Interview with Jenny Rio, Speech Therapist and Founder of PiccoleFrasi

When Language Becomes Voice: Science, Linguistics, and Language Rehabilitation in Children

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1. Jenny, let’s start with your background. How did your passion for speech therapy begin, and what led you to study at UCL in London?

Jenny: After high school, my passion was linguistics — not languages, but language itself, the system that allows humans to communicate. In the 1990s, there was no dedicated linguistics degree in Italy, so I moved to London to study at UCL, where I could explore language in all its dimensions: syntax, morphology, phonology, and semantics.

After four years, I wanted to apply this theoretical knowledge in a practical way. That’s why I chose a Master’s in Speech and Language Therapy — combining linguistic theory with clinical application.

2. After graduating, you returned to Italy and began working with children. What do you focus on today?

Jenny: I work in a rehabilitation center near Milan, helping children with various language difficulties. The most frequent diagnosis is Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) — a condition affecting about 7% of children, making it more common than autism or dyslexia, yet far less known.

It’s linked to the way the brain builds neural networks for language. These children struggle to learn their first words, to form sentences, and to understand complex speech. The issue isn’t environmental or linguistic—it’s neurological.

3. Within speech therapy there are many areas of specialization. Which one fascinates you most?

Jenny: Definitely specific language impairments and morphosyntactic difficulties.

Even as a student, I loved syntax and logical analysis, and I was inspired by Noam Chomsky’s theories, which aim to uncover the universal rules behind all human languages. That curiosity became central to my clinical work: understanding how to help children internalize the implicit grammar of their language — the mental structures that connect subjects, verbs, and meaning.

4. How did the “PiccoleFrasi.com” project begin?

Jenny: The website grew out of my daily work with children affected by DLD, Down syndrome, or cognitive delays.

Over time, I realized that neither fully implicit approaches (based on play and exposure) nor purely explicit methods (more didactic and repetitive) were always enough on their own.

So I developed a hybrid method that combines both, centered on what I call “syntactic minimal pairs.” This approach encourages children to recognize and produce simple sentences (like the mother sleeps, the dog runs) in a structured yet playful way. It helps them grasp the communicative power of language — not just repeating a correct sentence, but using it to express intention and meaning.

5. Can you explain the difference between implicit and explicit approaches?

Jenny: The implicit approach assumes that children can naturally acquire syntax if they receive targeted, high-intensity stimulation.For example, during play, if a child says “car,” I might reply “the car stops.” If they say “mom,” I add “the mom eats.”These small, natural models help the brain internalize linguistic structure.

The explicit approach, on the other hand, is more instructional: I show pictures and ask, “What is the mom doing? Eating. Repeat: the mom eats.”

This method can be more effective with older children (around 5+), who can handle a more conscious explanation.

Because DLD doesn’t simply go away with age — it changes form, but the underlying vulnerability remains. Targeted strategies are key to making these structures automatic.

6. And what exactly are “syntactic minimal pairs”? How do they work?

Jenny: They are a middle ground between the two methods.We work with combinations of subjects and verbs using pictures like the dog sleeps, the mom runs, the dad eats.Through these images, I ask the child to produce full sentences — for instance, “Which picture do you want?” The child must answer with the mom sleeps, not just the mom.

This playful approach builds linguistic awareness: the child realizes that a complete sentence isn’t just an exercise but a tool to communicate clearly.

The method grew out of clinical experience but is supported by neuroscientific literature on language-related synaptic development and neuroplasticity.

💬 “It’s not enough to teach a sentence — you have to make it automatic.”

7. Why use images and illustrated phrases? What advantages do they offer compared to traditional materials?

Jenny: “They’re concrete and combinable — they let children build many different minimal sentences and play with syntax, not just repeat it.

The goal isn’t parroting—it’s communication and automatization.”

8. What early signs should parents watch for?

Jenny: “Even in the first year, there are key indicators:

• Babbling (6–12 months) — it should appear and evolve (from ba-ba-ba to more complex sequences).

• Gestures — especially pointing: the child should coordinate object–finger–adult, looking and pointing to share attention. Symbolic gestures too (like touching the cheek for ‘yummy’).

• By 18–24 months — vocabulary should grow (around 300 words) and word combinations should appear (mom come, dad shoes).

If by age 2 vocabulary is limited or words aren’t combined, an early speech evaluation can help. Some are late bloomers, but others develop persistent difficulties leading to DLD diagnoses by age 4.

Typically developing children, by age 3, master basic morphology and syntax and speak in full sentences; pronunciation refines by age 4.

By then, they’re ready for metalinguistic awareness — the foundation for reading and writing.”

9. How important are parents, and what practical advice would you give them?

Jenny:

“They’re essential. Read together, name actions, talk in short but complete sentences.

Language grows in the soil of relationship and shared attention.”

10. How are neuroscience and speech therapy coming together?

Jenny: “In therapy, what we teach must move beyond declarative memory (rules we explain) into procedural memory (automatic skills). That requires intensity — short, frequent sessions — and high variability: exposing children to many examples of the same structure (subject + verb) with different words.

When the brain hears enough examples, it doesn’t just memorize them — it extracts the rule, generalizes it, and transforms it into a habit. This principle, called statistical learning, explains how children acquire language structures without explicit instruction.

Our task as therapists is to recreate those natural learning conditions — to let the brain learn naturally, even when its linguistic system is fragile.”

💬 “Language isn’t just taught — it’s built together.”

11. How do you see the future of speech therapy?

Jenny: “Neuroscience is revolutionizing how we understand language. By studying brain activity during speech comprehension and production, we can see why certain methods work better for some children than others.

I believe speech therapy will become increasingly personalized — not just focused on what we hear, but on the neural networks that make speech possible.”

12. If you had to choose one word to define your work, what would it be?

Jenny: “I often recall a conference organized by Giacomo Stella of the Italian Dyslexia Association titled "Do I teach you, or do I learn you?". For me, the answer is ...

I learn you.

As speech therapists, we can’t just teach — we must ensure the child truly learns. That means finding ways to turn knowledge into skill, transforming what’s consciously explained into something that becomes automatic in the brain.

Don’t say, ‘Poor thing, they can’t learn,’ but ask, ‘How can I learn them — to help them learn?’That’s the real challenge of speech therapy: not transmitting notions, but building real learning.”

🌱 “As speech therapists, we don’t just teach — we learn the child.”

Conclusion

With her approach that weaves together linguistics, neuroscience, and clinical experience, Jenny Rio reminds us that speaking is never just about words — it’s about neural connections, emotions, and intention.

Behind every small phrase lies a growing brain, and

a mind learning to communicate.

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