​Acceptable Errors 

Some speech errors are normal in young children and usually disappear as they get older. Children often swap or simplify tricky sounds, see below:​

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Voicing

b → p: “Ben” → “pen”
d → t: “dog” → “tog”
v → f: “van” → “fan”
g → k: “go” → “ko”
z → s: “zoo” → “soo”

Replacing voiced sounds e.g., “b, d, v, g, z” with voiceless sounds like “p, t, f, k, s” or the other way round until the age of 3 years is developmentally typical. 

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Weak syllable deletion 

“banana” → “nana”
“because” → “’cause”
“potato” → “tato”
“tomato” → “mato”
“elephant” → “ephant”
“remember” → “member”
“tomorrow” → “morrow”

Leaving out entire syllables until the age of 4 years is developmentally typical.  

    

Fronting 

k → t: “car” → “tar”
g → d: “go” → “doe”

sh→ s: “fish” → “fis”

Producing the front sounds instead of the back sounds until the age of 4 years is developmentally typical.

ng→ n: “making” → “makin” (until the age of 5 years).

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Stopping of fricatives

f → b: “fish” → “pish”
v → b: “van” → “ban”
s → t: “sun” → “tun”
z → d: “zip” → “dip”​

Replacing long sounds like “f, v, s, z” with shorter sounds like “p, b, t, d” until the age of 3;6 years is developmentally typical.

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Deaffrication      

ch → t: “chair” → “tair”
j → d: “jam” → “dam”

Changing sounds like “ch” or “dg” into simpler sounds until the age of 5 years is developmentally typical 

 

Cluster reduction

“spoon” → “poon”

 “truck” → “tuck” 

Leaving out one sound in a consonant group until the age of 5-7 years is developmentally typical, see the chart above. Typically, this error pattern resolves by around the age of 6. If a child is still developing later sounds like R or TH towards the end of age 6, it’s normal for them to need a bit more time to blend these new sounds into clusters. It can take a few months for the new sounds to appear consistently in words and connected speech.

 

Gliding

r → w: “rabbit” → “wabbit”
l → y: “look” → “yook”

Replacing “r” or “l” with “w” until the age of 6-7 years is developmentally typical.

 

​Norms Reference: Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Phonology (Dodd et all, 2002)

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Strategies

What helps

✓ Repeat the word your child said incorrectly without asking your child to copy you. Child: “That’s a tat!” → You: “Yes, it’s a cat! A big fluffy cat.” Focus on what your child communicates, not how they say it.

✓ Use a mirror to help your child copy your mouth and tongue movements while making sounds together. This helps your child see how sounds are made.

✓ Make the sound visible and slow. Exaggerate the sound slightly so your child can notice what your lips or tongue are doing: “Ssssss… snake!” Keep it playful.

✓ Build sound awareness in play. Use toy cars, animals or bubbles to link sounds to actions: “Ready… sssslide!” or “p-p-p… pop!”

✓ Give short, clear models during routines. During dressing, bath time or mealtimes, drop in natural models: “Socks… sssocks”, “Soap… ssssoap.”

✓ Slow your own speech. Speaking a little more slowly makes it easier for a child to notice individual sounds within words.

✓ Celebrate the child's effort, not accuracy. If your child tries a new sound, keep it positive rather than correcting: “You tried the /k/ sound! Amazing effort.”

✓ Read books or listen to songs with your child with lots of repeated target sounds. Pick books with rhymes or predictable phrases so the target sound comes up many times in a fun, natural way.

 

What to avoid

✗ Don’t ask your child to repeat after you. It can feel like a test and it puts pressure on them to perform. If they are not able to imitate your sounds correctly, you may strengthen their errors through repetition, best to avoid it.

✗ Avoid correcting them in a way that feels like criticism. Instead of: “No, say it properly, say ‘cat’!”. Try: “Yes, a cat! I saw that too.”

