Check out the review here, and register for the DVD giveaway on her blog!

The truth is when kids can talk, they do talk.  It makes life so much easier for them, and for you!  Once they figure that out and come together cognitively (understand language), neurologically (can plan and send the message they want to convey), and physiologically (the complex processes that are physically required to produce sound), they do learn to speak.      

Sometimes parents think that because a child can say a few words, he can say any word.  They think he is somehow “holding out on them” when he’s “refusing” to say new words.  Children at age 2 or 3 are not capable of the advanced cognitive reasoning that must occur for this kind of mental manipulation.  Please don’t convince yourself otherwise.  Some parents would rather see their children as “bad” vs. having a true developmental problem, and I am always confused by this approach.    

This is also certainly not true with new talkers, and especially not children with specific verbal motor planning issues.  They are not “not talking” because they “choose” not to talk.  If this were the case, they would be diagnosed with selective mutism, and this is very, very rare.  

When a kid defaults to the same word over and over in lieu of using new ones, motor planning problems (apraxia) are usually found to be the underlying reason.   They are neurologically “looping” a word they can say.  Default is an accurate choice of word here, because that’s what’s happened.  They can’t say the new word.  This is very different from they won’t say it. 

Making a distinction between can’t and won’t is very different, and I BEG moms of children that I see as clients to change the way they think about this.  Without even meaning to, we often treat children differently when we view developmental issues as behavioral (”He just won’t do!) vs. a  true challenge for them. 

When we look at a kid as he can’t do it (YET!), we try to help them and look for a solution.  Often times when we think something is he won’t do it, we throw up our hands and walk away, or push and push and push to get OUR way so that it becomes a power struggle rather than finding strategies that will help this child learn to imitate and say words.

When I get a kid like this on my caseload, I keep things super fun so they WANT to participate.  I model, model, model lots of single words without lots of pressure to “perform,” give lots of choices so that they are somewhat forced to respond, and I always teach signs. 

These strategies, along with changing a parents’ mindset, really can make the difference with a kid who seems like he won’t talk.    

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For more about this topic and to find ways to help your child, please see the full listing of our products here.     

Are you scared and confused by what you’re finding on the internet?  

Then I’d like to introduce you to a DVD that’s made especially for parents to help you understand this complex diagnosis.

It’s called Teach Me To Talk with Apraxia and Phonological Disorders, and it was developed by pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, author of the website teachmetotalk.com.

In the last years Laura’s best-selling DVDs Teach Me To Talk and Teach Me To Listen and Obey have helped thousands of families in the United States and around the world understand expressive and receptive language delays. Now she’s using her parent-friendly, easy-to-understand approach to explain speech disorders.   

Watch Laura as she not only explains the characteristics of apraxia, but shows you many, many examples of toddlers and young preschoolers who exhibit verbal motor planning difficulties. You’ll learn exactly how speech-language pathologists distinguish apraxia from other speech and language delays such as phonological disorders.

More importantly, this DVD goes well beyond the diagnosis phase and explains all of the therapy techniques recommended by experts in the field. This DVD isn’t just a video-taped conference with a few clips of speech therapy. 

In this comprehensive 3 hour, 2 DVD set, you’ll see dozens of real-life therapy sessions so that you can learn to understand and use these techniques at home with your young child diagnosed with apraxia. You’ll hear Laura explain the techniques and then see multiple demonstrations of each strategy with different children so that you can not only understand exactly what to do, but can be confident in implementing the same successful strategies with your own young child.

This DVD covers every important phase of speech-language development in young children. You’ll see techniques to use with toddlers who are non-verbal. Then you’ll watch children progress and find strategies to help them learn to use single words. Children with apraxia and phonological disorders also have difficulty using speech sounds correctly in words. They leave off or substitute consonant, and even, vowel sounds. You’ll learn several ways to help them learn new sounds. You’ll also see strategies to help children learn to make the leap from single words to phrases, and then finally, move on to using sentences.  

If your child struggles to be understood and has been diagnosed with apraxia or phonological disorder, this DVD will clearly outline steps that you, as a parent, can use at home to help supplement the speech therapy your child is receiving. Children with parents who are involved in their child’s therapy have much better outcomes than children whose parents don’t participate. If you’ve been left wondering exactly HOW to work with your child with apraxia at home between speech therapy sessions, this DVD will teach you.    

