“Discover The Best Approach Proven To Teach Your Toddler To Talk”
PARENTS – ARE YOU FRUSTRATED TRYING TO TEACH YOUR TODDLER TO TALK?
ARE OTHER CHILDREN HIS AGE ASKING FOR WHAT THEY WANT AND NEED – WHILE HE CAN ONLY CRY?
Maybe the “experts” tell you everything’s fine. But you can’t get past that nagging feeling that things should be getting better. And they just…aren’t.
As a parent, there’s nothing more frustrating than watching your precious baby struggle to learn to communicate. While friends’ and relatives’ toddlers are all saying “Mama” and “ball” and even forming simple sentences, your child can only cry in frustration, locked away from the world of words that should to be opening up for her.
You can’t help feeling embarrassed, or jealous, or even angry. Why YOUR child? Why does it have to be so hard?
You would give anything for your baby to be able to ask for help when he needs it, or tell you he loves you when he snuggles close.
Everyone tells you, “Oh, she’ll talk when she’s ready.” Even the pediatrician insists there’s nothing seriously wrong. But you KNOW your child. You know she WANTS to communicate. You see her trying. You know she’s ready now.
But no matter how hard you try to help her, the words don’t come.
Maybe your child is seeing a speech therapist. But it’s hard when the techniques the therapist tells you to use at home are too hard and too complicated for you – let alone your toddler!
I want to tell you right now, the problem is not you.
And it’s not your child.
The problem is simply that you don’t have the simple, easy to understand tools you need to help your child communicate.
Until now.
Right now, TODAY, there IS something you can do. Without letting another painful, frustrating, heartbreaking day go by.
BECAUSE FINALLY, THERE’S AN EASY, FUN, NO-TEARS METHOD THAT’S PROVEN TO HELP TEACH YOUR TODDLER TO TALK.
It’s called Teach Me To Talk, and take it from a mother who’s been there – it’s just amazing.
The Teach Me To Talk DVD is packed with strategies that will unlock that beautiful voice your child has locked away inside. And best of all, these strategies are PROVEN to be simple to learn, easy to apply, and best of all, successful in teaching young children to talk.
What makes Teach Me To Talk different?
It was developed by Laura Mize, a pediatric speech-language pathologist who has literally spent thousands of hours and 15 years on the floor, helping toddlers just like yours and mine learn to communicate.
Laura has read stacks and stacks of research on the subject of delayed speech in children. She’s attended more professional courses than you can count. She’s taken the best of the best from all the “experts” in language development.
And she’s condensed all those years of learning and experience and trial and error into a single DVD, with the six most simple, most practical, MOST EFFECTIVE strategies to get your child talking. And best of all, you can start using them the minute you start watching the DVD.
“Thank you so much for this DVD! Our 3 and a half year old son has apraxia and only has 10-12 clear words. When I first started watching this DVD, I wondered if I could ever be that animated. About 5 minutes into the DVD, my son walked into the room and was instantly fascinated. He sat with me and watched the rest with me! His reaction was truly amazing, and our speech therapy will never be the same again! The most amazing thing to me, though, was how my son interacted with you! During the 90 minute video he “got” two new words: choo choo and boom. He also tried to say “pull” and “barn,” and learned the sign for fish. Twice he signed “give me” and then touched a toy you were playing with, and every time you tried to get a child to say a word he knows, he would say it with you.” Robyn, mother from Wyoming
How wonderful would it feel to hear your child say “Mama?”
You’ve been waiting for that moment since he was born and you first held him in your arms. But as the months have dragged by, you may have started to lose hope that you will ever communicate with your baby – to hear what he wants, what he needs, what he feels.
And even if your toddler can say a few words, is it taking longer for her to communicate than other children her age? Are you constantly trying to interpret what you think she might be saying, or asking for?
Maybe both of you are ending up in tears.
“[When I watched the DVD] I felt like I was reliving my son’s life for the past 1 1/2 years now. It was a little sad in some ways, but on the other hand if I concentrate on where he is now and how far he’s come, it’s positive…..” Holly, mother from New Hampshire
Teach Me To Talk the DVD is now available for an introductory offer of $39.99 plus shipping and handling. This is for a limited time only! Order yours now!
The Secret is Simple…Change Your Approach!
Of course you’ve been trying to teach your child to talk. It’s what parents do. But if what you’re doing hasn’t been working, the solution is simple.
Change your approach.
If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering what that can possibly mean when you’ve tried EVERYTHING. The problem is, you’ve probably tried without really knowing what to do, or how to do it.
This DVD will change everything. Because a lot of the time, it’s not what you do, but HOW you do it. Teach Me To Talk will lay out step by step, in easy-to-follow terms, exactly what you can and should be doing to help your baby learn to talk.
“I know for a fact that Laura’s approach really does work because I’ve been using it for years myself! Don’t be afraid to copy exactly what she says, how and when she says it! It is not hard and can become second nature to you, just as it has to me. By implementing her approach, you will set the stage for both you and your child to be successful!” Kate, Developmental Interventionist, Kentucky
If your child has a language delay, no doubt you’ve heard it all. There’s always the well-meaning friend who tells you “Boys talk later than girls.” Or the mother-in-law who tells you to “Wait and see” (while you worry what she’s saying about your parenting skills behind your back).
