Does your child show any symptoms of speech delay? Do they consistently mispronounce words or pronounce them with difficulty? Do you see any indicators of stuttering or a delay in your child’s speech and language development?
If yes, then you are at the right place. According to the speech therapy doctor, many kids show early signs of speech and language problems. As a parent, it’s understandable that you are concerned.
Speech delay makes children’s standard of living, education level, and future employment hard.
Nevertheless, you need not worry because parents can easily employ many speech therapy tips with their children. You must first understand what kind of speech issue your child is experiencing.
If you feel necessary, you can consult a speech therapist or a speech-language pathologist. These are qualified, knowledgeable, experienced, and equipped to diagnose your child right.
Speech and Language Therapy Tips for Parents to Try at Home!
The speech therapy doctor coaches the parents about home activities that elicit speech and language capabilities in their children. Parents’ participation is crucial because children can get better at speech and language goals in a home setting.
Here is a list of effective speech therapy techniques to encourage children’s development. Start utilizing these with your youngster at home right away!
- Use Repetitive Language in a Routine!
Employ the words or phrases frequently when performing everyday tasks, for example, rhymes, songs, basic storybooks, and other forms of repetitive language.
When necessary, combine speech with gestures, motions, and pointing. Allow your child at least 10 seconds to react before moving on.
Take a break and let your kid complete the sentences.
Example: “Clap your hands when you’re happy, and you know it.”
- Set Up Modelling for Your Child
Your child will learn to mimic you if you use simple words. Also, modeling enables them to employ the terms/phrases in different situations.
Bring the item close to your mouth as you name or label it and provide a model. Next, practice the term. Your child will begin associating meaning with the object you are holding and the word you are saying when you put it by your mouth before giving it to them.
Give it to your child if they emulate you. If not, re-label it and hand it to them.
- Plan some Communicative Temptations
Communicative temptation is a fantastic way for honing your linguistic abilities. Choose toys or accessories that your child will enjoy. That can be their favorite plaything. The child must not have access to the toy. Hold the object next to your face and name it before your toddler reaches out to grab it. After that, allow your child some time to copy you. Give them the object if they replicate it.
Continue labeling the object and giving it to them if they don’t copy it.
- Offer Different Choices to Your Child
Give your kid options when you are asking them questions. Avoid asking open-ended or yes/no questions like, “What do you want?” or “Do you want the white cat?” You may ask, “Do you want the white cat or the brown cat?” as an alternative.
Giving your child options encourages a better response, lessening potential communicative irritation by employing open-ended questions.
- Do Fewer Questions and More Comments
If you ask many questions, your kid may not enjoy it much. They experience pressure and could even become irritated.
Comment on what you can hear, see, feel, and touch instead. Instead of asking “What can you see?” or “What does the cat say?” when discussing the history of a farmhouse, say things like, “Well, I can see a large red barn,” or “the cat says meow-meow”
- Wait for a Little While and Slow Down
Always give your child time before expecting them to imitate or react to you. This time will help your youngster comprehend the information that is coming from you.
Giving your child 10 to 15 seconds after you ask them a question might be useful, even though it may seem like a long time.
- Expand Your Kid’s Utterances
If your youngster only uses single words, try adding a second word. For instance, if your child says “cat” after looking at an image of a cat.
You can encourage them to add more words like “a white cat” or “running cat.” You can utilize phrases like “cat is white,” or “cat is meowing,” if your child speaks in two-word sentences.
- Read Bedtime Stories
Based on your child’s interests and cognitive level, select bedtime stories. When reading to them, use gestures, suitable accents, and tones.
Indicate the words you are reading by pointing. Discuss images while viewing the book. This technique supports early literacy abilities, speech, and language development. Also, it fosters a unique relationship between you and your child.
Conclusion!
Working with special children requires patience, and as a parent, you already excel at being patient with your child’s progress. Don’t take your child’s speech and language development as a weakness. You can help them more than any speech therapy doctor can.
