Encouraging your child to talk GOOD TECHNIQUES

Don’t Anticipate Your Child’s Needs or Wants:

Don’t anticipate your child’s every need or want before they have a chance to make them known to you.

Example: When you know your child wants a drink – instead of just handing them the drink, require them to request it (pointing, signing, or saying “drink”).

Sabotage the Environment:

Mess up routines so your child has to communicate his or her needs.

Example: During mealtime give everyone a spoon but “forget” to give your child a spoon. Wait and see if your child initiates they need something. If they don’t initiate what they need, help them by saying. “What do you need?” or “Are you missing something” or “Uh-oh!” Label the item before you give it to them.

Play “dumb” when your child points to a desired object.

Example: When your child points to the counter for their drink (or another desired object you know they want), say: “What do you want?” (pause) “A spoon?” (pause) “An apple?” (pause) “A drink?” …. “Oh, Drink!”

Parent Speech:

Use clear simple speech with your child during play routines. The goal is to talk in phrases you want your child to copy – 1 to 2 words.

Example: Instead of saying “Go down the hall and get your shoes” say “Get shoes”. When getting undressed use short phrases “Shoes off…shirt off…etc.”

Don’t do this all the time. Your child needs to hear normal phrases as well.

Echo-Expansion Modeling:

Add 1 or 2 words to what your child says when you respond back to him or her.

Example: When your child says “up” say “up… you want up”.

Self-Talk:

When your child is within hearing range, talk about what you are doing while you do it.

Example: When washing your hands at the sink say “wash hands”, when the phone is ringing say “I hear the phone”.

Parallel Talk:

When playing with your child, describe what your child is doing while they are doing it.

Example: When your child picks up a car – say “pick up car”. When your child drops a block – say “drop block”.

Describe what he is seeing and hearing.

Example: “That’s a ball”, When listening to music say “Music, listen to music”

Rigid Eaters

Sometimes kids find specific foods they like and are hesitant to try anything else. This can be trying for mom (who does not want chicken nuggets for dinner every day) and it can be nutritionally hazardous for a child. How can you get your child to branch out? What happens when they become entirely tied to a routine and will not bend?
Here is one idea that I have seen work, you might want to give it a try...
Expand on the familiar routine. Instead of taking a complete U-turn and really throwing your child stay with what he is comfortable with and add a little something new.
Example: "My child loves to eat mac-n-cheese for dinner. When I try something else he flings it on the floor or just spits it out if I put it in his mouth. Sometimes I can get him to eat spaghetti noodles or other starchy foods but he will only eat a little. He eats best when it is mac-n-cheese"
So to try my idea this parent could cook up a box of mac-n-cheese and give her son a little in a very small bowl next to whatever the family is eating for dinner. Then her son will have his staple favorite to help ease him into whatever the new food is. Mom is expanding by adding new foods next to his familiar mac-n-cheese.
Another way to expand...cook only the macaroni noodles and serve them with a new sauce...maybe Mom's homemade cheese sauce with pureed carrots or sweet potatoes added, maybe a new Alfredo sauce, whatever goes along best with what the family is eating.
One more idea: Mom could give her son macaroni noodles plain and let him dip them into several kinds of sauces (his favorite cheese sauce and others).
The whole idea is to show your child that his routine is ok and that adding new things doesn't have to replace his routine, instead they can compliment it. (This is not the end target of being a flexible eater but it is a good way to take a beginning step towards that goal)

Foods - Getting Dirty

Last week I attended a class on feeding and swallowing taught by one of our occupational therapists. The kids that she was helping were struggling to try new foods or to eat enough food to meet their nutritional demands. I was very impressed at how important it is to integrate all of the senses when introducing foods to young children. Here are some of the technique tips that I learned from watching the class...

• Messy food = more sensory input - A good way to introduce new foods is to put some on the tray in front of your child and let them see it, smell it, and touch it. This allows your child to gather more sensory information about the new food before they make the commitment to taste it. Yes, your kiddo will get dirty hands but maybe then he will try to lick his fingers...
• Mix and match foods - It is easy to get into a routine and offer the same foods over and over to your child. You know they'll eat it, they know they'll like it. BUT it is a good idea to try to offer something new along with the old familiar favorites. You don't have to force your kid to eat it, but if you make the new food available to see, smell and touch long enough (don't just offer the new food once, it make take several exposures) then your child will be more willing to try the new food.
• Encourage independence - Yes, when you feed your child it gets in faster and there is generally less to clean up. However, when you are feeding your child they miss out on the fine motor skill practice self-feeding encourages. You can help your child learn to feed himself by starting with only a little water in his cup, or a child size plastic spoon. Things will be messy but fostering his independence will help him to feel successful.

Personal note: I have tried to incorporate these tips during my son's meal and snack times. We go through a lot more bibs these days. Being ok with the mess he makes has been hard, but he has started using a neat pincer grasp that he didn't have before...so maybe the mess is worth it!

The Importance of Play

I have heard it said that "play is a child's work". I think defining play as work (any type of work) makes it sound less fun, less like play. Today I attended a training discussing play that gave it a much more appropriate definition. A better way to describe play is something that is spontaneous, volitional and "timeless".

Play is:
FUN!
The way that children explore their world
The best way for kids to create connections within their brains
Essential for a child's cognitive development

Play is not*:
Looking at flash-cards
"Drilled" games
Adult directed
*These things can be fun and can be good ways to teach children specific skills BUT they are not what I consider play. Children need quiet time (no TV/radio/computer distractions) set aside each day for them to engage in free-play.

I want to encourage parents to play with their children. Let your child lead the activities, follow what your child seems interested in. Think of ways to expand your child's current knowledge of household objects. Have fun!

What if you get "stuck" in the same play routine or you struggle to think of new ways to play with the toys your children like?
One great way to overcome these challenges is to write down 10 different games or activities you could do with the tricky toy in advance. Then when you are in the "spontaneous play moment" you will have some ideas in mind so that you don't feel stuck.
For example: My child has a "blankie" that he is always carrying, after wrapping him in it a few times I ran out of ideas...so here is my list
1) Give pull-rides
2) Superhero cape
3) Tug of war
4) Parachute to bounce balls
6) Be ghosts
7) Dress-up (skirts, turbans, hair)
8) Use for a swing
9) Fort/tent
10) Hot lava on red squares

Feel free to be crazy, think outside the box, whatever, just use your imagination.

Articulation Milestones

Infants and toddlers are not expected to be able to use all of the sounds that adults use in speech. However, there are certain sounds that most kids should be able to use with consistency. Here is a chart of some approximate ages that children should acquire sounds by (at the beginnings of words). Keep in mind...these are approximations at best.

12 months: b, d, g, n, m, h
24 months: b, d, p, t, k, m, n, h, w
36 months: p, b, d, k, g, m, n, h, ch, w, l, "y" as in "yellow" and "th" as in "the"

McLeod, S., & Bleile, K. (2003). From 2003 ASHA Convention: Neurological and developmental foundations of speech acquisition.