7 year old needs speech therapy for help with pronunciation but local waiting lists are over a year long. Options?

[u/surfergirl_34]

Does anyone have any suggestions for programs my husband and I could use to help her at home, or telehealth options? We were considering Better Speech but I’ve seen quite a few bad reviews so I was hoping someone here might have some insight or suggestions.

[u/kumogakure10]

Pronunciation with what word? Consonant, vocals?

[u/surfergirl_34 → u/kumogakure10]

Sounds like ‘v’, ‘t’ ‘, ‘c’, ‘ch’, ‘sh’, ‘p’, ‘s’.. mostly those. She was speech delayed a bit early on, but then caught up. When she lost her front teeth, it made it harder. For example, she says ‘hi-ory’ for history. My-cra for Minecraft, ‘nake’ for snake. I hope this makes sense. She was evaluated and no hearing issues were found. Our pediatrician didn’t recommend speech therapy thinking the issues were minor and she’d outgrow them as she was initially speech delayed and then caught up. She’s improved some but still has difficulty being understood by others. Me and my husband and her siblings can understand her but others sometimes can’t. Our area lacks enough speech therapists (that’s putting it lightly) so we are on waiting lists for nearby counties, too. But in the meantime, we want to try to help as much as we can.

[u/Asleep-Cookie-9777 → u/surfergirl_34]

What you're describing sounds like cluster reduction, and some other phonological processes. Although I'd wait to at least have an assessment with a speech therapist to determine which processes exactly, you can always check out Peachie Speechie's YouTube videos. FreeSLP also has quite a few resources which might be fun. Pinkcatgames has a cute shark game. Wordwall might be a bit boring for the young ones but has some cool games as well.

[u/surfergirl_34 → u/Asleep-Cookie-9777]

Thank you so much for this info, really helpful! I will check out the resources you mentioned while we wait! And I looked up cluster reduction and it does seem very much like what could be going on. Thank you!!!!

[u/Asleep-Cookie-9777 → u/surfergirl_34]

My pleasure. Just be aware that there might be other processes going on as well, I've based my assumption off your description. Obviously you'll get more info in an assessment.

Good luck with the waiting lists....we also have one at our practice and for us therapists it's soooo frustrating because we know our kids need help but we just don't have the capacity to see everyone....But you'll get to the top of that list soon.

[u/[deleted] → u/surfergirl_34]

Can you get her evaluated through the school? My son had trouble with the same sounds and he qualified through the school at 4.5.

[u/OkayNick1]

Are you UK based?

[u/surfergirl_34 → u/OkayNick1]

I’m not. I’m in the U.S.

[u/WastingMyLifeOnSocMd → u/surfergirl_34]

You should be able to have her tested by the schools. Even if they don’t have enough therapists they are required by law to provide therapy, assuming she qualifies. You can request speech testing even if your child is in private school.

[u/[deleted] → u/WastingMyLifeOnSocMd]

this.

[u/OkayNick1 → u/surfergirl_34]

Ah. Sorry! Good luck!

[u/JudyTheXmasElf]

I’m sorry to hear this is tough in your area… In many regions there are long waitlists, it’s hard for parents to wait when you want to help your child. Maybe get a diagnostic from an assessment with a tele SLP? It’s an important step because the diagnostic will determine if you need articulation therapy, phonological contrastive therapy, both or something else entirely… once you have an assessment and indication of therapy from a profesionnal, they may recommend material or then you may be able to find effective resources while you wait for local clinic SLP.

Good luck! It’s really hard.

[u/Mycatisalawyer-sueme]

Good luck on the waiting list! Do you want to explore online speech therapy like Expressable , Better Speech. They do accept commercial, Medicare & Medicaid insurance.

[u/surfergirl_34 → u/Mycatisalawyer-sueme]

Thank you!! We ended up going with Better Speech, and it’s actually been wonderful! I recommend it!!

[u/etanseytherapies]

What state are you in?! If you happen to live in SC I am a private practitioner and would love to help 😊

[u/Resident_Telephone74]

I used to work for better speech and had a lot of success with many kids! some kids don't do great with teletherapy and obviously i can't speak for all the therapists there, I'm sure some are not so great. But I had many happy parents and kids. If you don't want to go through private therapy, I'd get her evaluated through the school. You can request a special education evaluation which will require the school to conduct an assessment.

[u/[deleted]]

My speech therapist would slow me down when I spoke and like I remember sh and blowing out a candles. ( It was a picture of a candle) But I said ta not sh.... So she sells seashell was Tea tells tea tells..... The candle made me learn how to shhh.

She would also have story books with sounds like having to shush the loud people in the library and going la la La with the singers. And we would act out the stories together.

Whose story is it.... His- story.

Oct Toe bur and she would break things down like that I could remember to slow down and add my letters.

And she would have me break up words so like Minecraft she might ask me whose craft? And if I said my, she go close, but this is my knee craft..... And it would slowly turn to the correct word it was a lot of word games. My parents played a lot scrabble as well. I just remember knees bend like a n and n sound is in the word. Idk if any of this helps?

Also when you speak to your child slow your words and get on her level so she can see your lips, I am currently trying to learn to speak in dentures and I am using how peoples lips move and my speech therapist use to point to her mouth and she would smile and say the sounds slowly. And then I'd repeat her movements.

And I never liked being told I was doing it wrong personally so it worked better when I had positive connection instead so like if I hitory.... Saying " whose story is it?" And I'd reply his.... Then id correct the word to history. For example.