The fact it, the most critical time for language development in a child is from birth through age three. So if you feel in your heart that something’s not right, you’re probably on to something. You know your child.
Most parents of children with language delays regret that they waited to do something. The good news is, YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT ANY LONGER.
Teach Me To Talk will show you a better, easier way to do things. Things you can do RIGHT NOW, at home, that will help your child learn to talk. It’s all about learning a new and better way of working with your child.
After all, as a parent, you are the most important teacher your child will ever have.
“Just wanted to let you know how thrilled I am with your video. I just received it five days ago and I’ve watched it every morning to gear up for working with my daughter each day and I have to tell you what a difference it has made! My daughter has been in therapy for a year and a half (she’s 31 months) and she would often run from me during our “play” sessions…finally, after only five days, she is starting to think that her mommy is fun during playtime! Thank you for giving me a way to really connect with my daughter on a new level. This video is priceless.” Helen
“I do think the video will be very helpful for parents with late talkers. The ideas are great, and you really do show them how to do the things you are talking about which is very important…..” Holly, mother from New Hampshire
Secrets Your Speech Therapist Hasn’t Told You (or might not even know!!!!)
“Even when weekly therapy reports indicated a great deal of progress, we weren’t always seeing that progress at home. The Teach Me To Talk DVD has dramatically changed the number of words we hear. Seeing the techniques you use, and seeing how easy they are to incorporate in to our daily routines has been a blessing. I can get so many words and even phrases out of my both my toddlers by incorporating playfulness in to our daily activities. As a working mom, I’ve always felt as if I’m not as active in my children’s therapy as I should be. You DVD is finally helping me make that connection. Thank you so much for such a fantastic tool!” Stephanie, Mother from Kentucky
Speech therapy is a specialized skill – that’s why speech therapists charge hundreds – even thousands — of dollars for their services. But the very same techniques they use can be SIMPLIFIED, so that you can use them at home.
Teach Me To Talk will teach YOU how to use the very best, most effective techniques speech therapists charge hundreds of dollars for. Watch and learn as these techniques are explained in plain language so that you can use them at home. Then, see each technique in action.
And you won’t just see how it works with one child, but with 20 different toddlers, all with different personalities and challenges. You’ll be amazed and inspired by their progress as each and every one of them learns to talk – just like your child can with the Teach Me To Talk DVD.
“The DVD brought tears to my eyes (not your goal I’m sure, but there you go!). Each strategy you used - reminded me of my child. It is amazing how simple techniques (most of which we take for granted) can help a non-verbal child become verbal. Another thing I learned from my experience with being a mom, a pediatrician, having your guidance and the DVD - is that language, talking, speech, and articulation involve SO many other aspects of development.” Ranjana, pediatrician and mom from Ohio
If your child is a slow talker, you’ve probably read dozens of parenting books and looked for advice on the internet. But when you apply it to YOUR child, it doesn’t always make sense.
Do you try to do what the “experts” say, but find it just doesn’t work with your child?
The secret isn’t just knowing WHAT to do, but WHY you need to do it, and better yet, seeing exactly HOW to do it. Teach Me To Talk unlocks those secrets.
“The DVD was quite different from what I expected - in a good way. I hardly expected to see so much one-on-one with the kids, and it was great!” Kristyn, mother from New Hampshire
”The DVD is great! I wish I had had this when we first started down the path with Gabe who has been diagnosed with apraxia.” Julie, mother from Illinois
View It — Then Do It!
You don’t have to read another book. You don’t have to make time for a class. All you need is a TV and a DVD player – you can watch and learn at your own pace, in your own time, in your own home.
And your child can be right there with you while you learn!
“I recently watched a DVD that has been advertised on this site called Teach Me to Talk, by Laura Mize, Pediatric Speec h-Language Pathologist. The DVD was 90 minutes long and taught six strategies to teach your child to talk.
It is aimed at toddlers who are delayed in speech…..which is how I will use it. It has tons of video of the speech therapist actually working with children! This was so informative. Laura Mize explains what she is doing while showing actual video of her working with children with delays! These are things you can incorporate in every day interaction with your child. I finished watching the video feeling like I could really teach my child to talk!
From the time I first learned Sophie had autism, I have wanted to see what a speech therapist actually did while working with a child. I desperately want to homeschool Sophie, but until now I have been in the dark about what the experts do to get children to talk. Now I have video examples to work with.
I watch this video with my 3 children in the room, and my daughter Sophie, was actually playing along with the video! I highly recommend this video for anyone who has a child with delayed speech. It is worth every penny.” Sarah, mother and author of the website www.wakingsophie.com
Teach Me To Talk takes the camera INSIDE therapy sessions with children just like yours. Whatever stage your child is at – if you’re just wondering if there’s a problem, if you’ve already seen a professional or if your child is currently in speech therapy – you’ll see all kinds of children in all kinds of situations.
So you’ll discover the very best techniques to use with YOUR child.
”Seeing these tips ‘in action’ was very beneficial. When you have a child that is language delayed, you want to do as much at home as you can - after all, our children are at home most of all! And this DVD helped me do that.” Kristyn, mother from New Hampshire
All of this…for only $39.99???