Additionally in each section Laura shares her best therapy resources so that you can locate and use the best treatment materials recommended for children with apraxia of speech.  No more searching on the internet or pouring over catalogues to decide what will be appropriate and useful for your child as you work at home. You’ll receive many quality references for reputable and reliable information, all based on cutting-edge research and best practices in treating young children with apraxia and phonological disorders.      

If you’re a pediatric speech-language pathologist or another early interventionist working with young children with speech disorders, this must-have resource will become a favorite resource in your library of treatment materials as you share information with families, train students, or offer clinical supervision to CFYs. SLPs love Laura’s down-to-earth and practical advice which will help you take your intervention from theory “to the floor.”   

“I wanted to thank you for the new Phonological/Apraxia DVDs!!! As usual, you have put together a super video, chock-full of terrific ideas for parents! I also showed a bit of that one, as well as the other ones at our recent seminars….The response from the SLPs in the audience is universally great, and they all comment how much something like this is so needed.You’ve done all the work for them, so what a treat to have these available to loan the parents on our caseloads! Patti Hamaguchi, M.A., CCC-SLP

I just love your playful manner with the kids, and the way you break down the suggested strategies and show how you implement them with actual children. Everyone also comments how they love the fact that you show real kids who don’t always cooperate, and how you handle it. So fabulous!! Thanks again.”

”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 and especially those diagnosed with apraxia. As a Mom of a late talker, I would recommend this DVD to all speech therapists working with children.” Laurie Felty, Speech-Language Pathologist

Click here to be redirected to our store to order your 2 DVD set for Teach Me To Talk with Apraxia and Phonological Disorders today! (This set is also offered for special pricing when bundled with Teach Me To Talk: The DVD. Select the package ”Both Apraxia and Talk DVDs.”)  

To order through PayPal for orders inside the USA. 

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If you’ve not yet ordered Laura’s first DVD Teach Me To Talk, it’s strongly recommended that you begin with techniques in that DVD first, before implementing the more advanced strategies in Teach Me To Talk with Apraxia and Phonological Disorders. With this special order you can order Teach Me To Talk for only $29.99 with the purchase of Teach Me To Talk with Apraxia and Phonological Disorders - that’s $10 off the regular price.  

Click here to be redirected to our store to order your 2 DVD set for Teach Me To Talk with Apraxia and Phonological Disorders today! Look for the package that says “Both Apraxia and Talk DVDs.”   

For the 3 DVD Set Teach Me To Talk + Teach Me To Talk with Apraxia and Phonological Disorders, click this button for orders inside the USA:

For orders outside the USA for the 3 DVD set Teach Me To Talk + Teach Me To Talk with Apraxia and Phonological Disorders, click this link:

Questions? Email me at Laura@teachmetotalk.com.  

You can listen live on Thursday, August 20 at 12 pm Eastern Time using this icon. 

If you can’t join us live, you can always listen later anytime using the blogtalkradio icon in the right hand column or on the home page.

Our show is also available for FREE download on itunes. Visit the itunes store and search “Teach Me to Talk with Laura and Kate.” For you itunes novices, choose subscribe, and the show will download so you can listen later with your ipod.

Hope you’ll join us! Laura

Dear Laura,

You were nice enough to answer some questions a while back and I have a few follow up ones. My daughter was delayed in her expressive language and not combining words at age 2. With ST through the regional center she is now within “normal” range at almost 3 years of age and will probably not qualify for services through the school district. You mentioned to me before that catching up in expressive language by age 3 can mean the delay was just a case of late talking. We are hoping that is the case with our daughter (I was also a late talker) but now I have come to discover that she has some fine motor delays. She cannot cut with scissors or hold a pen properly (still grips it with a fist). Given that she had a speech delay & now a fine motor delay should I be concerned about an underlying cause? Would there be other symptoms or signs of some thing like mental retardation?

The SLP did both the preschool assessment scale & Rosetti and said she was within normal guidelines. Her receptive language has always been age appropriate & even ahead. Her strengths have always been her social skills. She is very engaging, empathetic (always concerned about others feelings),and affectionate. She loves playing with other children and adults. As far as the fine motor delays, I am wondering if lack of opportunity can contribute to this? I have to admit that she is not interested in doing these things and I never force her to practice. We do a mommy & me preschool two days a week and I noticed that many of her peers can write, cut, etc and I can hardly ever get her to cooperate with me. All she wants to do is play. Any suggestions?

