How to Prepare Your Child for Their First Speech Therapy Session: A Parent's Guide

Starting speech therapy is an exciting step for your child, but we know that preparing for their first session can feel a bit daunting. You may be wondering how to explain what’s going to happen or how to make the experience as smooth and fun as possible. In this guide, we’ll walk you through what to expect during the first session and offer some helpful, playful ideas to get your child ready. With a little preparation, your child will feel confident and excited to begin their journey in speech therapy!

What to Expect in the First Session

• Introduction to the Speech Therapist: The first session is usually about getting  comfortable being around the therapist and the therapist getting to know you and your child. It’s a chance for the child to see who this person might be that will help them with their speech or communication. At Talk Joy, we work from a first name basis so feel free to let your child know your therapist name, you are also welcome to see our staff photos on our website if this will set you and/or your child at ease.

• Assessment and Fun Activities: Let your child know that the first session is a lot of you (the parent/s) talking with the therapist to talk about how your child has got to where they are now. Feel free to let them know that the therapist will bring some games and/or toys for them to play with either by themselves or together with the therapist. It’s low-pressure and child-friendly. We may do an assessment in this first sessions but most of the time the assessment is done in subsequent sessions so that your child has better participation with someone they have seen before.

• Parental Involvement: The therapist will chat with you (the parent/s) about your child’s medical history, therapy involvement in the past, any diagnoses, goals and assessments for therapy. We will also talk about how we operate at Talk Joy and make a plan for our next appointments.

  
  

How to Talk to Your Child About the Session

• Keep It Positive: We suggest that you frame the session as fun as possible and assure your child that there’s nothing to be worried about. Say something like, "You’re going to meet someone new who loves to play and will help with talking!"

• Avoid Over-Explaining: Sometimes we want to give heaps of information so that our children know every possible situation, but I encourage you to keep explanations simple, and use phrases like “we’re going to talk and play with someone special today.”

• Normalize Therapy: Compare speech therapy to other routine activities (like going to school or visiting a doctor), emphasizing that it’s another person who loves to help kids learn and grow.

  
  

Fun Ways to Prepare Your Child

• Role-Play Sessions at Home: Parents can pretend to be the speech therapist and have a mini “speech therapy session” where they ask their child questions or play games. This could be particularly helpful for children who might be shy or more worried about their first session.

• Read Books About Going to New Places: If you have a book about going to new places or meeting new people, reading these books could help reduce anxiety. This is one of the reasons we are a mobile practice, being able to see children in their home is often a lot less stressful then going to a clinic.

  
  

Practical Tips for the Day

• Be ready: A few minutes before your therapist is due to arrive, let your child know and get them to help you set up a mat or a “special place” where you will have the session. You could let them pick out a book or toy or something they’d like to show the therapist. If it is something that excites them, see if they’d like to open the door when the therapist arrives or if they’d prefer you to do it.

• Stay Relaxed: Remember that children can sense stress, so staying calm and confident will help their child feel comfortable. You could even talk about how you are looking forward to meeting the therapist and you can’t wait to see what toys/games they might have with them.

  
  

What Happens After the Session

• Recap with Your Child: Once the therapist has left, talk to your child, asking questions like, “What was your favourite part?” to keep the experience positive. You could also give your child praise for doing something new, or better yet think of some specific you loved that your child did.

• Next steps: The first session is just the beginning of a fun journey to help your child communicate more easily. You will be given a time for an assessment if this is what the therapist is recommending. You will also be given an initial assessment summary which documents what was spoken about in your first session and I will make some recommendations.

  
  

Preparing for your child’s first speech therapy session doesn’t have to be stressful. By keeping things positive, playful, and relaxed, you can help your child feel more at ease and ready to meet their new therapist. Remember, this is just the start of an exciting process that will help your child grow and develop their communication skills. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to support you and your child every step of the way!

Remember to be kind and share joy!

-            Allanah (Speech Therapist)