It can be expensive teaching your child to communicate.
Conferences that teach parents and therapists cost hundreds of dollars – and take up hours and hours of time.
But the Teach Me To Talk DVD has all the information you need for only $39.99. That’s less than 1/3 the cost of a typical one-day training conference.
And the Teach Me To Talk DVD is packed full of ideas and tips you can use all day, every day as your child learns to communicate. Plus, it’s yours to keep and watch over and over again until you master the techniques.
“I have worked with quite a few speech therapists in my practice as a developmental interventionist. In ten years, I’ve only worked with one that was universally appreciated by parents and young children alike! Thanks to this DVD, you no longer have to live in our county to benefit from Laura Mize’s unique and effective approach. For a minimal investment, she comes live to your living room to demonstrate her highly successful approach to speech and language therapy.” Kate, Developmental Interventionist, Kentucky
Seeing Is Believing
Interested in seeing the Teach Me To Talk techniques in action? Here’s a quick preview of the Six Essential Strategies you’ll learn — and a glimpse of the first technique you’ll see:
Teach Me To Talk the DVD is now available for an introductory offer of $39.99 plus shipping and handling. This is for a limited time only! Order yours now!
“A lot of the therapy techniques that you use, some and or all of his therapists have used EXCEPT for a few things. First, your enthusiasm it’s AWESOME!!!!! I have never seen any of my son’s therapists be so upbeat and fun as you were in your video. I wish they had been because I know my son would respond so well to that in therapy. Any time I play with him at home and do some of the things you do with your kids, like tickling them and just being ’silly,’ his whole frame of mind changes and I can usually get him to try whatever it is again at least one more time.” Holly, mother from New Hampshire
Watch how you can learn sign language to help teach your child to communicate.
“I also like the emphasis put on signing with your child. I was very hesitant to do this with my son at first, I was afraid it would hurt his speech development, but it helped him learn that he has to do something to get something, now anytime I hear someone say they are hesitant about signing, I pipe up and tell them to please consider it. What a great DVD! It will be a huge help to other parents like me!” Julie, mother from Illinois
Teach Me To Talk the DVD is now available for an introductory offer of $39.99 plus shipping and handling. This is for a limited time only! Order yours now!
Get The Must-Have Speech Therapy DVD Recommended For Both Parents and Professionals!
The Teach Me To Talk DVD was especially designed for parents. But the techniques used are equally beneficial for professionals. Anyone who works with young children can learn from these PROVEN, EFFECTIVE techniques, including speech-language pathologists, developmental interventionists, occupational therapists, service coordinators, family therapists, and preschool teachers.
“I think this DVD is a tremendous & invaluable guidance tool for parents, preschool teachers, caregivers, and other therapists (speech, occupational, developmental, etc) and should be used as an accessory aid for anyone involved in early childhood development.” Ranjana, pediatrician and mother, Ohio
”Teach Me to Talk is an easy to watch DVD that empowers parents and caregivers with the “how to” skills to not only promote speech development, but also PLAY. As an occupational therapist, I believe that play is an important “job” for a child, but it requires more interaction from a parent than just watching a child play. Finally, parents have a visual tool that teaches them how to interact and play with their child so that he or she will not only learn to talk but will be on the road to reaching their optimal potential! The techniques are easy to implement, and you will discover playing with your child is actually fun!” Carey White, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist
The Teach Me To Talk program is so effective, university speech pathology programs are already ordering this DVD to train their new grad students! Several state early intervention agencies are also purchasing Teach Me To Talk for their loan libraries to make these proven techniques available to parents and therapists.
Why? Because the experts know—Teach Me To Talk does exactly what it says it does.
”This is an excellent training DVD for parents of late talkers. The strategies that Laura teaches are the same ones she used when working with my son, who has apraxia of speech. My son made incredible progress working with Laura. These strategies are very effective and easy to apply to a variety of speech and Ianguage disorders. I wish all speech therapists possessed this level of knowledge and skill. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I would recommend this DVD to my parents of late talkers. As a Mom of a late talker, I would recommend this DVD to all speech therapists working with children.” Laurie Felty, Speech-Language Pathologist
“I just finished your DVD. It was great! I really got into it and actually found myself taking notes! As a PSC (early intervention service coordinator) it was helpful to see the speech therapy in motion so I can answer some questions from parents. As an OT is was refreshing to see some OT techniques embedded into the speech therapy activities.” Cindy, Louisville, KY
”Thank you so much for allowing me to preview your DVD! I will put these techniques into practice myself on Monday morning with my clients! They’re not going to recognize me anymore! I learned so much from watching you provide therapy, and I will never use those same approaches again. This DVD has rekindled my excitement for pediatric speech therapy. I can’t wait for next week to come so I can try them out! One more thing - Why didn’t they teach me this in grad school? Thanks again!” Penelope, Speech-Language Pathologist, Kansas
Even experienced therapists struggle with the challenge of providing therapy that’s developmentally-appropriate for toddlers.
One on hand, it needs to be entertaining enough to hold their attention. But on the other hand, it needs to provide real growth and learning opportunities in order to be “therapeutic.” Teach Me To Talk effortlessly combines the two, illustrating WHAT to do and HOW to do it in a wide range of situations.
