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Many parents of children who receive speech therapy say they want their child to “talk more.”
It’s a totally legitimate concern- and one of the main goals of speech therapy in many children. However, in order for a child to talk more, they need strong foundations. After all, how can you build a house – and more – on unstable ground?
Here are some other very crucial components to consider in a child's communication.
How does the child take in people around him?
Does he make eye contact?
Does he notice when someone new enters the room?
Does he watch what you are doing when you are playing next to him?
Does he let you take turns with him?
Does he copy what you are doing?
Does he come up to you when he is bored?
THE CRUCIAL FOUNDATION FOR TALKING
An important foundation for helping speech and language in children, regardless of age and diagnosis, is the level of engagement with the world.
Think about it : if a child does not have these foundations, he does not have the tools to pick up communication, or to pick up language. How can he copy your words, if he is not paying attention to you? How can he absorb the words around him, if he is not even absorbing other peoples’ expressions or reactions?
This is why many programs like Hanen and Floortime emphasize playtime, and organic interaction with children in order to facilitate language development.
AN EFFECTIVE TIP TO ENCOURAGE BETTER COMMUNICATION
Consider this loose modification of Floortime's "communication circles". Count how many “turns” a child takes with you, in a sort of “mini conversation.”
When you hand him a block, does he take it? That’s two turns – one you, one him.
If you hand him a block, does he take it, and then offer one back to you? That’s three turns – one for you, one for him, and one for him again.
Watch to see how many of these “turns” a child can produce in a row, without getting distracted, and without turning away from you. And, if a child gets distracted or turns away from you, then you could stubbornly follow him, and try to keep back and forth communication going for as long as possible.
You could act silly. Or bring a new toy. Whatever It takes to get the attention back on you, and the communication starting again.
EXTEND TO ANY LEVEL OF LANGUAGE
You can count the number of turns in an interaction when a child says no words (counting gestures and actions). But you can also use it to teach young children to make conversation. In older children, you can count how many times a child asks me questions back, whether he initiates, whether he brings up a new topic, and whether he waits for you to finish talking. You can model, mold, and shape as needed. And then watch. The way the back and forth interaction goes tells a lot about the child’s readiness for more complex sentences and words.
HOW MANY TURNS DOES MY CHILD NEED TO SAY MORE WORDS?
It depends. Aim for as many as possible. With time, you may notice that you have to try less. And your child may start to entertain you more than you am entertaining him. And that’s when the words – the first ones, or more complex ones, or ones part of sentences -- are not far behind.
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SO the next time you are alone with your child, or when you are in the therapy room, watch for the number of communication turns being exchanged. If you think the number could increase, talk to your therapist, and work with her to brainstorm strategies.
Happy talking!
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Disclaimer : Smarter Speech is a pediatric speech therapy / speech-language pathology practice for toddlers and children providing in-home and teletherapy services in and around Mountain View, CA and Los Gatos, CA. Smarter Speech Blog aims to provide free speech and language tips for parents educators and therapists. However, this post is not providing speech-language pathology services. This is general information, not speech -language pathology or speech therapy. This article does not assume or create a client – SLP relationship. The author is not liable for any losses or damages due to actions or failure to act based on the content in this article. If you need assistance with a child’s speech or language needs, please contact a speech-language pathologist in your area.
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