Supporting Perspective Taking in Speech Therapy: Strategies for SLPs

Hey there, SLP friends! 👋🏼

Have you ever stopped to think about how much pragmatic language influences academic and social success? Honestly—it’s kind of wild when you see it in action. One area that really stands out is perspective taking.

When children are able to step into someone else’s shoes, they gain skills that go way beyond “being nice.” Perspective taking helps them repair social mishaps, recognize bullying behaviors, improve self-regulation, and even better understand the purpose of stories and literature. As SLPs, we’re in a unique position to nurture this skill early on—and the payoff can be huge.

So, let’s talk about why perspective taking matters at different ages and how we can support it in therapy.

Perspective Taking in Early Intervention

Why It’s Important

During the toddler and preschool years, kids are just starting to learn about emotions—both their own and others’. A child who can recognize, label, and process their feelings is better able to self-regulate. And when kids are regulated and happy, they’re way more ready to learn and grow their language skills.

Perspective taking at this stage isn’t about deep character analysis—it’s about helping kids start to connect feelings with experiences and actions. This lays the foundation for empathy and smoother interactions with peers and family.

Strategies for Early Intervention

Here are some simple but powerful ways to weave perspective taking into sessions with your littles:

1. Read books about emotions. Pause to ask, “Have you ever felt this way?” or “What might the character do next?” This builds personal connections to the story.

2. Label emotions in real time. When a child is upset or excited, help them identify the feeling either verbally (“I’m mad”) or with a visual cue. Research shows that labeling emotions helps reduce their intensity and speeds up calming.

3. Talk about helping others. Use everyday moments to ask, “What can we do if our friend is sad?” Kids learn that their actions impact others—whether it’s offering a hug, sharing a toy, or inviting someone to play.

Perspective Taking in School-Age Kids

Why It’s Important

By the time kids are in early elementary, their theory of mind is developing quickly. This is when they start to understand that other people think differently than they do. Solidifying this skill helps kids navigate friendships, understand classroom expectations, and engage in more complex conversations. Without it, social breakdowns happen fast—and can make school feel overwhelming.

Strategies for School-Age Kids

Here’s how to help school-aged students strengthen their perspective-taking muscles:

1. Use character maps in stories. While reading, ask students to map out what each character is thinking and why they acted the way they did. This ties directly into literacy goals and comprehension.

2. Analyze social interactions. If a child struggles with making or keeping friends, pause and unpack the situation together. Explore how they felt, how their peer might have felt, and what could be done differently.

3. Look at the full communication picture. Sometimes difficulties aren’t just about words—they’re about body language, tone of voice, or mixed messages. Role-play scenarios where students can practice picking up on these cues and predicting how others might respond.

Bringing It All Together

It can be easy to feel like social skills are “extra” or outside our scope, but the truth is language and perspective taking are deeply connected. When we support kids in understanding how others think and feel, we’re setting them up for success academically, socially, and emotionally.

Perspective taking isn’t just about playing nicely—it’s about giving kids the tools to regulate emotions, build strong relationships, and engage meaningfully with the world around them. And as SLPs, we get the privilege of helping them do just that.

So the next time you’re planning sessions, think about where you can sprinkle in a little perspective-taking practice. Whether it’s through storybooks, role-play, or real-life moments, you’ll be building skills that last a lifetime.

Make focusing on perspective talking easy with my Perspective Taking: Teach and Practice with No Print Option resource! CLICK HERE to grab it!

Happy speeching!

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