”What I especially loved was that it wasn’t just clips of the PERFECT session; you showed us what to do when a kid turned away, or lost interest, or was more difficult to engage (for instance, touching the child or changing their position). Let’s face it, sometimes kids have their own agenda!” Kristyn, mother of a child with apraxia, New Hampshire
The 1 ½ hour Teach Me To Talk DVD is packed with plenty of “HOW TO” examples you can begin using right away with clients in your practice. Learn how to make therapy FUN, how to keep a busy toddler’s attention, and how to select successful and age-appropriate techniques that will lead to SUCCESS for you and your clients.
You’ll see toys that are “winners” with children at various developmental levels from 12-36 months old, watching the kids in action and seeing how the toys work.
“Just watching how my son interacted with the DVD made me a believer in how engaged he will become once it stops being “work” and begins being fun.” Robyn, mother of a 3 year old with a language delay and apraxia, Wyoming
You’ll learn how to use play and food as THE focus for therapy — not just the reward at the end of the session!
“The whole idea of using food during speech is awesome. I will usually reward him with something after therapy especially if his self esteem is a little low that day or he’s just having an off day, but I never thought of buying something to use when working with him, nor have any of his therapists used food ….” Holly, mother of a 3 year old with apraxia, New Hampshire
Teach Me To Talk is packed with essential, must-have tips to make your sessions more natural, more kid-friendly, and most importantly, more effective.
“If you are the parent of a young child who has been in speech therapy, you may have already learned the hard way that children don’t necessarily respond to all speech therapists efforts to “teach them to talk”. Despite being well intentioned, far too many speech therapists attempt to implement the same strategies that they use with school- age children or mistakenly believe that young children “choose” not to talk. As a result, young children are frequently frustrated by inappropriate techniques or by speech therapists who have even more “attitude” than they do.” Kate, Developmental Interventionist, Kentucky
Of course, there are plenty of things that just DON’T work with toddlers – and you’ll learn what those are too! Watch here as Teach Me To Talk illustrates a classic example of one of the most common mistakes parents and professionals make when trying to teach a toddler to communicate:
Teach Me To Talk the DVD is now available for an introductory offer of $39.99 plus shipping and handling. This is for a limited time only! Order yours now!
“I also liked the tips in the “withholding” section. A lot of times, we Moms are instructed to do so (by putting toys out of reach and such), but sometimes it is difficult to judge just how much is too much or how long is too long. You gave easy to understand tip to follow. How to push just far enough to elicit a response, but not so far as to discourage language, or cause too much frustration.” Kristyn, mom from New Hampshire
”I love the part about not ruining the interaction and to keep it going with humor…this is SO important. I can’t tell you how many times I probably lost Gabe in the process of working with him because it was too drill like. The withholding concept is explained perfectly. It was never explained to me as well as you did, I failed to keep it playful and as a result totally killed the communication with Gabe. As you say in the DVD, you will miss the effectiveness and the child won’t learn anything…I plan on trying to keep things much more playful with him from now on when it comes to withholding.” Julie, Mom from Illinois
If you’ve been struggling to help a late talker learn to communicate, there’s no need to wait another day to hear those precious words. Order Teach Me To Talk today – and you’ll be on your way to a healthier, happier relationship with your child tomorrow.
Teach Me To Talk the DVD is available NOW for an introductory offer of $39.99 plus shipping and handling. This is for a limited time only! Order yours now!
Popularity: 100% [?]
Comment by David Weaver on 20 July 2008:
Laura I just wanted to say what a great job you did producing this DVD. We ordered ours last week and have watched it three times already! We have begun to use playfullness and sign language and are already seeing results with our autistic son. You are obviously a pro at theary and you demonstrate this very well and in a very easy to learn format. Let me say thanks again for such a wonderful tool! David Weaver
Comment by Kyle on 21 July 2008:
Can you recommend a dvd for children over the age of 4 that still has echolalia. I noticed your dvd is mainly for children under 3.
Thanks!
Comment by Laura on 21 July 2008:
Kyle - We have two more days of filming for Teach Me To Listen (and Obey) The DVD. This DVD focuses on language comprehension with a whole section on teaching kids to understand and answer questions - particularly important for kids with echolalia. It should be released in early September (we’re using a new FASTER production company), so look for it then! Laura
Comment by Robyn on 30 July 2008:
Laura-my daughter is 2.5 years old, has autism, and has just begun to talk. She responded with great enthusiasm to your DVD and is vocalizing the entire time she watches it. She has also picked up the sign language much faster from the DVD than she does in person. I realize that you intended this production to be for parents and caregivers to learn the techniques you demonstrate but I really wanted to let you know my daughter is responding to YOU!!!
We have all the videos produced for children but yours is the one that is giving us the results we long for, and you didn’t even intend it for that.
Thanks for giving my daugther the gift of communication.
Comment by Laura on 30 July 2008:
Robyn - Thank you so much for the update from the DVD! I LOVE hearing from moms and dads whose children have responded so well to the DVD! You made my day (week, month, and YEAR)! This is why I do this job! Thanks again!!! Laura
Comment by Judy on 11 August 2008:
Help. I’d like to order your DVD for use with students, but need to have a more traditional means to order through our business office. I tried to print the order form from the web, but got only the Google sign-in instructions.
