You don't need to be a speech therapist to help your child at home

A lot of parents leave a speech therapy appointment feeling like they have just been handed a second job they were never trained for. If some part of you thinks you are supposed to become a mini speech therapist between sessions, please put that down. You do not need to, and trying to can actually get in the way.

Your job and your SLP's job are different

Your speech-language pathologist does the specialist part: assessing your child, choosing the right targets, and teaching the technique. Your part is completely different and just as valuable. You provide the warm, everyday repetition that helps a new skill stick, in real life, where your child actually lives. You do not need a qualification to talk and play with your own child.

Logopedia+ and home practice support your child's therapy. They do not replace a speech-language pathologist, who should always guide the plan for your child.

Five things any parent can do, no training needed

• Model good sounds gently. Say the word correctly back to them instead of asking them to fix it.
• Narrate your day. Talk out loud about what you are both doing. More words in means more words out.
• Follow what they love. Practise around dinosaurs, trucks, or whatever lights them up, not flashcards they hate.
• Keep it short. A few minutes of fun beats a long, tense session every time.
• Celebrate trying. Effort, not perfection, is what keeps a struggling talker willing to keep going.

What to leave to your SLP

Just as important is knowing what not to take on. Leave these to the professional:

• Choosing which sounds or skills to target, and in what order.
• Judging whether a sound is "correct" and drilling it. Practising a sound the wrong way can be worse than not practising it, which is exactly why your SLP sets the technique.
• Anything specific to a diagnosis like childhood apraxia of speech, where the approach is very different.
• Worries about progress. If something concerns you, bring it to your therapist rather than carrying it alone.

Start small this week

You are already the most important person in your child's language world. Our free Calm Practice Pack and the per-sound practice guides give you gentle, SLP-designed ways to help, without asking you to be anything other than a parent. Both are free and need no signup.