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Helping Parents Teach Toddlers To Understand and Use Language

Help Busy Toddlers Stay and Play!

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It's a common problem... we're trying our best to teach a toddler something new and all he can think about is how to get away! We need a way to help busy toddlers learn to stay and play! Too often we try things that don't work like... Behavioral... [Read more...]

Pat The Bunny… Using Books to Teach Toddlers to Follow Directions

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One of my favorite little books that most parents remember from their own childhoods is Pat the Bunny. Written in 1940, it's certainly a classic (aka OLD), but don't let its age fool you. Toddlers still enjoy this darling little book IF you use... [Read more...]

Learning to Make Noise

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None of us can talk unless we know how to produce sound purposefully! Some babies are extremely quiet and make noise only when it’s reflexive, meaning they cry, burp, cough, sneeze, and laugh, but it’s not something they seem to know that... [Read more...]

“Play and Stay”

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What's your best strategy for parents for working with kids who don't play with toys. Here it is and honestly, it's the only thing that really works! Encourage parents to “play and stay” with a toddler until toys are mastered. Your main... [Read more...]

Making the Connection Between “Busy” and Late Talking

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Making the Connection Between “Busy” and Late Talking It’s so easy to dismiss a toddler’s distractedness and busyness, even when there are obvious developmental differences like late talking. Once when I asked a dad to gauge his little... [Read more...]

Can’t Get a Toddler to Talk Consistently? Try CHOICES! Therapy Tip of the Week 12.9.17

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Do you want a technique that virtually guarantees a toddler will at least attempt a response? Try CHOICES! Especially motivating choices! As soon as a kid can (try to) imitate words, get choices going! You'll significantly increase the... [Read more...]

Let’s Talk About Talking…Ways to Strengthen the 11 Skills Toddlers Master Before Words Emerge

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Let's Talk About Talking...Ways to Strengthen the 11 Skills All Toddlers Master Before Words Emerge In this therapy manual (it’s a whopper at 330+ pages!), learn the 11 prerequisite skills ALL toddlers, regardless of their diagnosis, acquire... [Read more...]

Car Games for Late Talkers…Great Ways to Maximize Your Commute with Your Late Talker

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Moms of late talkers frequently email me some version of this question... "We spend lots of time in the car, especially waiting for my older children to be released from school and other activities. Do you have any ideas I can use during that... [Read more...]

Focus on “Better” Not Perfect with Late Talkers

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I bet you've heard the saying, "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good." ​ In terms of working with late talking toddlers, our version would be, "Don't let perfect be the enemy of better." We should always aim for better with late talkers -... [Read more...]

CALLING GAME…Tips for Helping a Child Learn to Call People by Name

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Tips for Helping a Child Learn to Use Names A mom recently asked me for suggestions for teaching her child to use other people's names. Many times, children with autism or social communication delays have difficulty learning to do this. Sometimes... [Read more...]

Pretend Play Skills…An Important Marker for Language Development in Toddlers

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Have you ever wondered if a child is “just a late talker” or if there’s a larger problem? Research reveals that there are several risk factors that let us know that a child’s late talking is likely a part of a child’s developmental... [Read more...]

“This” and “That” Kids…Strategies for Reducing Non-Specific Vocabulary in Late Talkers

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Reducing Non-Specific Vocabulary in Late Talkers Yesterday I received this email from an SLP who asked a question that's very common for those of us who work with late talkers. I thought I'd share my response in case you need these tips... [Read more...]

Joint Attention in Toddlers: Why It’s Important for Language Development

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Have you ever wondered if a child is “just a late talker” or if there’s a larger problem? Research reveals that there are several risk factors that let us know that a child’s late talking is likely a part of a child’s developmental... [Read more...]

Strategies to Help Toddlers Experiencing Fight, Flight, or Freeze

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Help for Overstimulated Toddlers My post called Fight, Flight, or Freeze explored the negative reactions that children may display when they become overstimulated as they learn something new. Remember that these responses have been hard-wired... [Read more...]

“Is It Autism?” Course on DVD… Now Shipping

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"Is It Autism?" Recognizing and Treating Toddlers and Preschoolers with Red Flags for Autism   Whenever I ask therapists to list their needs for future workshop topics, overwhelmingly the #1 answer I receive is AUTISM! Many of us... [Read more...]

Tried and True Methods for Helping a Late Talker Use More Words

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Tried and True Methods for Helping a Late Talker Use More Words Today I received an email from an SLP who asked me this question: “How can I get a child on my caseload who can talk to say more words during a session? He likes me. He likes... [Read more...]

