Month: February 2021

Are you noticing that your child is using a lot of gestures but not many words to communicate? Are they beginning to show some frustration when you’re not understanding what they want? One way to assist your child with indicating what they want, while decreasing their frustration, is to provide choices. For example, they gesture to the snack cupboard and you know there are a couple of snacks they prefer. Bring the box/container down to their eye level and simple ask, “Do you want crackers or goldfish?”. Even if they can’t imitate those words at the moment, they can show you which one by touching or pointing to it.

Another strategy to try is a “communication temptation” or “environmental sabotage”. What is that?? You can implement this in a few different ways. If they choose a food that is in a small package or container that they can’t yet open, give it to them anyway before opening it. When they give it back to you, you can model “open” or “help”, or the name of the food. Model it first as if you are asking a question so they also have an opportunity to give you a “yes” response by shaking their head or attempting a vocalization similar to “yes”. As you open the package or container, model the word you’ve chosen again. Once again as you give them the food, model the same word. They have now heard it 3 times. If they do not try to imitate that word after trying this MANY times and throughout MANY routines, you may need to contact additional assistance through your local Early Intervention program. Another way to practice this is by placing a favorite toy or favorite cup in sight but out of reach. When they gesture toward it, you know for sure what they want. Utilize the same strategy of modeling the word 3 times, giving your child plenty of time to at least attempt to imitate the word(3-5 seconds based on how frustrated they become waiting).

Sometimes our children need extra time to process the expectation or extra opportunities to practice and become confident to imitate the word so they eventually use it spontaneously. There will be frustration if this is something new for them. It’s important to provide opportunities for our children to navigate through the steps of spontaneously and confidently expressing themselves, while providing assistance when needed. This also means they will need time to feel and process their emotions.

Whether you have a set schedule/routine for your day or you are better operating on a moment-by- moment basis, there are “routines” that occur daily. Based on years of research, routines-based interventions are now considered an evidence-based practice. Why are routines the best way to “teach” children? No one even realizes what is actually happening(which can be a good thing)! It can become an easy way to incorporate practice naturally into the day. There is no “special time” to set aside to practice certain skills/strategies in your already busy day. There is no planning or special preparation. Your children will be learning and they will only be thinking about engaging with parents/caregivers, building their participation(and autonomy) in daily activities.

What routines happen during everyday life with your children? The big routines are of course: eating, playing, and sleeping. What can we teach children during these routines? For the purpose of this article, I will focus on speech and language, but keep in mind, ALL developmental skills can be learned during everyday routines.

During meals, vocabulary can be expanded as children learn what they are eating and drinking, as well as, the objects needed to participate in meals. You can easily present opportunities to make choices and requests by giving smaller portions at a time so your child asks for more. During play, there are a ton of action words to learn, names of toys, and how to play with others using words. Again, there are many opportunities to incorporate making choices and requests. What can a child learn while sleeping? Well, they need rest to rejuvenate their ability to soak up all the things happening around them. There is much to learn surrounding the process of going to sleep! What pajamas to wear, did we brush teeth, we have to tell everyone “Night-night”! You can find more ideas to build speech and language skills throughout this site. Additional routines include, but are not limited to: bath time, dressing, looking at books, riding in the car, etc. Language can be learned all day long!

Teaching language skills during your everyday activities will make it easier to practice certain skills. Always speak to your pediatrician with any concerns regarding your child’s development. Send me a message with any specific questions!

“If I teach my child signs, will they still talk?”. Probably the first question on all parent’s minds if sign language is suggested, whether a friend or relative mentions teaching their baby signs early on, or an early intervention therapist. Parents want to know what’s the deal with baby signs? As an early intervention speech therapist, I have always used sign language as a part of therapy sessions. Research has shown that pairing a gesture(such as a sign)with the word provides the child an alternative way to communicate wants/needs. As long as the child can hear, they will imitate the word along with the sign in time. For some children, sounds and words can be challenging. There are a variety of reasons this can be the case. Using sign language is a way to bridge the gap until they are confident to imitate the word.

We all communicate with gestures sometimes. Babies begin to imitate actions and gestures before they imitate words. If imitating a sign(or gesture) can help them communicate their wants/needs before intense frustration sets in, we should provide them that alternative. Once they are comfortable using the word, they will, and the sign will disappear on its own. I began modeling signs with my own child around the time he began to really use his voice. That lovely stage babies go through around 8-10 months that they are screaming all the time😉 When they are excited, upset, or just impatient. Fun times, haha. We started with “eat”, “more”, and “all done”. Mostly because he was extremely impatient as I prepared his food and when was done with the meal(mostly just done sitting for it). Before a year old, he was using “more” spontaneously and functionally. His daycare was also great about teaching and using signs with the babies. Many childcare centers incorporate baby signs into their day.

Again, signs will not hinder spoken language in a child that can hear and is intentionally communicating with you in other ways(gestures, actions, vocalizations, etc.). Speak with your pediatrician or local Early Intervention program if you are concerned about your child’s speech and language development. Click on the Resources tab for more information regarding milestones and development. You can also find me on Instagram to see demonstrations for simple baby signs: @eattalkplays