Comment by Johnny on 11 August 2008:
Judy, I sent you and email with details. Thank You!!!!
Comment by Beth on 15 August 2008:
I am contacting you for information for ordering your DVD to use with my graduate clinicians. Is there a way for me to order multiple copies and with a purchase order? Please respond via e-mail. Thank you!
Comment by Laura on 15 August 2008:
I sent you an e-mail with details. Thanks so much for asking! Laura
Comment by Helen on 15 August 2008:
Hi Laura,
Just wanted to let you know how thrilled I am with your video. I just received it five days ago and I’ve watched it every morning to gear up for working with my daughter each day and I have to tell you what a difference it has made! My daughter has been in therapy for a year and a half (she’s 31 months) and she would often run from me during our “play” sessions…finally, after only five days, she is starting to think that her mommy is fun during playtime! Thank you for giving me a way to really connect with my daughter on a new level. This video is priceless.
Helen
Comment by Laura on 16 August 2008:
Helen - I am soooooooo glad you liked the DVD! I LOVE how you’re using it by watching it for a few minutes just before you play and do your “home” therapy. That’s a great idea, and I am going to suggest this to listeners next week on my show since we’ll be finishing up discussing the strategies used in the DVD. Thanks so much for writing! I LOVE to hear from parents who are getting good results from the DVD! Laura
Comment by Cacy on 23 August 2008:
Laura-
Just watched your clips from your dvd and I was thinking about ordering it!?? It looks great, but I was wondering if it will work with my 33 month old son who was just diagnosed with phonological processing disorder?? Would love to know what you think??
Sincerely, Mother of 2
Comment by Laura on 23 August 2008:
Cacy - The DVD is filled with strategies and tips to help children develop language skills. Since he’s just been diagnosed with phonological disorder, does that mean his language (vocabulary, phrase length, early grammar) is age-appropriate, and he’s just working on speech intelligibility?
At 33 months for his language to be age-appropriate, he should be talking in 3-5 word phrases and sentences all of the time, have more words than you can count, ask and answer questions, and really participate in conversations with you.
If it’s BOTH issues (phonological disorder AND language delay), I’d definitely recommend the DVD now since you actually need to make sure his language is age-appropriate before focusing too much on his speech sound production skills.
If it’s just articulation due to the phonological disorder, I’d probably wait and get our 3rd DVD which is going to specifically address intelligibility issues due to apraxia and phonological disorders. HOPEFULLY it’ll be out in late October/early November.
Either way - thanks for asking! Laura
Comment by Cacy on 23 August 2008:
Thank you so much for responding! I will be talking to our speech therapist and clarifying what we need to be focusing on first. Either way I will be using your dvd to help my son. It looks great and all the positive feedback is reassuring!! Thanks so much!
Cacy
Comment by Erika on 28 August 2008:
Laura,
I have spent the last two days reading every kernel of knowledge on your site! I have a little guy turning 3 in a couple weeks. He has been in speech therapy for almost 9 months and I was that parent who everyone treated like I was worrying about nothing, but I just KNEW he was getting frustrated and having trouble (he is the youngest of 3 so I knew I was right). I got him into EI services right at 2 and taught him signs myself. In 4 weeks he had learned 45-50 signs and within a few weeks after that was using them spontateously and even starting to combine them! This told me he was not delayed in his head…it was just getting the words out that was the problem. So…I think it’s a mild apraxia as he now has many words or approximations. He doesn’t grope for words or mess them up..once he has a word he has it and uses it but he has trouble with words that are more than one or two easy syllables and he has only a handful of two word phrases. I was wondering, what tools you recommend at home? Do you have a video that would help with where he is at? I will be loosing my EI therapist at age 3 and the elementary school is putting him in a small (6 students at a time) pre-school taught by an SLP, but I want to have that one-on-one time at home to help boost him. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! LOVE YOUR SITE!
Comment by Laura on 28 August 2008:
Erika - I’m so glad you’re enjoying the site! From what you’ve said it sounds Teach Me To Talk - The DVD does include strategies that would still be applicable for him since he’s not consistently using phrases.
I will tell you that I’m working on a DVD for children with apraxia and phonological disorders, but it will not be completed until late fall since I am filming several of my clients over a several month period.
I’d also suggest listening to my next couple of shows this Friday August 29 since we will specifically address ways to help children learn to use phrases and talk about working toward intelligible speech.
It sounds like you are on the right track for him and are doing everything I’d recommend - getting speech when you first begin to be concerned at age 2, introducing sign language, and pursuing preschool services, etc… Congratulations for being so persistent and proactive in getting him help! He is so lucky to have you for his mommy! Let us know how he continues to do! Laura
Comment by Erika on 29 August 2008:
Laura- Thank you for your reply. I am having my Dad download the shows as I still have dial-up and it takes forever to do anything. I look forward to hearing them. One question, his current EI speech therapist won’t label him with apraxia as she says it is a controversial diagnosis before age three, but she says he may have a slight “language delay” and he didn’t have “true apraxia” as he doesn’t fumble words or mix them up but because he has trouble going from one word or syllable to the next this tells her “motor planning.” His word and approximations are very consistant and he doesn’t say something right one time and then can’t do it again…its always the same and he does fix the words over time. For example, for a long time, bike was “dike” and withing a month or so he just said “bike” and it’s been “bike” ever since.So, I don’t necessarily need a “label” for him, however I do want him to recieve proper services. Are these characteristics sounding like apraxia, phonological, or delay to you? And do you think a group preschool of 6 children taught by a speech pathologist is good placement? I am home with him all day so we do speech all day in some form or another through, playing, reading, labeling, singing, clapping to get syllables put together etc. and I am looking forward to ordering the videos you spoke of. Thanks again for all you do!
