If your child is taking a bit longer to pronounce sounds or make themselves easily understood, they may have a speech sound delay. This means they’re following the typical pattern of speech development but at a slower rate. Many children experience some delays in speech sounds, and while it’s natural to worry, with the right support, your child can make meaningful progress. Early recognition of these challenges can help your child on their journey toward clearer speech.

At Mable Therapy, we know how important it is for your child to be understood. Our friendly, skilled therapists will work with you to develop a tailored plan to help your child catch up at their own pace. Using engaging, play-based activities, we focus on improving the clarity of their speech by practising specific sounds. We’ll also provide you with strategies and exercises to use at home so you can actively support your child’s development. By working together, we can help your child build the skills they need to speak more clearly and confidently.

With early and consistent support, many children with speech sound delays greatly improve their clarity and speech sounds. Every child progresses at their own pace, but we’re here to guide and support your family every step of the way. Our goal is to help your child feel more confident in their speech, whether at home, in school, or with friends, and celebrate each achievement along the way.

If your child is finding it difficult to say certain sounds or is struggling to be understood, they may have a Speech Sound Disorder. This can include challenges like mispronouncing specific sounds or using patterns of sound errors. While many young children experience some speech difficulties, ongoing issues can affect their confidence, friendships, and progress at school. Understanding what your child is going through is the first step towards supporting them.

At Mable Therapy, our caring and experienced therapists take the time to get to know your child and understand the specific sounds they find challenging. We create a personalised plan that focuses on fun and engaging activities to help your child practice these sounds in a supportive environment. We’ll guide you through practical tips and exercises you can do at home, making sure you feel confident in supporting your child’s progress. With regular sessions and a collaborative approach, you’ll start to see improvements that will boost your child’s ability to communicate more clearly.

With early intervention and consistent support, many children make wonderful progress in overcoming their speech sound difficulties. Our goal is to help your child speak confidently so they can enjoy clearer communication at home, school, and with friends. While every child’s journey is different, we’re here to celebrate each step forward with you and provide the guidance you need along the way.

Cleft lip and/or palate occurs when a baby’s lip or mouth does not form fully during early pregnancy, creating a split or space in the upper lip, the roof of the mouth, or both. Children with cleft lip and/or palate can experience difficulties making certain speech sounds, feeding, or hearing.

The experience of the child depends on their type of cleft and the individual development.

At Mable Therapy, we have specialist Speech and Language Therapists that can tailor interventions to the child’s cleft condition. 

Sessions could focus on:
• Developing clear and accurate speech sounds
• Supporting resonance and airflow difficulties
• Building confidence in speaking

Therapists would work collaboratively with families and other professionals involved in your child’s care.

Early and consistent support for children with cleft lip and/or palate develops their speech intelligibility. This can support the child’s social interaction and self-esteem.

A voice disorder can manifest in different ways. This may include differences in voice quality (hoarse, breathy, strained, or rough), volume (too loud or too quiet), and pitch (too high or too low). 

Voice difficulties can be caused from reflux, frequent shouting, or habits such as throat clearing. 

When a child is having difficulties with their voice that impacts their ability to communicate effectively, support may be needed.

At Mable Therapy, our Speech and Language Therapists help increase voice functioning and prevent further damage to the voice.

Sessions may focus on:

• • Teaching safe and efficient voice techniques
  • Improving breath control
  • Reducing voice strain

Each session will be tailored to the child’s needs.

Improving a child’s voice can increase their confidence, participation, social communication, and overall wellbeing.

For children with hearing impairments or deafness, learning to communicate using spoken language can present unique challenges. The aural-oral approach focuses on helping children make the most of their residual hearing, alongside the use of hearing aids or cochlear implants, to develop listening and spoken language skills. Early intervention is essential, as it allows children to build their ability to understand and use speech, supporting their communication at home, in school, and in social situations.

At Mable Therapy, we specialise in the aural-oral approach, working closely with your child to strengthen their listening and spoken language skills. Our experienced therapists create personalised therapy plans that focus on maximising your child’s ability to hear and respond to speech. Through structured listening activities and engaging speech exercises, we help children learn to recognise sounds, develop clear speech, and understand spoken language. We aim to build their confidence in communicating with others using their voice.

We also work closely with parents and caregivers to ensure you feel confident in supporting your child’s development at home. You’ll receive practical strategies for everyday listening opportunities, which are key to reinforcing the progress made in therapy. By making speech and listening a natural part of your child’s daily routine, we can help them reach their full potential in spoken communication.