We canceled the evaluation with the school district because her SLP was very confident that she would not qualify for speech services but I never discussed the fine motor concern with her. Also, my daughter has largnomalacia and I still feel that this caused early feeding issues and played a role in the speech delay. Any chance it can be related to fine motor as well? Why are fine motor & speech delay connected?

You gave some great details about what a 3 year old should be doing and I think my daughter is there. She can string 5-7 words together (but not every sentence has that many), she asks a ton of questions (repetitively), and can follow 4 step commands. I can understand 80-90% of what she says but strangers can not (maybe closer to 65-75%). I hope this is enough background for you to comment.I have to say you are such a great source of info and I really value the service you provide to the public. Sincerely, Kathy

Kathy - Although I can’t say for sure exactly what’s going on with her since I can’t see her, I’ll be glad to give it my best shot.

First of all, it’s great that she’s now within the normal range with language - Hooray for you!!! Pat yourself on the back since all your hard work as paid off!

Secondly, fine motor delays do sometimes accompany late talking, BUT this does NOT equate with mental retardation. She would not have language skills within the normal range and have huge cognitive issues - that doesn’t happen and really doesn’t make sense clinically since cognition is the underlying foundation for language. If cognition is hugely impacted, language is too. Now if they were telling you that her language is commiserate with her cogntition, that’s a whole different story, but you didn’t say that’s the case, and certainly from how you’ve described her, she’s functioning in the normal range. Again - good for you!!!

Has she been assessed by an OT? Occupational therapists are the professionals that can help you address the fine motor skills. However, your SLP may be able to give you some ideas BEFORE she’s discharged from speech before she turns 3. If the fine motor delays are mild and related to not enough opportunities to practice, these should come along pretty well with increased focus from you. This could really be the case since her language has responded so beautifully to treatment. The initial diagnosis she received, the laryngeal dx - can’t remember how to spell it - is likely NOT the cause of the fine motor delay.

My advice for the fine motor skills are to start to practice these skills in a “no pressure” kind of way. Sit on the floor or at the table and cut, then ask her to join in. To entice her, you should cut fun stuff like hearts and snowmen and circles, but help her to cut straight lines at first. Some children (and adults!) do become very frustrated with activities when they’re not good at it, so it may take some time to encourage her to want to do it. Praise, praise, praise her efforts if this seems to help her want to try more.

For writing utensil grip, I always use the cue, “Hold it like a big girl,” then help her do it with her fingers on the crayon or pencil. Another trick is to break a crayon so it’s in a pretty small piece so that she can’t grab it with her fist. Then she’s forced to hold it with the 3-point grasp using her thumb and 2 fingers. Model this for her too so that she sees you having a ball coloring. Coloring on giant pieces of paper, or even on some big surface like a paper grocery bag or a cardboard box, also makes toddlers more likely to want to color. When her grip is better, switch to markers - usually a guaranteed hit! Again, get your SLP’s advice for more ideas since she may be able to pinpoint a cue or piece of advice that will really help you based on what she can SEE your daughter doing.

Have you read the book The Late Talker? I believe that it talks about fine motor delays or other subtle motor planning issues that can accompany late talking when it’s due to apraxia. Since your SLP has not mentioned this to you, this is likely not the case diagnostically, BUT if I remember correctly, the book has some good ideas for fine motor stuff too. I have loaned out my copy, so I cannot check this for you - sorry!!

Think those were all of your questions and concerns, but if I missed any, let me know! Laura

Laura,

Hope this helps.  

So?  What does this mean for you if your child has been diagnosed with apraxia?  Children have to practice SPEECH, not movements without any sound or movements with just a sound (such as “p” for /p/) to be able to learn to talk.   

Dr. Lof’s mention of working at the syllable level means that sounds aren’t practiced alone, or in isolation, as your SLP might say.  Most early interventionists and pediatric SLPs use this approach since we work on WORDS in the context of daily activities or play.  Sometimes SLPs (myself included) will cue the sound in isolation, or by itself, to be sure the child is capable of producing the sound as well as to heighten a child’s awareness of the sound. 