✗ Non-speech oro-motor exercises:

• Blowing: Blowing bubbles, horns, or through a straw without making sounds.

• Pucker/smile movements: Pucker the lips, stretch the mouth into a smile.

• Tongue movements: Tongue pushups, wags, curls, tongue-to-nose-to-chin.

• Cheek puffing: Puffing the cheeks out

There is no evidence to support the effectiveness of this approach even though you may see adverts that this works and therapists overseas may still recommend this. You can find out more about its lack of evidence on the RCSLT website.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

 

Understanding of Language

 

What helps

✓ Keep instructions short and simple. Instead of: “Go get your coat, shoes and bag,” try: “Get your coat.” (pause), “Now your shoes.” (pause)

✓ Use gestures, visuals or photos to help your child understand. Point to the coat or show a photo of “snack” if it’s time to eat.

✓ Use Makaton signs at least for key words like stop, more, finished, and toilet.

✓ Give your child time to respond. Count to 5 slowly in your head after giving an instruction before you ask again.

✓ Break down instructions into small steps. Instead of: “Tidy up and get ready,” try:

1. “Put the toys in the box.” (pause)

2. “Now, let’s get your shoes.” (pause)

3. “Time to go!” (pause)

 

What to avoid

✗ Don’t repeat instructions quickly or keep asking, “Did you hear me?” Slowing down gives your child time to process and respond.

✗ Give too much information at once.

✗ Give instructions in the reverse order (e.g. before you do X, do Y).

 

Using Language (Communicating)

 

What helps

✓ Repeat and expand what your child says. Child: “Car!” → You: “Yes! A fast blue car!”

✓ Give choices to encourage talking. “Do you want juice or milk?” (Hold both up, wait for a response)

✓ Talk about the pictures in books, you don’t have to read every word! “Look! The bear is hiding! What do you think he’s doing?”

✓ Comment on what your child is doing and what you're doing using short phrases, this will give them models of language, e.g. "I'm so hungry, let's eat", "You're eating a banana".

✓ Model functional words in context (I want + more/food/drink/finish/toilet, I like it, I don't want it/like it, action words (what doing), expressing opinions, and feelings (e.g. I'm happy/sad/scared/angry).

✓ Use your home language if you're bilingual; using more than one language does not confuse or delay children but it is beneficial for their cognitive development and cultural inclusion when interacting with other family members.

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What to avoid

✗ Don’t ask your child to say something on demand, after you or use their words. It can reduce confidence and make them feel pressured to communicate (and reduce motivation to do so) or encourage their imitation skills but this does not transfer to independent communication at other times when they need to communicate.

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Social Interaction Skills and Autism Associated Needs (Early Years)

 

What helps

✓ Follow your child’s lead. Join in with what they are interested in even if it's spinning wheels over and over again, shredding paper, or lining up toys. 

✓ Use the Intensive Interaction approach. This means copying your child’s sounds, movements or facial expressions (without pressuring). This builds trust, connection and helps your child learn that interaction can feel safe and fun.

✓ Join in with their rhythm if they flap - flap with them! Getting into their world instead of pulling them into yours.

✓ Support your child’s sensory needs. Many children communicate through movement, sound, or behaviour before they use words. Examples:

• Rocking = self-regulation

• Spinning = sensory seeking

• Hiding = overwhelmed

✓ Create a predictable environment.

✓ Use visual routines, timers, and simple schedules to help reduce anxiety.

✓ Focus on connection rather than compliance. True communication develops through meaningful connection, not just following instructions. Prioritise interactions that make your child feel safe, seen, and heard, this builds the foundation for authentic social connection, emotional development, and language growth.

 

What to avoid

✗ Don’t force eye contact. Looking away can help children think and feel safe.

✗ Don’t interrupt repetitive play. It may be helping your child feel calm, focused or happy.

✗ Avoid social ‘training’ methods. Instead of teaching scripts like “Say hello,” focus on authentic connection and what feels natural to your child.

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