With consistent support and the right hearing technology, many children with hearing impairments can develop strong spoken language skills. Our goal is to ensure your child feels confident and capable in communicating with others, giving them the tools to succeed both academically and socially. Together, we can help your child find their voice and express themselves fully through speech.

If your child finds it difficult to understand or use language, they may have Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). DLD is a common presentation that affects how children process language, making it harder for them to express their thoughts or understand what others say. This can impact their ability to follow instructions, form sentences, or keep up with conversations. It’s important to know that DLD isn’t related to intelligence. Children with DLD need extra support to develop their language skills.

At Mable Therapy, we recognise that every child with DLD is unique. Our experienced therapists are here to help your child build their language skills in a way that works for them. Through interactive, engaging sessions, we focus on helping your child understand and use language more effectively in everyday life. We work closely with families, providing you with practical strategies to support language development at home, ensuring you feel involved in every step of the process. Our approach is all about making progress in a supportive, caring environment.

While DLD is a lifelong condition, with the right support, children can make tremendous progress in developing their language abilities. The earlier the intervention begins, the better the outcomes. We aim to give your child the tools they need to chat confidently now and in the future. With ongoing support and practice, your child can improve their language skills, helping them thrive at home, in school, and in social situations.

Stammering, also known as stuttering, is a speech difficulty where a child may repeat sounds, stretch out words, or find it hard to start speaking. This can be frustrating for both the child and their family, especially when the child is eager to share their thoughts but gets stuck on certain words or sounds. Stammering can also fluctuate, with some days being better than others, which can make it hard to predict when it will happen.

At Mable Therapy, we take a compassionate and personalised approach to stammering. We know that each child’s experience with stammering is unique, so our therapy is tailored to meet their individual needs. Through fun and supportive activities, we help children build techniques to manage their stammering and reduce frustration. Our focus isn’t just on speech fluency but also on building confidence and self-esteem so your child feels empowered to speak in any situation.

We work closely with parents and caregivers, too, offering guidance on how to respond to stammering at home in a positive, encouraging way. You’ll learn strategies that can help your child feel more at ease when speaking, whether they’re talking at home, in school, or with friends. Stammering doesn’t have to hold your child back, and with the right support, many children can improve their fluency and communicate more confidently.

While stammering may not disappear entirely, early and consistent support can make a significant difference. Our goal is to help your child develop the tools to manage their stammer, express themselves more freely, and feel good about their speech.

Selective mutism is an anxiety-based condition where a child can speak comfortably in certain situations, like at home, but finds it difficult or impossible to speak in other settings, such as at school or around unfamiliar people. This can be incredibly distressing for both the child and their family, especially when the child is talkative in safe environments but suddenly becomes silent in more social or public spaces. It’s important to know that selective mutism is not a refusal to speak but a deep sense of anxiety that prevents the child from verbalising.

At Mable Therapy, we take a gentle, understanding approach to helping children with selective mutism. We create a safe, supportive space where your child can gradually build their confidence and reduce the anxiety that makes speaking difficult. Our experienced therapists use a step-by-step approach, often starting with non-verbal communication and slowly encouraging the child to use their voice at their own pace. This process is always child-led, respecting their comfort levels while gently pushing them towards progress.

We also provide guidance to parents, teachers, and caregivers on how to create a supportive environment that helps reduce the pressure to speak, which can often make things harder for a child with selective mutism. Simple changes in the way people interact with your child can make a big difference in reducing their anxiety and helping them feel more at ease.

With time and the right support, children with selective mutism can learn to manage their anxiety and feel more comfortable speaking in a wider range of situations. Our goal is to help your child find their voice, so they can communicate confidently, whether at home, at school, or in social settings. 

Downs Syndrome is a chromosomal condition that affects learning, physical development, and communication.  Every child with Downs Syndrome has their own strengths, personality, and communication style. 

At Mable Therapy, our specialist Speech and Language Therapists use a strength-based approach to build upon your child’s interests and capabilities.

Sessions may focus on:

• • Developing vocabulary and sentence building
  • Supporting speech production
  • Strengthening listening and attention skills
  • Using visual supports and sign-based systems, such as Makaton

Sessions are engaging and tailored to the child’s pace of learning.

With the right support, children with Downs Syndrome can become confident communicators. Improved communication supports their social relationships, expressions, learning, and independence.

Children with Social Communication Disorder may have trouble using language in social situations. You might notice that your child finds it difficult to understand things like tone of voice, facial expressions, or how to take turns in conversations. These challenges can make it hard for them to form friendships or participate fully in everyday interactions. While children with Social Communication Disorder might be able to speak clearly, using and understanding language in social settings can feel overwhelming.