Your SLP might also use verbal, visual, or tactile sound cues such saying “Use your popper sound” for /p/ while pointing to her lips, or your “throaty” sound for /k/ while touching under your child’s neck.  Again, this kind of practice should be very limited (no more than a couple of repetitions) and shouldn’t be the focus of the session since we’re talking about toddlers and young preschoolers here!  Individual speech sounds should be placed in words pretty quickly so that the sounds make sense AND so that you don’t lose a child’s attention in this process.  Cognitively, most children aren’t ready for intensely focused sound production practice until after 3.  

Sound practice for children with apraxia isn’t recommended since it’s the SEQUENCING of sounds that usually causes the problems with intelligibility.  He or she may be able to say the sound alone perfectly, but then it falls apart in the word or phrase.  Practicing the individual sound over and over is often pointless since this is not the real problem.        

Let me also reiterate one more HUGE principle that I’ll emphasize yet again.  If your child is really young and his LANGUAGE skills (vocabulary size, phrase length, using words to ask for things and respond to you, etc…) are NOT age-appropriate, all of these speech or sound issues should take a back seat to helping him learn to be an effective communicator.  The time to address all of the specific sound errors is AFTER his language skills are well on their way to matching those of his same-age peers.  Focus on WORDS and COMMUNICATION.  Intelligibility will come, but it won’t matter anyway if he has nothing to say!   Laura      

This morning I was in a huge hurry to get ready to go see one darling little girl for speech therapy and then pursue my other passion, being a mom, for the rest of the day.   I usually check the website and my e-mail every morning for comments from readers and respond to any that I can adequately answer before dashing out the door to see my first client. 

Today started no differently.  I checked the comments section to see if I’d received any questions overnight.  The comments section was extra-full today (14 spam messages from porn sites!) and then a comment from a parent who is facing the challenge of getting her SLP to appropriately treat her 25 month old son who was previously diagnosed with apraxia.  (If you’re intrigued, see the comment from Luz.)    

I was so irritated with this SLP in question when I read the comment that I knew I wouldn’t be able to generate a thoughtful, responsible reply, so I posted the comment and then left for work.  I literally could not quit thinking about this situation.  It bugged me so much on my drive in that I had to force myself to switch gears and start to mentally prepare for my first and only client today.  

After a great hour, I returned home to start my second-shift job as mom.  Before I went to chaperone the back-to-school swim party for my daughter’s middle school cheerleading team, I asked my husband if he’d take a quick ride with me to McDonalds to grab lunch.  While we were sitting in the loooong drive -thru line, I asked him if he’d read the comment already. 

Now for those of you who don’t regularly read this blog, this really is a two-person show.  While I do all of the clinical stuff, my husband is the “techie” one who routinely figures out what I want to do and can’t, and more importantly, fixes all the things I mess up on here!  He actually ”runs” the site and reads most comments and e-mails before I do, so I knew he’d probably already seen the post.   

As he drove me to McDonalds so I could grab our daughter some lunch (very picky and very sensitive tummy - but that’s a whole ‘nother post!), he listened to my rant about the comment I received this morning.  Again, if you’re a regular reader, you know is an everyday occurrence for me.  I can get pretty worked up about children who aren’t receiving optimal therapy.  

While I paused to take a breath, he posed this great question to me, “Is bad speech therapy better than no speech therapy?”

Hmmmmmm.  After a very brief pause, I jumped in and said, ”Yes.  Bad speech therapy is better than no speech therapy.”  I supported my initial argument with justifications such as, “At least the child is focusing on learning language during the visit when they might not otherwise be.” I continued with, “At least the parents are getting advice about how to target improving language at home.” 

As I was yelling across him to order the only chicken sandwich our daughter will eat, I glanced at the look on my husband’s face.  Why was he smirking?    

Then it began to dawn on me too.  I started to hedge on my previously “correct” answer.  I questioned aloud what he had to be thinking. 

“But, what if the advice that parents get is the WRONG advice? What if the SLP is using the WRONG approach?What if the parents end up feeling more helpless and confused than ever before? Would this really be better than nothing?”

Hmmmmm……Then I arrived at my next conclusion.  Bad speech therapy is not better than no speech therapy.

