Malta Speech Therapy

10/03/2026

🗣 5 Common Myths About Stammering

There are many misconceptions about stammering, and these myths can make life harder for people who stammer.

Let’s set the record straight 👇

❌ Myth 1: People who stammer are not intelligent
❌ Myth 2: Nervousness causes stammering
❌ Myth 3: Stammering can be “caught” by hearing someone else stammer
❌ Myth 4: Telling someone to “take a deep breath” or “think about what you want to say first” helps
❌ Myth 5: Stress causes stammering

The truth: Stammering is a speech difference related to how the brain processes speech and language. Intelligence has nothing to do with it, and understanding and patience make a real difference.

At Malta Speech Therapy, we support individuals who stammer and help families better understand speech and communication differences.

💬 The most helpful thing you can do when someone is stammering? Listen patiently and focus on what they are saying.

25/02/2026

Here’s a simple strategy to support your little ones language development:

🌸 Use comments more than questions 🌸

When we constantly test children with questions, conversations can feel demanding. Comments create a relaxed interaction and provide a clear language model to copy.

Observe. Comment. Pause.

Give space for communication to grow. 🌳

02/02/2026

29/01/2026

✨ Follow their lead ✨

One of the best ways to support your child’s speech and language development is by letting them take the lead in play.

This means watching what your child is interested in and joining in with their idea, rather than directing or correcting them. If they are lining up dinosaurs, you line them up too. If they are making the dinosaur roar, you roar back. If they want to repeat the same action again and again, that is where the learning is happening.

When children lead the activity, they feel safe, motivated and engaged. This creates the perfect opportunity for communication. As speech therapists, we use these moments to model words, sounds and simple sentences naturally, without pressure.

💡 Parent tip:
Get down to your child’s level, follow what they are doing, comment on it and have fun. You do not need fancy toys or structured activties.

22/12/2025

That’s it, our speech therapy clinic is officially closed for the year 🎄

As we wrap up and head into the holidays, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to every family, parent, caregiver, child, and young person who has walked through our doors. Whether you visited us this year or have been part of our clinic community for many years, your continued trust means more than we can say.

It has been a privilege to support your journeys, celebrate progress big and small, and share so many moments along the way.

We wish you all a joyful, restful holiday season and a happy New Year. We look forward to seeing you again in the new year.

12/12/2025

One of the questions we get asked most at this time of year is
“What toys actually help my child’s speech and language?”

The short answer is, you probably already have them at home.

Simple, open-ended toys like cars, blocks, puzzles and pretend play sets are powerful tools for building communication. Not because they talk back to your child, but because they invite interaction.

These toys help children practise
• turn taking and joint attention
• requesting and commenting
• learning new words like colours, actions and positions
• following directions
• early sounds and longer words
• pretend play and storytelling

When children play, they are motivated. When they are motivated, they communicate more. That is where the real language growth happens.

You do not need flashy or noisy toys. You need opportunities to sit, play, talk and follow your child’s lead.

If you are ever unsure what to choose, think simple, flexible and fun. And remember, it is not the toy itself, it is how you play with it that makes the difference.

Save this for later or share with another parent who might be wondering the same thing.

16/11/2025

Did you know?

Singing to your baby is one of the simplest ways to boost early communication.

Your little one learns through the rhythm, melody and repetition in your voice, which helps with listening, turn taking and early language development. It also supports bonding and soothes their nervous system.

Don’t worry. You don’t need to be pitch perfect-Your baby is not judging the performance. They just want to hear you! 🌸

31/10/2025

🎃 This Halloween, let’s lead with understanding.

For many children, trick-or-treating is more than just costumes and sweets, it’s an opportunity to practise social skills, communication, and confidence in a fun, low-pressure setting. But it’s also a time when hidden challenges can show up.

A child who doesn’t say “Trick or treat!” may have communication differences or be nonverbal. Another might hesitate when choosing a sweet because they’re working through fine motor or executive functioning skills. A child without a costume could have sensory sensitivities that make dressing up uncomfortable. And that “too old” teen? They might just be holding onto a bit of childhood joy in a world that asks them to grow up too quickly.

Patience and kindness go a long way. Every child deserves to feel included in the fun of Halloween, on their own terms. Like and share!

🧡

30/08/2025

Action for stammering children have this great piece of advice.

👉 A little patience goes a long way to a child who stammers. They can tell from our facial expressions if we’re feeling impatient.

✨When a child knows you are really listening they will generally feel more accepted and relaxed.✨

It’s also important not to tell the child to hurry up, or finish their sentences.😀

23/08/2025

🐰 The “R” Sound – Why It Can Be Tricky! 🐰

Did you know the /r/ sound is one of the last speech sounds many children learn?
That’s why “rabbit” sometimes comes out as “wabbit” or “red” as “wed.” This is called rhotacism.

The /r/ sound can be challenging because it needs very fine tongue movements and coordination, much trickier than sounds like /m/ or /p/ which most children learn earlier.

If you are concerned about any speech sounds and language development please reach out a speech therapist.

💡 Fun fact: English /r/ is considered one of the hardest sounds across languages worldwide!

13/08/2025

Play is so important for language development!

When kids play, they’re not “just having fun”—they’re exploring new words, practicing sounds, and building social skills. Whether it’s pretending to be a chef, building with blocks, or making animal noises, play turns language into something real and exciting.

💡 As a speech therapist, I see it every day: when we make learning playful, communication skills grow naturally.