Comment by cheryl on 7 September 2008:
would it be possible for you to make some recommendations for my 3 yr-old who is autistic, very intelligent, follows some most instructions but has echolalia and doesn’t speak in sentences. I think your techniques are practical and commendable.
Comment by Laura on 7 September 2008:
Cheryl - I would suggest that you read the two articles about Echolalia in the section under Autism and then the other articles in the Expressive Language section including “Making the Leap from Words to Phrases.” Use these general ideas to help him move from phrases to sentences. I don’t think I’ve written other articles per se about this, but you could apply the concepts.
One more thing you might consider is getting Teach Me To Talk - The DVD since you can SEE me cue lots of the children in the later sections as they begin to use phrases and sentences. Hope these ideas help! Good luck! Laura
Comment by maureen wright on 23 September 2008:
Hi Laura
I have a 31 month old daughter with Down Syndrome. she has been in Speech for about 2 1/2 years. She knows sign language and is starting to initiate signs rather than just repeat the signs we tell her. She babbles and has about 4 words she can say pretty good. Any thoughts on how your video can help us.
thanks you
Comment by Laura on 23 September 2008:
Dear Maureen - I’ve used these same techniques with children I see who are on my own caseload with Down Syndrome with great results, particularly with children who are ready to move from signs to words, and who are just on the verge of being vocal, as it sounds like your daughter is. The background information about the sequence of developmental skills may also help you.
Have you watched the clips? These are really representational of the kinds of things I teach in the DVD. I hope they can help give you additional ideas for home.
Even some of the moms I see every week have been able to implement different things at home after watching the DVD since sometimes you’re able to notice things OTHER children do that give you an idea of what you could do differently with your own child.
Regardless - I wish you the best of luck with your daughter! Laura
Comment by Megan on 25 September 2008:
Hi Laura - my 3 yo son has mild autism. He’s incredibly bright and is making rapid progress in his programs. I’ve always been an active “player” with him and from what I’ve seen on your site, I have been implementing many of your play strategies since we got the diagnosis. He started speaking at 27 months (had some signs) and has a ton of language and things to say, but his articulation is very poor. I’ve become the community translator for everyone — including his speech therapists! Would your DVD help me help him make the key sounds that he’s not making, or does this DVD focus mainly on play skills to help illicit communication? Also, it seems lately that his mouth can’t keep up with his thoughts and when he has a lot to say, it comes out really garbled. Our speech therapists don’t really seem to be helping in this area and I really need some articulation help. Is your DVD what I’ve been looking for? Thanks!! - Megan
Comment by Laura on 25 September 2008:
Megan - The DVD shows some of the strategies I use to cue specific sounds in words, but it really does focus mostly on language. The apraxia/phonological disorders DVD will include many more of these techniques, but it realistically won’t be released until the end of the year.
I will also tell you that I am working on an age-appropriate articulation “project” (still top secret!) to use with 2 and 3 year olds that will come with tried and true tips for eliciting specific speech sounds. This is still in the very early stages of development, but it’s coming……
I’d hope that the SLPs who are working with your son could give you more specific strategies to use at home, but they may be waiting for his language and pragmatic skills to be closer to age-appropriate before they start to focus on articulation. If I were you, I’d have a conversation about this with them. I also support this philosophy, but I know it’s hard to do when you’re the mom and are his translator 24/7! When you express how frustrated you are with his intelligibility, they may give you additional things to try at home. Hang in there! From what you’ve said, it sounds like you’re doing a great job! Laura
Laura
Comment by Anna on 23 October 2008:
I’m mom to Justin (38 mo) who has DS. He knows at least 50 signs but uses growlng, yelling, crying, or screaming a lot of the time instead of signing. He used to always hit himself in head for “No!” “Don’t want” or “Don’t like”. Now, he will shake his head “no” 50% of the time. He babbles more now (in the last month or so) than he used to, but he doesn’t attempt any new speech sounds. “Buh” is his main syllable, which is used for ball, book, bath, bib, bus, boy, bowl, or balloon. And “buhbuh” for bye bye, bubbles, or “Bubba” (his oldest brother). And “ubuh” for apple or open. He says “da” for “that” or David, but only signs Daddy. He yells “Mama” when he’s really upset, almost like a swear word, but never uses it to call for me or to get my attention. If he’s really mad, he may yell “Nuh!” (No!) or “Duh” (Don’t).
His speech therapist isn’t real creative or bubbly and spends most of the 30 min. per week with picture cards of objects and actions and picture books. When she uses a toy, Justin focuses on the toy and doesn’t communcate much of anything with her. He isn’t in EI, because we have never had our children in public school, but have chosen to home school.