Actually, it could be (gulp) worse.  When parents are counting on sound advice from the person they view as a “professional” and that person does not deliver, for whatever reason, be it lack of experience, or education, or in some cases, plain ole common sense, it may actually cause harm to the family and child. 

Not harm in the way that the child is physically injured, but harm in the sense that his parents believe that  they are doing “the best” job they can by seeing that he gets “the best” treatment possible.  If parents don’t know any better and keep doing the same unproductive things week after week, session after session, precious months could fly by without a hint of measurable progress or even a glimmer of hope.  In my opinion, contributing to lost time during this critical window of development is harm. 

Then my husband asked another question.  ”What if the SLP herself doesn’t realize that she’s not helping a child?” 

That opened up a whole new line of questions for me.  

“What if she doesn’t question why her clients don’t make progress?  What if she thinks it’s normal for kids to run away from her and cry?  What if she gets fired and doesn’t even think it’s her fault?  What if her area is so short of speech therapists that she never gets fired because nobody knows any better?  What if she truly doesn’t know she’s bad???”

Hmmmmmm…… I don’t even know how to address this issue other than to tell parents, you’ve got to do what’s best for your child.  If you think therapy is not going well, if you feel a pit in the bottom of your stomach during yet another horrible session, if you think there’s a problem, there is.

That’s where you parents come in.  That’s where therapy supervisors come in.  That’s where team members in multidisciplinary models come in.  You have to have a voice.  You have to speak up.  You have to say to that unsuccessful therapist - there’s got to be a better way!

The answer may be helping an inexperienced therapist begin the process of self-analysis.  Ask her, “Do the children on your caseload make progress?”  ”What expert’s material do you read?” ”What would that expert recommend for my child?”  “What could we do differently to make this better?”  “Is there any other approach we can try?”  

If your SLP can’t answer these questions, I hate to say it, but you and your child are in big trouble.  The answer in this case is to find someone else to help you work with your child. 

As I’ve said often on this site, most children with language delays and disorders need high quality speech therapy to make progress.  Sometimes maturation kicks in and kids get better on their own or with a little help from mom and dad, but for children who have a diagnosis as a “reason” for their delay at 2 or 3, you’re going to need a professional, and a good one at that. 

Many children who are just thought to be  “developmentally delayed” must also have speech therapy in order to make enough progress with language to catch up to their peers.  Good therapy can make a HUGE difference.  

But what if there’s no “good” therapy?  What if you just aren’t sure?  Keep reading, keep watching, keep asking questions, and keep trusting your gut. 

Sometimes bad speech therapy may be better than no speech therapy, but then again, doesn’t your child deserve better?      

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.

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:

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

Order from our store by clicking here.

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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 is, 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 late 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 Speech-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

To order, click this link.

To order directly through PayPal, click below:  

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:

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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! Click here to order.  

More feedback….

“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! Click here or order via PayPal below.

Read more feedback from parents and SLPs alike -

“As members of the medical community and parents of two toddlers who experienced speech delay, we can personally attest to the value and effectiveness of Laura’s instructional video, “Teach Me to Talk.”  The teaching points reinforced throughout the DVD are parent friendly, reproducible, and easy to follow.  Laura repeatedly demonstrates simple and effective techniques that promote language skills, while at the same time emphasizing a fun and engaging environment for both parent and child.”  Jane Rice, RN and Michael Rice, MD

“ Hi Laura. I just finished watching your DVD and am so impressed You really did a terrific job putting everything into “parent-friendly” language, and your examples are super. Thanks so much for doing this. I look forward to sharing it with the parents in our practice. By the way, I am working on a 3rd edition for my “Childhood Speech, Language & Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know” book, and I will definitely include your DVD and website. You have so much great information on there.” Patti Hamaguchi, Speech-Language Pathologist and Director, Hamaguchi & Associates, Cupertino, CA  

