Therapy Tip of the Week 4.27.12
Here’s this week’s video:
Therapy Tip of the Week 4.27.12
In this week’s video I’m sharing ideas for teaching language to toddlers with developmental delays using Mr. Potato Head.
Don’t skip straight to expressive language with this toy. Work on receptive language, or comprehension, first! You can help a child learn to understand body parts and select those parts on request. This is a huge first step in helping a child learn to follow directions. Don’t forget to point out the same body parts on both yourself and the child as you play to help him link words with his own eyes, nose, or shoes.
All of the expressive language goals (or levels) mentioned in this week’s video are from my new book Building Verbal Imitation in Toddlers available in May 2012. This great book outlines how to teach a child to imitate words. See this link for more information.
As always, I welcome your feedback!
Until next week…. Laura
Comment by Kate on 27 April 2012:
I know I say this most weeks but I really liked this tx tip of the week! Can’t believe I’ve never used “walk walk walk walk walk-Boom”…have you been holding out on me???
Comment by Laura on 27 April 2012:
I could never, ever hold out on you, even if I tried! I’ve done that routine forever with Potato Heads. I think it’s even on one of the DVDs, so I don’t know how you missed it. Surely I’ve talked about it on the show, but I will not be listening to all 150+ shows to verify…
Comment by Diane W. Checkley on 14 May 2012:
Laura,
I provide developmental intervention in an early intervention program. I have a new child who does not talk. English, French, and Creole are all spoken in the home and his parents feel that he understands all three languages. At the end of our first session, he took his fther’s phone, found the app for the French news station and appeared to be focused on it. The only tv show he will watch is Jeopardy. His mother turned it on and he went running to the tv and stood and stared at the screen the entire time I was writing my notes. There was no eye contact with me during my visit and there were two activities that he repeated and repeated and did not want to stop. Should I be using typical activities with this child? He is 20 months old.
Comment by Laura on 14 May 2012:
Hi Diane - What an interesting situation for you! This is why our jobs never get boring!
Did he follow any directions for you while you were there? Did he seem to understand English based on his performance during the session, or did he tune you out? If you see little evidence of comprehension, then it usually means there’s an unidentified problem with receptive language. It is very, very common for parents to say a child “understands everything” and for that to be a false assumption. Carefully gauge his ability to follow directions. If he doesn’t, it’s usually because he can’t, not because he won’t.
The other thing I’d do is to capitalize on his preference/need for visual input. Use toys that will give him a big visual pay off. Balloons and bubbles are great ideas. Any toy that has a spinning part - Fishin’ Around Game, Lucky Ducks, My Little Pony Ferris Wheel, a toy microwave, etc… You can “hook” him with what he likes and build interaction from there. You’ll have to build in opportunities to look at you and to request the next piece with a sign or gesture. If he’s not ready for that, you can begin with him imitating an action or following a simple direction, BUT don’t let him leave you out!
If you need more help with implementing those suggestions, take a look at my DVDs and therapy manuals
I’m also going to discuss these ideas in an upcoming Therapy Tip of the Week, so be on the look out for that.
Great question! Thanks Diane! Laura
Comment by Danielle on 15 May 2012:
Hi,
I just discovered your website and I love your therapy tips of the week. Please keep them coming!