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”