“I have been a Speech and Language Pathologist for 12 years, and I have worked in the early intervention for the last 2 years.  In my quest to provide the best services I could for the children I worked with, I scoured the internet looking for therapy tips.  I hit a gold mine when I found Laura Mize’s Teach Me to Talk website.  Her website has wonderfully informative articles, but being the visual person that I am, it was even more helpful to see her therapy techniques in action.  The Teach Me to Talk DVD is a valuable tool for anyone looking for hands on ideas to help develop speech and language skills for toddlers, and it is an especially valuable tool for those in the profession.  No matter if you are a seasoned pro or a grad student; you will surely find many helpful tips and ideas to make the most of your therapy sessions with toddlers.  The DVD does a great job of putting the information into very simple and easy to understand steps.  I also found it helpful that Laura did not just show the sessions where “everything” goes perfect, because in the real therapy world it often does not.  Her DVD includes several clips that show you how to playfully re-direct those “little angels” when they might not be at their “toddler best.”  This is really a wonderful tool, and I will be recommending the DVD not only to my early intervention parents, but also to the other early intervention speech therapist I know.”  Yvonne Smith, Speech and Language Pathologist MS, CCC-SLP, Sacramento, California

“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 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

“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

“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 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

” I loved your first DVD Teach Me To Talk, but I think I enjoyed Teach Me To Listen and Obey even more! The way you presented the information made it very easy to understand. My child does have some difficulty understanding what’s said to him, but I never thought it could be the reason he doesn’t seem to listen to me. Thank you for letting me watch this because now I know how to help him better. ” —–Andrea, Mother from Chicago, Illinois

“The discipline information alone would be worth the money to buy the whole set.”  Kathleen, mother of son with speech delay from Florida  

“As a father, I want my son to mind me. Until I watched your video I didn’t realize that he didn’t understand words. Thank you for showing me that.” Jason, Father from New Jersey

“This is a great DVD set for teaching parents how to view receptive language delays. I’m a developmental therapist, and I learned several new things that I will be thinking about as I work with my clients in my state’s program.”  Margaret, therapist from Pennsylvania

To order and see other products from teachmetotalk.com, click here.  

Many young children need another way to communicate before they learn to talk.  Speech-language pathologists often recommend that parents introduce pictures to help give a child an additional way to express his wants and needs.  The most popular method for beginning to teach children to communicate with pictures is The Picture Exchange Communication System, commonly called PECS. 

There are lots of myths and misconceptions concerning PECS.  First of all, just because you’re using pictures doesn’t necessarily mean you’re using PECS.  PECS is a very specific and systematic protocol for teaching a child to request items that he wants using pictures.  This program was authored by Bundy, an applied behavioral analysis psychologist, and Frost, a speech-language pathologist in 1985.  This program began as a way to teach autistic children to communicate, but it’s been expanded and used in a wide variety of populations and ages.  

PECS consists of 6 very distinct phases based on the principles from the fields of applied behavioral analysis (ABA) and speech-language pathology. 

If you’re just placing pictures out in front of your child and letting him choose which one he wants, you’re not using PECS.  If your SLP is encouraging you to take digital pictures and hang them on the fridge in hopes that your child will point to what he wants, you’re not using PECS.  If you are showing him a picture to help him understand what comes next in his day, you’re not using PECS.  These are all very valid methods for using pictures to communicate and process language, but they are not PECS.

PECS is a very specific program outlined in its latest version in 2002 in a training manual that’s helpful for both clinicians and parents.  You can get more information on ordering this system at the website at www.pecs.com.  I highly recommended that parents who want to begin to use PECS with their children should order the manual and read it from cover to cover.  It’s an easy read and very parent-friendly.  Don’t depend on your SLP to teach you or to implement the program in the way it was intended.  Read it yourself so that you know exactly how to introduce each phase.  Using the phases just as they were intended is the quickest and easiest way to successfully implement this sytem for your child.  Don’t cheat!  Do it correctly, the first time!  

(Just a quick note - I have also purchased additional used copies from e-bay.  It’s cheaper than new, but you may get a highlighted, dog-earred, or stained copy, but that’s usually okay for me and the parents of children on my caseload!)               

This information about PECS is directly from their website -  

“PECS begins with teaching a student to exchange a picture of a desired item with a “communicative partner,” who immediately honors the request (a mand within Skinner’s terminology). Rather than verbal prompts we use our unique 2-Person Prompting Procedure, building immediate initiation while avoiding prompt dependency. The system goes on to teach discrimination of symbols and the development of simple sentences. In the most advanced Phases, individuals learn to respond to statements and questions (i.e., intraverbals) as well as learn to comment about common items and activities (i.e., tacts). Many preschoolers using PECS also begin developing speech.” 

