main mode of communication, their understanding levels, how much language they have, … Read More
Interview with a SENCO - thoughts on communication

Interview with a SENCO - thoughts on communication

Our Speech and Language Therapists regularly provide you with information, inside knowledge and tips and tricks on how to support your child’s communication skills. Here we are passing the mic over to another professional, Madeleine. Madeleine has worked with speech and language therapists for over ten years as a … Read More
Can toys supercharge my child's language skills?

Can toys supercharge my child's language skills?

Even as adults, toy stores are alluring. Maybe the appeal comes from the flashing lights, the beaming colours and high stacked shelves. Often we are drawn in by the manufacture’s promises and guarantees to help our children develop in EVERY possible way.There are the teethers that promise to promote … Read More
Best 8 books for boosting your toddlers vocabulary

Best 8 books for boosting your toddlers vocabulary

Brain building happens when you and your little one are interacting with each other. A baby’s brain is wired to grow from birth and during your child’s earliest years, their brain makes 1 million neural connections every single second (NSPCC, 2019). Every time you read aloud to your child … Read More
How to tell if your child has a speech, language or communication need

How to tell if your child has a speech, language or communication need

How to tell if your child has a speech, language or communication need?Children develop speech, language and communication skills at different rates, some develop quickly, while others may take longer. You are the expert in your child. You know their likes and dislikes and motivations for communicating with others. … Read More
How to tell if your child has a speech or language issue

How to tell if your child has a speech or language issue

When learning to communicate, children will make predictable mistakes in both their speech and their language. This is because there are some rules that they have not learnt yet but will grasp these as they grow.What should my child be able to do with speech and language?When your child … Read More
7 reasons why short, simple sentences are best for language development

7 reasons why short, simple sentences are best for language development

Simplifying languageThe language we use when we chat is complicated. We don’t mean to, us adults just can’t help saying things in a more difficult way than we need to.There’s an example: I could have said above “Adults use complex language”. Instead of being clear and simple, I said … Read More

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