One of the biggest challenges we face in remediation of sounds is called “Carryover”. This simply means being able to use the correct pronunciation of a sound all the time in everyday speech, not just in a
therapy session. We often have parents ask, “Why can my child say his ‘s’ sound properly when we practice it, but not when we are having a conversation?” The answer is that it is very difficult to think about WHAT one wants to say (the idea) and HOW to say it (the pronunciation) at the same time. What happens in conversation is that the child will generally focus on the WHAT rather than the HOW.
How can I get my child to use his correct pronunciation all the time?
In addition to daily practice, which can be difficult to achieve in a busy household, your child can join a speech therapy play group. These groups consist of a few children who are all close in age and working on the same sounds.
What happens in group therapy?
Group therapy consists of fun, structured activities, including reading books, doing crafts, and playing games, whereby the children take turns practicing words, sentences, and conversation while focusing on the sounds they are working on.
What are the benefits of group therapy?
The children benefit in that they learn to use their correct sounds in the context of other children with the hope that they will use these sounds with their friends at school and in other places as well. They also see that other children have to practice their sounds too. Last but not least, it’s FUN!
Who is a candidate for group therapy?
Group therapy is intended for children who have had individual therapy and are able to use their correct sounds consistently in their therapy sessions, but have not yet begun to use them in everyday speech.
Where can I find a group?
You may contact torontospeechtherapy@hotmail.com for more information or you may look up a list of practitioners at www.osla.on.ca.
