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Speech sounds & claritySpeech sound therapy & childhood apraxia
When a child's speech is hard to understand, it can be frustrating for them and worrying for you. We help children say the sounds they're working towards — clearly, confidently and at their own pace.
Most children make speech “errors” as they learn to talk. But when speech stays unclear past the expected age, targeted, playful therapy can make a real difference.
When speech sounds are tricky
Some children swap one sound for another, leave sounds out, or distort them well past the age their peers have moved on. This might be a phonological difficulty (patterns of sounds), an articulation difficulty (forming a particular sound), or childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) — where the brain finds it hard to plan and sequence the movements for speech.
Signs you might notice
- People outside the family often can't understand your child
- Sounds are left off the ends or beginnings of words
- Your child seems to “grope” or search for sounds
- Vowels sound off, or the same word comes out differently each time
- Speech gets harder when they're tired or excited
- There's a family history of speech or literacy difficulties
How we help
We start with a relaxed, play-based assessment to work out the pattern behind the errors. Then we target the sounds that matter most for your child being understood — practised in real words, games and everyday routines, with plenty of repetition. We coach you along the way, because short bursts of practice at home are where the magic happens.
Approaches we draw on
For phonological patterns, we use approaches like the cycles approach and minimal pairs. For childhood apraxia, we draw on Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing (DTTC), the Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme and Rapid Syllable Transition (ReST) training, with PROMPT-informed tactile cues where they help. Everything is matched to your child, not a script.
Common questions
At what age should I worry about unclear speech?
As a rough guide, most people should understand around half of a 2-year-old's speech, and nearly all of a 4-year-old's. If your child is harder to understand than that, or you simply have a niggle, it's worth a chat — you don't need to wait, and you don't need a referral to see us privately.
What's the difference between a speech delay and apraxia?
A delay or disorder usually follows predictable patterns and responds well to sound-based therapy. Childhood apraxia of speech is a motor-planning difficulty — the child knows what they want to say but has trouble coordinating the movements. It needs a specific, movement-based approach, which is why an accurate assessment matters.
How long will therapy take?
Every child is different. Some need a short block of sessions; others, particularly with apraxia, benefit from longer, consistent support. We'll always be honest about what we're seeing and review progress with you regularly.
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Let's help your child be heard
Send a referral in a couple of minutes — families and professionals are both welcome. We'll be in touch within 24–48 hours.