Speech Therapist In Training

To this day there are still several words that Kayla continues to mispronounce and two of them are 'dand-aid' and 'dirthday.' I usually try to correct her and emphasize the way a word should be pronounced and have her say it back to me. I'll say "BAnd-aid" and "BIrthday". When she stops and slows down and says it after me she can say the words correctly, but when she's talking in a sentence it just flows out easier for her the way she has been saying it.

When Lucas first started talking he picked up on the way Kayla pronounced words and he would say them that way as well. So then I was correcting both of them and emphasizing the way a word should be said.

I can't remember if Lucas was quite two yet, but one day Kayla said she needed a 'dand-aid' and Lucas said, "no, Kayla, BAnd-aid." I remember being surprised that he had picked that up so easily and recognized that was a word she wasn't pronouncing the right way.

I don't usually think about Lucas being observant, but he is very much so. He pays attention and listens to what we're doing with Kayla, and retains that. He seems to know that we help her with her speech, especially clarity and having her repeat things... and us emphasizing sounds. Sometimes he'll chime in after I've repeated a word to Kayla and he'll say it to her too, ("Like this Kayla ...") but he usually doesn't correct her on his own.

The other day as we were driving we passed the church where they both attended Vacation Bible School. If Kayla says all 3 words she runs them together and its not very clear what she is saying. Usually she'll say Bible School (although that comes out sounding something like Fible school). So that's another word I'll emphasize "BIble".

So as we passed the church they both called out Vacation Bible School. Lucas heard Kayla say 'fible school' and he told her it was, "Vacation Bible School." (I kept quiet and didn't say anything). She said it, or tried to, but saying 'vacation' and 'bible' ran together and it just sounded more like she was saying two words instead of three. He didn't think she was saying the "vacation" part so he slowed it down. "Kayla, it's Vacation Bible School. It's 3 words, see? Vacation. Bible. School." Kayla said, "Let me do it." She slowed down, concentrated on what she was saying, and got all 3 words. Lucas told her, "Yeah Kayla! That's how you say it! Good job!"

I guess I shouldn't be surprised if he's a speech therapist when he grows up!