What is self-talk in speech therapy?

Narrating your own actions out loud so your child hears language connected to activities. "I'm putting the car in the garage. Now I'm closing the door." Example: Saying "I'm putting the car in the garage" while playing with your child.

🎯Therapy Approaches

Self-Talk

What is self-talk in speech therapy?

Narrating your own actions out loud so your child hears language connected to activities. "I'm putting the car in the garage. Now I'm closing the door."

Example

Saying "I'm putting the car in the garage" while playing with your child.

🔊 Adult narrating their own actions

How can I help my child with self-talk?

Our parent resources include self-talk scripts for vehicle play activities.

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About this guide: This glossary is designed to help parents understand speech therapy terminology. Definitions are simplified for clarity and informed by resources from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Not medical advice: This information is educational only. For concerns about your child's speech development, consult a licensed speech-language pathologist (SLP).Find an SLP near you →

Learn More From Trusted Sources

ASHA: Speech & Language Development Chart— Official milestones by age
ASHA: Late Blooming or Language Problem?— When to seek help
Identify the Signs— ASHA's early intervention resource

Parents Also Ask

What is self-talk in speech therapy?▼

Self-talk means narrating YOUR own actions out loud. "I'm building a tower. I'm putting the block on top. Uh oh, it fell!" Your child hears language connected to real actions, building vocabulary and understanding.

"The pictures of trucks are very relatable to boys which is perfect since a lot of boys need help with building speech and language."

Grace Zaras M.S CCC-SLP — ZARASpeech Company

Trusted by 25+ Speech-Language PathologistsSee all SLP reviews →

Related Terms

Parallel Talk

Narrating what your child is doing as they do it. "You're pushing the truck! It's going fast!" This connects words to their actions and builds vocabulary.

More Therapy Approaches

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Gestalt Language Processing Modeling Expansion Recasting Parallel Talk AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)

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Support Your Child's Speech Development

Little Wheels apps use vehicle-based learning to make speech practice engaging and fun. Perfect for home practice between therapy sessions.

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