Individual therapy is where a child learns a new skill. A group is where they get to use it. Our group programs and day camps bring together small groups of children with similar goals, led by speech-language pathologists, in a setting that feels like play and works on real communication.
Groups are part of how we work at VoxLingue, not an add-on. They give children a contextualized, natural environment with peers, and they help prepare them for the communication demands of school.
Why groups help
Generalization
A child may say a sound perfectly in the therapy room and still struggle with it on the playground. Using a skill in a new place, with new people, is called generalization, and it is often the hardest step. Groups create exactly those conditions: different speakers, background noise, turn taking, real reasons to talk.
Peers
Children learn a great deal from each other. In a group, they hear models from other children, practise asking and answering questions, negotiate a game and repair a misunderstanding. We facilitate relationships between children through discussion and cooperative activities, so that practice happens inside a real social exchange.
Confidence
Many children who find communication hard are well aware of it. Being with other children who are working on similar goals, in a supportive setting, can make it easier to take risks and speak up. Daily practice over a short, intensive period keeps the skill active from one day to the next.
Our programs
The programs below are offered in person at our Marché Central clinic in Montréal. Schedules, ages and formats can change from season to season, so ask us for the details of upcoming sessions.
Speech Sounds group
A one-week group with three-hour sessions, using varied activities to work on communication strategies in a natural group context. Daily immersion gives children continuous practice, with play-based activities and practical exercises adapted to each child. The aim is for children to make themselves better understood by their peers and to carry new skills into daily life.
This group is designed for children with:
- Speech sound disorders (articulation and phonology)
- Childhood apraxia of speech
- Fluency difficulties (stuttering)
Learn more about speech sound therapy.
Speech Therapy Day Camps (ages 5 to 8 and 9 to 12)
Half-day camps over one week for children who need extra support to develop language and social communication skills with peers. Children are grouped by age, with one camp for 5 to 8 year olds and one for 9 to 12 year olds, so activities match their stage. Through discussion and cooperative activities, children practise strategies in a natural setting.
Areas we work on include:
- Receptive and expressive language
- Vocabulary and concepts
- Executive functioning (attention and memory)
- Auditory processing
- Idea formulation
- Perspective taking
- Inferences and conflict resolution
- Emotional awareness
- Conversation
- Narrative skills
Learn more about language disorders and social communication.
The Storytellers day camp
A one-week day camp, in three-hour sessions, for children who need extra support with narrative (storytelling) and conversational skills. Research suggests that storytelling is a bridge between oral language and reading and writing, and that narrative skills are closely linked to success at school.
Through books, games and story building, children work on:
- Asking and answering questions
- Inferences and interpretation
- Idea formulation
- Vocabulary
- Perspective taking
- Narrative structure
- Social communication
- Early reading skills
Learn more about our literacy support.
Basics of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
An intensive program of four two-hour sessions over two weeks. It addresses muscle habits that contribute to atypical swallowing or mouth breathing, which can be linked to dental, breathing and speech sound difficulties.
The intensity of the program, combined with consistent exercises at home, helps children strengthen oral muscles, improve coordination and consolidate new habits. The group setting helps keep children motivated to practise. Participants work on:
- Breathing
- Mouth and tongue position at rest
- Range of oral movements
- Coordination of oral movements
Learn more about orofacial myofunctional therapy.
What a group day looks like
Each session follows a predictable routine, which helps children settle in quickly. A typical session might include a welcome circle, a short focused activity on the group’s target skill, cooperative games, a story or project, and a closing review. Clinicians adapt each activity so every child works at the right level, and they watch each child’s goals throughout.
Parents receive information about what the group is working on and ideas to keep practising at home. Home practice is a big part of what makes a short program worthwhile, especially in the orofacial myofunctional therapy program.
How groups fit with individual therapy
Groups and individual sessions do different jobs. In individual therapy, your child’s clinician focuses closely on one or two skills, with many repetitions and immediate feedback. In a group, your child uses those skills in a busier, less predictable setting, with other children as conversation partners.
For many children, the two work well together. A child might attend individual therapy during the school year and join a group or day camp in the summer to keep skills active and practise them with peers. If your child already sees one of our clinicians, they can tell you whether a group would be a good next step and which goals it could support.
Preparing your child
Before the first day, talk about the group in simple terms: “You are going to a group with other kids to play games and practise talking.” Visit the clinic together beforehand if it helps, and mention what will happen first. Pack a snack and a water bottle, and label your child’s belongings.
Some children are shy on the first day and warm up over the week. That is expected. Let the clinicians know about anything that helps your child feel comfortable, such as a favourite topic, a calming strategy or a friend’s name to look for.
Who groups are for
Groups suit many children who:
- Are working on a speech, language, fluency or social communication goal
- Are ready to participate in a small group with adult support
- Would benefit from using their skills with peers, not just with an adult
Groups are not right for every child at every stage. If your child is just starting therapy, has significant attention or behavioural needs in groups, or needs very individualized support, individual therapy may come first. We are glad to talk it through with you.
Bilingual families
Many children in our groups grow up with two or more languages. We welcome every language background, and we encourage families to keep using their home language. Ask us which groups are planned in English and in French for the coming season.
How to register
We announce group sessions seasonally, and many of our day camps take place in the summer. Spaces in each group are limited so that clinicians can follow every child closely.
- Ask about upcoming groups by calling our Marché Central clinic in Montréal at 514-467-9132 (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 to 19:00)
- Send us a message through the contact form
- Subscribe to our newsletter to hear about new sessions as soon as they are announced
We provide receipts for group programs that you can submit to your private insurance plan. If your child might also benefit from one-on-one support, see our individual therapy page or start with an assessment.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if a group is right for my child?
Call us or write through the contact form and tell us about your child's needs. If your child already sees one of our clinicians, ask them. We will suggest the program that fits, or explain why individual therapy may be a better starting point.
Does my child need an assessment before joining a group?
It depends on the program. Many families join after an assessment so the group can build on known goals. If your child has not been assessed, tell us when you call, and we will advise you.
Can a group replace individual therapy?
Groups are designed to complement or follow individual therapy, not usually to replace it. Individual sessions target a specific skill; groups give your child a chance to use it with other children.
When are the next sessions?
We announce group sessions seasonally, with many of our day camps running in the summer. Ask about upcoming groups by phone or through the contact form, or subscribe to our newsletter to hear about new sessions.
Will I receive a receipt for insurance?
Yes. We provide receipts for group programs that you can submit to your private insurance plan. Coverage varies, so check with your insurer.
In which language are groups offered?
Language depends on the session and the clinicians leading it. Ask us when you enquire, and we will tell you which groups are planned in English and in French.
Related services
- Individual speech and language therapy for children, teens and adultsIndividual therapy built around your or your child's goals, with play-based sessions for children, coaching for parents and practice that carries into everyday life.
- Speech sound disorders: articulation and phonologySupport for children who are hard to understand or who mispronounce sounds past the typical age, in English, French and the other languages of your home.
- Social communication, autism and neurodivergent profilesNeurodiversity-affirming support for how children, teens and adults use language with other people, built around connection, comfort and self-advocacy rather than fitting in.
- Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMD)Assessment and therapy for how the tongue, lips and jaw rest and move during feeding, swallowing, chewing and breathing, from a baby's first feeds to adults with tongue thrust or mouth breathing, coordinated with your medical and dental team.