Anna
Comment by Laura on 23 October 2008:
Anna - Let me begin by saying that you’ve done a great job teaching Justin signs! However, you need to get over the hump of him just knowing signs so that he learns how to use them to communicate. Easier said than done, right?
This next statement may be really offensive to some people, but I’m going to say it anyway - it sounds like his current SLP is a dud. Do you have any other options to switch to someone else? If so, I’d pursue that. If not, then you’re going to need to explore other options so that you know how to work with Justin in a way that will be more beneficial to him. The DVD will demonstrate these techniques.
I also would like to recommend Libby Kumin’s books about communication skills in children with Down Syndrome. I can’t recall the specific name of the book now, and it’s still packed away in a box from my move this summer, but I bet you can search for it on the internet using her name. She’s an SLP who specializes in Down Syndrome and has written a (mayble more) great book specifically for parents. You may know the basics already, but unless you’ve become an expert, I think the book would be a good investment for you.
Please know that all of the recommendations on this site are for ALL children with language delays, regardless of the etiology. I hope that you find the articles informative and helpful! Let me know if you need other information! Laura
Comment by Anna on 24 October 2008:
Laura - Thanks for your prompt response. Justin’s SLP won’t give me her email… does it violate the separation of work and private life or what?!
Justin uses signs to communicate some of the time, or he takes my hand, leads me, and points. But when he’s emotional, which is often (hungry, tired, angry, offended, willful, etc.), he opts for growling, yelling, screaming, crying. I know this is typical behavior for a 2 yr. old and that’s his developmental age, but it’s miserable for him and us. It illicits negative emotions in us and often negative responses, which can only make him feel rejected. I don’t feel I have the time to play with him, but I’m going to have to make the time. I know in my heart it’s what he needs… from ME.
His SLP is fair to middlin’- I’ve gotten some good ideas from her. She’s more “old school”, been at it 20 yr or more, and while friendly and interested, isn’t very engaging or playful and not at all silly. She isn’t the only SLP, at Children’s Rehab, but I doubt if any of the others would be better. There is one SLP in the area who is trained in Beckman techniques, but she’s a little farther away and would mean another day out.
I have that book and haven’t read much of it. It’s a big book, and I’m the type who has to read a book from cover to cover. However, I have “Mommy brain” and don’t remember much of what I read! Seeing you demonstrate will be much more helpful, I feel. But I’m hesitant to ask my dh to order another DVD. We just orderd “Baby Babble”, a speech-enhancing DVD for babies & toddlers. I was trying to find Talk Tools to order a couple of their straws and cups, when I came upon your link… And I am so glad I checked it out!
Thanks!
Anna
Comment by Karen on 25 October 2008:
Laura, my 12 month old daughter does not babble and a SP thought it could be apraxia. I’m planning on buying your “Teach Me To Talk” DVD, but you also mentioned you are coming out with another DVD this Fall for those with apraxia. Is it out yet? Thanks!
Comment by Angellia on 25 October 2008:
I saw your website. I was wondering if you know of any schools for toddlers with speech problems?
Comment by Laura on 25 October 2008:
Anna - Just so you and other moms who may be browsing these comments know, Teach Me To Talk The DVD is different from other DVDs like Baby Bumblebee or Baby Babble since it’s for PARENTS to watch to help them learn techniques to work with a child at home, NOT a DVD for a child to watch. (Although some moms report that their children have begun to imitate words while watching, this is a happy bonus, not the intended outcome!)
I get so disappointed when parents try to connect this DVD and the other made-for-kids DVDs, so I want to be sure any reader understands this difference.
Parental participation is the KEY difference in maximizing progress with speech and language issues. Working on this once or twice a week in therapy is usually not sufficient to help children with delays make consistent prorgress. Parents have to do their part at home.
But some parents don’t know what to do or how to do it. Many parents have access to high-quality speech therapy, but sadly many do not, and this tool is for a parent in that situation.
I am glad Justin is in speech therapy and you are getting the help you need to learn how to work with him at home. Good luck, and I wish you continued progress! Laura
Comment by Laura on 25 October 2008:
Karen - Thanks so much for asking about the Apraxia DVD. We have had such production snags with Teach Me To Listen and Obey with companies that we chosen to contract with that the final day of shooting for Apraxia hasn’t even been scheduled yet. I hope this all resolves very soon since we are looking at other options for completing both of these DVDs.
I also want to tell you that your daughter is very, very, very young, for apraxia to be mentioned as the culprit for a baby who is not moving along with communication milestones. Many experts don’t want to diagnose apraxia until age 3, so 12 months would be waaaaaay too young for me to seriously consider this for a child.
Because of her age, I would only recommend the techniques in Teach Me To Talk The DVD as the most appropriate starting place for you anyway, even if the other DVD were already available. Once you get the DVD, let me know how she progresses! Laura
Comment by Laura on 25 October 2008:
Angelina - Some communities may have preschools specifically for children with language delays, especially in universities that offer bachelors and masters degrees in speech-language pathology. If you have a college in your town, call the information number and ask they have a Speech and Hearing clinic. The education department may also offer high quality preschool services that would enhance language development in a delayed or at-risk toddler.
