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Speech and language practice at home, with your SLP

Many parents search for “speech therapy at home”. Here is an honest answer: therapy is the work of a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP), and home practice works best when that SLP shows you what to do.

Can I do speech therapy at home?

Not on your own. Speech-language pathologists play a critical role in the screening, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of speech and language disorders[1]. Under U.S. special-education rules, speech-language pathology services include the diagnosis of speech or language impairments and the provision of speech and language services[2], and some states, such as Florida, prohibit practising speech-language pathology without a licence[3].

What parents can do is practise. ASHA notes that people who have been trained by an SLP can provide language practice in the home and in the community[1]. So the best first step is to ask your child's SLP what to practise and how.

Questions to ask your child's SLP

Parents often say they want something small, with one simple direction, and worry about repeating a habit the SLP is trying to change[4]. Those are good things to tell the SLP.

  • Which one or two skills should we practise at home this week?
  • Can you show me how, so I don't practise a mistake?
  • How long should a practice be, and how often?
  • Which words or pictures should we use in our home language?

What everyday practice can look like

Ask your SLP which of these fit your child. ASHA mentions asking open-ended questions or wh-questions about a story and its characters as part of shared-reading approaches[1]. It also lists basic concept vocabulary, such as colors, among language areas[1]. Reading Rockets notes that children learn new words better when they meet them often and in different contexts[5].

How to find an SLP

In the U.S., ASHA ProFind is a directory of ASHA-certified audiologists and speech-language pathologists[6]. You can also ask your child's doctor. For a child under 3, your local early intervention program can help; for a child 3 or older, any local public elementary school can, even if your child does not go to school there, and you do not need a referral or diagnosis to call[7].

Our materials

Our Speech & Language Practice Cards are in the store now, each set with a free sample. They are practice materials to share with your child's SLP, not therapy. The bilingual language practice guide explains how to practise in the languages your family speaks.

  • Available now Speech & Language Practice Cards $7.99 per set, or $24.99 for all sets

    Picture cards for WH questions, categories and vocabulary, basic concepts and following directions, to use with guidance from an SLP or teacher. English, Spanish and Portuguese on every card.

    See it in the store

Questions

Can I do speech therapy at home with printables?

No. Speech therapy is provided by licensed professionals. Printables are practice materials. ASHA notes that people trained by an SLP can provide language practice in the home[1], so share any materials with your child's SLP and ask how to use them.

I'm worried about my child's speech. What should I do?

Talk with a speech-language pathologist[8] or your child's doctor[7]. In the U.S. you can ask for a free evaluation through early intervention or any local public elementary school, without waiting for a diagnosis[7].

Will speaking two languages at home cause a speech problem?

No. ASHA's parent page says you will not confuse your child or cause or worsen speech or language problems by using your languages[8], and its practice portal notes that multilingualism is not a cause of speech or language disorders[1].

Keep reading

Written by the UpOnly Learning team. Sources checked 26 Oct 2026; page updated 27 Oct 2026.

References

  1. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Practice Portal: Spoken Language Disorders. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
  2. eCFR (U.S. Government Publishing Office). 34 CFR 300.34(c)(15) Speech-language pathology services. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
  3. The Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 468.1285 Prohibitions; penalties (2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
  4. Speechy Musings. SLP Carryover Tips for Speech Therapy at Home (parent perspective) (Aug 19, 2016). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
  5. Reading Rockets (WETA). Vocabulary: An Introduction (cites Put Reading First, 2001). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
  6. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). ASHA ProFind. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Concerned About Your Child's Development? Learn the Signs. Act Early. (last reviewed Feb 17, 2026). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
  8. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Learning More Than One Language (public page). Checked 26 Oct 2026.

UpOnly Learning is an educational publisher. We do not diagnose, assess or treat, and our materials are not a substitute for a licensed professional or your child's school team.

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