Last month, early warning signs for speech and language delays in preschool children were outlined, and parents were advised to take these problems seriously. If untreated, your child?s difficulties could eventually develop into emotional, social and even educational problems. Your most important first duty, is to arrange for a Speech-Language Pathologist to assess your child if he or she presents with any warning signs.
In this article, you will learn ten ways that busy parents can help their child develop good communication skills at home.
Ten Tips for Helping your Child develop better Speech and Language Skills:
- Consult a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). This professional will be your biggest ally. Your child may benefit from individual or group therapy, and/or home programming. With the help of this professional?s detailed test results, a treatment program can be designed to fit your child?s specific needs, and your time and financial resources. Test results will also help the SLP design specific recommendations for use at home. Please do not attempt any specific speech practice exercises without a SLP?s advice. The next nine tips are general in nature and can be used by any parent prior to the initiation of speech-language pathology services. They do not, however, supplant the value of professional input.
- Replace T.V. with more Talking Time. The T.V. is a poor substitute for family conversation. Conversation teaches listening, speaking and social interaction skills. T.V. watching, on the other hand, is a passive activity. It does not foster the active involvement and human interaction required to develop good communication skills. Spend more time talking and playing with your child every day.
- Read to your child often. No child should go to bed without enjoying a book with you. Even when children start to read themselves, they still benefit from hearing you read more advanced materials that challenge their comprehension and memory skills, and stimulate their intellectual curiosity. Make reading a regular part of your day together.
- Provide Visual Cues. Children who have difficulty learning to speak benefit from seeing how words look on the mouth. Try to bend down and speak face to face with your child whenever possible to provide visual cues along with your words.
- Speak mor Slowly. Your child will benefit from hearing you speak at a slightly slower than average pace.
- Reduce the Complexity of Your Speech. Try not to say more than one or two sentences at a time. Keep your sentences simple, i.e., just slightly more complex than what your child can produce himself. This provides your child with speech models that are easier to learn.
- Arrange Regular Play-time with other children. Peers with normally developing communication skills can be good role models and communication motivators for your child. Children often speak more to their peers than to adults. Take advantage of this. Nursery school and library programs are good ways to provide regular contact with peers.
- Provide ?Corrected Feedback?. It is important that you respond to the content of your child?s speech (i.e., his message) and deal with speech errors in a discrete, positive manner. Never draw negative attention to his errors. Instead, use ?Corrected Feedback?.
E.g. Child: Da do to the sore.
Parent: Dad went to the store. I know. He will be back soon (emphasizing underlined words).
Your response should be produced in a pleasant, conversational tone of voice. Do not ask your child to imitate your corrected sentences. The value in this technique lies in your child hearing your corrections.
- Involve community. Members of the community can be extremely helpful if provided with information. For example, family and friends can be encouraged to spend individual time with your child; teachers can slow their speech and provide corrected feedback; babysitters can be instructed to keep the T.V. off and read, sing and play games instead; and neighbours can be encouraged to include your child in their activities through reciprocal invitations.
- Build your child?s Self-Esteem. When a child has a delay of any kind, parents often focus on this and downplay the child?s other strong qualities. Don?t make this mistake. If your child is good at drawing, encourage it. If he is a sweet child, tries hard, or shares well with others, praise him for these things. For in the end, it is your child?s positive self-respect that will sustain him through life?s troubled times. Bolster your child?s self-esteem with your words and your actions.
In conclusion, there are many things a busy parent can do to help their preschooler with a speech problem. Most importantly, take advantage of the professional input available to you. Speech-Language Pathologists are specifically trained to help. At home, limit T.V. and spend more time reading, playing and talking with your child. And don?t be a martyr-involve others whenever possible. African tribesman also speak for us when they say, ?It takes a whole village to raise a child?.
Kerry Erle, M.Cl.Sc., Reg. CASLPO, S-LP(C), CCC-Sp
Speech-Language Pathologist, Director
London Speech and Language Centre.
|
About the LDRC