It’s Too Much! Signs of Sensory Overload in Toddlers

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It's Too Much! Signs of Sensory Overload in Toddlers Today I read a survey reported by the Academy of Pediatrics that said the average six- month-old in America watches half an hour of something per day on a mobile device. A third of them were... [Read more...]

When A Toddler Doesn’t Play With Toys…teachmetotalk.com’s Therapy Tip of the Week 4.9.16

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Isn't it frustrating when a toddler doesn't seem to want to play with toys? This is a fairly common issue in young children with developmental delays. Our first instinct may be to think that the child doesn't like the toy (or any toy!), but that's... [Read more...]

Tips for Parenting “Difficult” Toddlers

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TIPS FOR PARENTING DIFFICULT TODDLERS As a pediatric speech-language pathologist, I get an opportunity to talk with parents of young children every day. This week I've been emailing back and forth with a mom on the other side of the country that... [Read more...]

The Truth about Flashcards for Toddlers Who Don’t Yet Talk

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The Truth about Flashcards for Toddlers Who Don’t Yet Talk I almost titled this post “Why Flashcards Don’t Work to Teach a Nonverbal Toddler to Talk,” but I opted for the one above instead. Many parents and even some therapists default to... [Read more...]

#270 5 Things You Can Learn About a Toddler with a Wind Up Toy

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I love wind up toys! How about you? Besides the sheer "fun" factor, there are at least 5 very important skills you can observe when presenting a wind up toy to a toddler. Listen to this week's show to hear my take on why this toy should be in... [Read more...]

“First Sessions” Toy List for Toddlers in Speech Therapy from teachmetotalk.com

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Both therapists and parents of late talkers email me at teachmetotalk.com to ask me a version of this question… What are your favorite toys?  I want to begin every response to that question with, “I’m so glad you asked!” Several... [Read more...]

Tweaking Routines for Late Talkers Continued…

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Yesterday I posted a lovely email I received from a mom about how much success she achieved in ONE DAY with her late talker by becoming more fun and tweaking their daily routine of bath time. If you missed that post, you can read it here. Here's... [Read more...]

Parents Make the Difference in the Treatment of Toddlers with Autism

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Parents Make the Difference in the Treatment of Toddlers with Autism If you're a regular reader of this site, you know how much I believe in parent training during therapy sessions. Research confirms that parents make the difference in the... [Read more...]

Earn ASHA CE Credit

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If you're an SLP, you can earn ASHA CE credit here! All of our DVDs and my full-length courses on DVD are approved! The process is EASY and CHEAP and best of all, you can use the information immediately for your birth to 3 caseloads! Let me... [Read more...]

Help My Child Learn to Talk

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Teach Me To Talk the DVD is the best-selling resource for parents who want to learn EASY and EFFECTIVE ways to work with toddlers with speech delays who are late talkers. If you have a child who is not yet talking, in this 90 minute DVD,... [Read more...]

Product Recommendations for Parents and Professionals

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RESOURCES FOR HELPING A CHILD LEARN TO TALK and HELPING TODDLERS WITH SPEECH DELAY Parents often ask me which teachmetotalk.com product would be most helpful for them to help a child learn to talk. While every child and family situation is... [Read more...]

Making the Leap from Words to Phrases…. Tips for Helping Your Toddler Learn to Combine Words

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Making the Leap from Words to Phrases Research tells us that toddlers with typically developing language possess a single-word spontaneous vocabulary of 35-50 words before they begin to combine words into two-word phrases. We should use this same... [Read more...]

#357 7 Key Principles for Success When Working with Toddlers and Preschoolers

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In this podcast, I'll share 7 key principles for successfully working with toddlers and preschoolers. These 7 nuggets of advice will help you no matter what communication skill you're trying to teach. Whether you're focused on helping a young... [Read more...]

Therapy Tip of the Week for 2.7.12

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Here's this week's segment ?     2.7.12 Valentine's Day Sensory Boxes This week's activity features ideas to help you target your therapy goals with a Valentine's Day sensory box. Begin with a medium to large sturdy plastic... [Read more...]

Therapy Tip of the Week for 2.14.12

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Here's this week's segment: ?   2.14.12 - Make an "I Love" Book & Better Ways to Use Pictures or Flashcards with Toddlers "I Love" Book I read this idea here at Nurture Store a few weeks ago and adapted it for my specific... [Read more...]

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About

Laura Mize is a pediatric speech-language pathologist who specializes in treating young children, ages birth to three, with communication delays and disorders in her private practice in and around Louisville, Kentucky. She earned a B.S. in … [Read More...]

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