All states in the US by federal law offer early intervention services for children with developmental delays, including communication. Some of these states offer “group” services, like preschool for children under 3, if the child meets eligibility guidelines. Check with your state’s program about this. Laura
Comment by Karen on 27 October 2008:
Thanks for your quick reply, Laura! I also thought the SP’s “diagnosis” was abit premature and to be honest, it irritated me that she would even mention apraxia at 12 months of age. He (I’m sorry I typed wrong, but it’s our son and not daughter) is not having any other delays except his lack of babbling. Anyway, I watched some of the online clips of your DVD and both my husband and I noticed the enthusiasm and playfullness that you had shown towards the children. We found that if we engage our son to the point where he laughs very hard, he seems to be more vocal and tends to imitate some sounds afterwards. Do you think it’s the laughing that stimulates the endorphines in his brain which then helps him with his vocals? Strange question, but wanted to ask. Thanks again.
Comment by Laura on 27 October 2008:
Karen - I think it’s that playfulness pulls him into interacting you, and that’s what makes him want to vocalize AND that you get his “motor running” sensory-wise, so that he can get aroused enough to vocalize. Either way - play, play, play! Good luck to you all! Laura
Comment by Karen on 28 October 2008:
Thanks. By the way, have you had a patient as young as 12 months?
Comment by Laura on 29 October 2008:
Karen - Yes, I have seen babies that young, but usually there are other issues going on too such as delayed gross motor skills so that they are not sitting or crawling yet. SLPs also see children that young with other diagnoses which we know will cause language delays such as Down Syndrome, hearing loss, cerebral palsy, or another syndrome.
There are children that age on the DVD. Both were siblings of children I was seeing at the time. One of the children has gone on to need speech therapy since she was not moving along with motor or communication skills (just like her older sister), and one little boy is a chatterbox now. Using these strategies with children 12 months and older is HIGHLY recommended and usually pretty succesful unless there’s something else going on. Laura
Comment by Karen on 3 November 2008:
Different Karen, here, joining the thread…my 3.5-year-old son does indeed have CAS - he has been working with two different therapists with great success since shortly after his 2nd birthday, and has made ENORMOUS strides (hooray!). Of course there is still a long way to go…it goes without saying that I want to/need to/must do absolutely everything I can to help him succeed, and so I’m waiting on pins and needles for your apraxia DVD. Since there is a delay in production, please don’t keep us waiting…how can we access the golden tickets you’re withholding? If it is helpful information, there are clearly a ton of children who need it. Time is precious, as you well know…any other way, please??? Thank you!
Comment by Laura on 3 November 2008:
Karen - Most of what will be on the apraxia/phonological disorder DVD is here on the site. The only difference with the DVD is seeing it in action. I wish I could wave a magic wand and have the DVD finished, but apparently I have not yet been granted that special power…
In the meantime, I hope you’ve read thru all of the articles in the apraxia and the expressive language sections since this is where the bulk of the information is from.
Thanks for being so excited about the DVD! Laura
Comment by Lori on 3 November 2008:
Laura, i have your wonderful dvd which i am making priority vieiwing for my husband and in-laws. Even the first day i found it worked beautifully, particularly keeping my child engaged enough to learn by getting funny and physical.
i was really pleased how quickly it got to me in Toronto, Canada.
Thanks for everything you’re doing and continued success. Hope to hear from you soon, Lori
Comment by Karen on 4 November 2008:
Have read them all and will continue to read and reread and check back. Thank you, Laura!
Comment by Stephanie on 10 November 2008:
Wow! I will always have a special spot in my heart for Laura and all the teachmetotalk gang. The resources compiled here are amazing! I’ve had the DVD for about 2 weeks now, and I LOVE it! There is just only so much an SLP can do with/for you child- lets face it- it’s really up to us, the parents. And most toddlers respond better to a familiar mommy/daddy than an ‘once a week’ SLP. Well, unless we’re lucky enough to have someone like Laura as our SLP. The six techniques discussed in the DVD were very eye opening. Especially using “with-holding/frustration”. My son responds very well with this technique. He said his second three word sentence! He was grunting for more animal crackers, his Sunday School teacher knows that he can sign, and was requiring him to do so. Out of frustration, he finally said “I WANT MORE”. We were all thrilled! I really suggest everyone to buy this DVD, there are ideas that you’ve probably not thought of. And Laura demonstrates her techniques in sessions with a wide age range of children. Thank you so much Laura and the whole gang, for all your hard work!!
Comment by Laura on 10 November 2008:
Thanks so much Stephanie! It’s been a very hectic Monday for me RE-recording all of my voice overs for DVD #2 Teach Me To Listen and Obey, in addition to seeing 4 of my little friends today. To come home and read your comment about Teach Me To Talk makes it all worth it to me! I’m so glad you’re having success with the techniques! Keep me posted on how your little boy is doing!
Thanks too for thanking the other person here at teachmetotalk.com who works very hard to keep this site going while I am out treating children. He handles all of DVD orders and shipping as well as the pre-and post-production PROBLEMS that we’ve encounter this past few months shooting and producing the DVDs. I couldn’t do it without him! Johnny is the real un-sung hero around here, and I thank you for thanking him!!! Laura