In real-life parent language, this means that you first select items that you KNOW your kid is going to want and take pictures of these.  Things I always use with kids are snacks (think junk foods not green beans) or highly preferred toys.  You can use PECS or Boardmaker pictures (colored drawings similar to cartoons), but I do usually take pictures with digital camera, print them, and then laminate them so they are EXACT visual representations of what the child wants and can stand up to attempts to throw, tear, and eat them!  Kinkos laminates pictures cheaply, or you can go the really cheap route and use clear shelf-liner paper or clear packing tape to cover your pictures.  If you think you are going to use PECS for a while, go ahead and invest in a $30 laminator from an office supply place or Wal-Mart.  It’s worth the money.  

Initially I don’t enourage parents to spend lots of money on supplies other than the digital camera (which most people have or can borrow) and the expense to laminate the pictures.  Don’t rush out and buy the velcro or a special notebook until you know you’re going to be using this system for a  while.  I actually also loan parents my copy of the PECS manual to read initially, then they buy their own when we decide this is a method we’re going to use for a while.  But again, if your SLP isn’t providing you a copy of the real thing, go ahead and purchase the manual yourself.  You may have to end up letting her (or him) borrow your copy to learn how to do it correctly!            

Also remember that PECS takes two adults to implement.  One adult is the one who “prompts” the child to by holding the item the child wants to entice him to trade his picture for the item and then holding out the other hand to accept the picture.  The second adult is the “helper” who sits behind or beside the child and physically helps him pick up the picture and give it to the other adult.  You MUST have 2 adults to use PECS initially.  This is a deal breaker if you don’t.  Wait to practice until Dad comes home, Grandma is there, or during therapy time.  I have trained older siblings as young as 6 or 7 to help too.    

One other word of caution - This is supposed to be mostly a nonverbal cueing system, meaning that children are supposed to learn to trade pictures for items they want WITHOUT LOTS OF VERBAL INSTRUCTION.  This is HARD for some parents.  If you are saying too much during the initial phases, you’re defeating the whole purpose of PECS.  I have had parents who repeatedly say, “Give me the card!  Where’s your picture?  You have to give it to me.  I’m not giving you this until you pick up the card, etc…..”  Don’t do this!  Prompt in just the way the PECS manual says!   

Another misconception about PECS is that it is only for nonverbal children.  While it can be used it this way, it can also be used to teach interacting/social skills for a child who is verbal but doesn’t communicate very well.  For example, some children talk, such as labeling pictures or quoting from their favorite movies, but they don’t understand how to initiate a request to ask for that they want.  PECS teaches children how to approach another person and begin interaction by systematically training these skills using pictures. 

Initially requesting is targeted in PECS, but later phases also work on responding to questions and commenting (I see, I hear, etc….) 

In the middle phases of PECS you’re also going to be teaching picture discrimination so that you can be sure your child can tell the difference between pictures.  This is helpful because sometimes children select pictures with no real communicative intent.  PECS eliminates this because you’ll be using a picture of an item your child doesn’t want.  What a lesson to learn!  If you give mommy the wrong picture, you get the wrong item!  It’s a very tough lesson to learn, but how else can you be sure your child is really choosing?  Many parents want to skip this phase and begin to offer choices for pictures too soon.  They give two pictures for things their child may really want, so he never learns to look at the pictures and “choose.”  This approach teaches this important skill like no other method I’ve ever used.  When children master this phase, they are purposefully choosing and discriminating between pictures for items.  That’s communicating!      

One other great skill PECS teaches is helping kids learn to seek out other people to communicate.  It requires that children lean across a distance or walk across the room to trade a picture for an item they want.  Again, this approach teaches this skill in a very concrete way.  Once children learn to do this, they almost always begin to “lead” their parents to what they want (if they haven’t done this already!).       

Some parents are afraid that using pictures to teach their child to communicate may mean that their child will never learn to talk.  Let me beg you to change your mind!  Using PECS (or another alternative method like sign language) actually INCREASES the likelihood that a child will  become a verbal communicator!  Research has confirmed this with PECS.  For more information on these studies visit the PECS site.  In my opinion, a child who isn’t going to talk for a long time absolutely needs to learn another way to communicate.  As his parent, you should want that for him to save yourself some frustration and heartache!