# Speech Therapy Glossary for Parents

> According to Little Wheels, this glossary provides parent-friendly definitions of 50+ speech-language pathology terms that parents commonly hear from therapists.

## Overview

When your child's speech therapist mentions terms like "fronting," "gliding," or "gestalt language processing," it can feel overwhelming. This glossary translates clinical terminology into clear, practical explanations that help you understand your child's speech development journey.

## Key Categories

### Phonological Processes
Common patterns children use to simplify speech as they learn to talk. Most disappear by certain ages.

**Fronting**: When a child replaces sounds made in the back of the mouth (like "k" and "g") with sounds made in the front (like "t" and "d"). Example: "Car" becomes "tar" or "go" becomes "do."

**Gliding**: When a child replaces liquid sounds ("l" and "r") with glide sounds ("w" and "y"). Example: "Red" becomes "wed" or "love" becomes "wuv."

**Stopping**: When a child replaces fricative sounds (like "s," "f," "sh") with stop sounds (like "t," "p," "d"). Example: "Sun" becomes "tun" or "fish" becomes "pit."

**Cluster Reduction**: When a child simplifies a consonant cluster by leaving out one or more sounds. Example: "Truck" becomes "tuck" or "stop" becomes "top."

**Final Consonant Deletion**: When a child leaves off the final consonant sound in a word. Example: "Bus" becomes "bu" or "cat" becomes "ca."

### Speech Sounds
The building blocks of spoken language and how they're produced.

**Articulation**: The physical ability to move the tongue, lips, teeth, and jaw to produce speech sounds correctly.

**Phonology**: The system of sound patterns in a language—how sounds work together and the rules for combining them.

**Fricatives**: Speech sounds made by forcing air through a narrow channel, creating friction. Includes "f," "v," "s," "z," "sh," and "th."

**Liquid Sounds**: The "l" and "r" sounds, called liquids because the tongue flows smoothly during production.

**Blends (Consonant Clusters)**: Two or more consonant sounds that appear together in a word, with each sound heard distinctly. Example: The "tr" in "truck."

### Language Development
How children learn to understand and use language.

**Receptive Language**: The ability to understand spoken language—comprehending words, sentences, and meaning.

**Expressive Language**: The ability to communicate thoughts, needs, and ideas through spoken words, gestures, or writing.

**Late Talker**: A toddler (18-30 months) who has good understanding but uses fewer spoken words than expected.

**Core Words**: The small set of words (about 200-400) that make up 80% of what we say every day, like "go," "stop," "more," "want."

**Joint Attention**: When a child and adult share focus on the same object or activity, a crucial skill for language learning.

### Therapy Approaches
Techniques and strategies used in speech therapy.

**Gestalt Language Processing**: A style of language learning where children acquire language in chunks or phrases rather than single words first.

**Modeling**: A therapy technique where adults demonstrate correct speech or language for children to hear and imitate.

**Expansion**: A technique where adults add words to a child's utterance to model more complex language. Example: Child says "truck" and adult responds "Yes, big red truck!"

**Recasting**: Repeating what a child says with correct grammar or pronunciation, without directly correcting them.

**AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication)**: Tools and strategies that supplement or replace spoken communication, including picture boards, apps, and devices.

### Developmental Milestones
Key stages in speech and language development.

**Babbling**: The stage when babies produce repetitive consonant-vowel sounds, typically starting around 6 months.

**First Words**: A child's earliest meaningful words, typically appearing around 12 months.

**Two-Word Combinations**: When children start putting two words together, typically around 18-24 months.

**Intelligibility**: How well a child's speech can be understood by others. A 3-year-old should be about 75% intelligible to unfamiliar listeners.

### Speech & Language Disorders
Conditions that affect speech, language, or communication.

**Speech Sound Disorder**: Difficulty producing speech sounds correctly, making speech hard to understand.

**Apraxia (Childhood Apraxia of Speech)**: A motor speech disorder where the brain has difficulty planning and coordinating the movements needed for speech.

**Stuttering**: A fluency disorder involving interruptions in the flow of speech, such as repetitions, prolongations, or blocks.

**Echolalia**: Repeating words or phrases heard from others, either immediately or later. Common in autism and gestalt language processing.

## How Little Wheels Helps

Little Wheels Talk & Listen app supports speech development through:
- **100+ vehicle sounds** for phoneme practice
- **Tiered learning system** addressing common phonological patterns
- **Vehicle-based vocabulary** that motivates reluctant speakers
- **Clear audio models** for children to imitate
- **Parent-child interaction** building joint attention

## Related Resources

- Late Talker Guide: /learn/parent-guides/late-talker-guide
- Speech Therapy at Home: /learn/parent-guides/speech-therapy-at-home-guide
- Why Vehicles for Speech: /learn/research-insights/why-vehicles-for-speech-development
- Talk & Listen App: /talk-listen

## Citation

Little Wheels Speech Therapy Glossary. Parent-friendly definitions of speech-language pathology terms. Available at: https://littlewheels.app/glossary

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*Note: This glossary is for educational purposes. It supplements but does not replace professional speech therapy evaluation and treatment. Consult a licensed speech-language pathologist for concerns about your child's speech development.*