At Mable Therapy, we understand how these difficulties can affect your child’s confidence and relationships. Our expert therapists are here to help your child navigate these social challenges. We create a customised plan that focuses on building your child’s ability to communicate more effectively in social situations. Whether it's practising how to initiate conversations, recognising non-verbal cues, or understanding social norms, our sessions are engaging, supportive, and tailored to your child’s needs.

For parents, we provide practical advice and strategies to use at home and in everyday situations so you can support your child’s social growth outside of therapy. Together, we can help your child develop the skills they need to form connections, express themselves, and thrive in social environments.

Although every child’s progress will look different, with patience and support, children with Social Communication Disorder can make great strides in understanding and using social language. Our goal is to give your child the skills they need to feel more comfortable and confident when interacting with others, helping them build lasting relationships and succeed in social settings.

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference that affects how a person experiences the world and communicates with others.

Autism is a spectrum, with each person having unique strengths, interests, and challenges. More than one in 100 people are autistic, with over 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK.

Autistic people experience differences in communication, interests, and sensory processing. These differences can influence how they connect with others, express themselves, and navigate daily life.

At Mable Therapy, therapists support autistic children by tailoring sessions to their individual communication needs, interests, and sensory needs.

Sessions may focus on:

• Developing language and understanding
• Building social communication skills
• Supporting use of alternative or augmentative communication
• Helping the child express their needs, feelings, and choices

Mable Therapy utilises bespoke and motivating activities to build their skills. Therapists are able to provide strategies to be used in the home, school, and in everyday routines.

With support, autistic children can develop stronger communication skills that help them express themselves.

Early intervention can support:

• • Social participation
  • Emotional wellbeing
  • Independence
  • Self-advocacy

Support for autistic children is not aimed to change the child. Instead, support is used to provide the child with the tools to communicate in the way that works best for them. 

Some children do not use spoken words as their primary way of communicating. Non-speaking children may communicate through:

• • Gestures
  • Facial expressions
  • Body language
  • AAC systems
  • Vocalisations 

Every non-speaking child has a unique communication style.

At Mable Therapy, our Speech and Language Therapists focus on helping children communicate in the way that works best for them

Sessions may involve:

• • Introducing or supporting AAC systems 
  • Encouraging intentional communication
  • Supporting interactions and turn-taking
  • Building understanding of language
  • Supporting families with strategies to encourage communication at home

Our speech and language therapists follow the child’s interests to make communication meaningful and motivating.

With the right support, non-speaking children can share their needs and preferences, connect with others, and gain confidence.

Gestalt language processing (GLP) is a natural way of learning language for some children, including many autistic children. In GLP, children learn languages in chunks, or ‘gestalts’, rather than single words. These chunks may come from songs, TV shows, or repeated phrases.

At Mable Therapy, our Speech and Language Therapists recognise and respect each child’s language learning style.

GLP sessions focus on:
• Understanding the meaning behind the scripts and phrases
• Supporting children to break down gestalts into flexible language
• Helping children build their own original sentences

With the right approach, children can move towards more flexible and meaningful communication. This can help the child express their thoughts and feelings, participate in conversations, and build social connections.

Powered AAC includes electronic communication devices or apps that allow children to express themselves. 

These systems can include symbols, pictures, text, or voice output.

AAC can support children who:

• • Have limited or no spoken language
  • Find speech difficult to use consistently
  • Need extra support to express their thoughts and needs

At Mable Therapy, Speech and Language Therapists support children to use powered AAC effectively. Our speech and language therapists are equipped to support an array of powered AAC, excluding eye gaze equipment.

Sessions may focus on:
• Learning how to use the device or system
• Building vocabulary and sentence structure
• Encouraging communication across different environments
• Supporting interactions with peers and family

Powered AAC provides children with a voice and gives them a way to express their thoughts, needs, and personalities. Use of powered AAC can reduce frustration and support children to become independent communicators.

SEMH refers to difficulties with emotional regulation, mental wellbeing, and social interaction.

SEMH challenges can impact a child’s communication, behaviour, and learning.

Children with SEMH needs may:

• • Struggle to express emotions
  • Have difficulty forming relationships

At Mable Therapy, our Speech and Language Therapists take a holistic and compassionate approach.

Sessions may focus on:

• • Emotional vocabulary and expression
  • Understanding social situations
  • Developing positive communication strategies

With the right support, children can express how they feel and feel more confident and understood. Building their communication skills can support their emotional wellbeing.