All Entries Tagged With: "speech delay"
“What can I do to help my toddler learn more words?”
Below is an excerpt from my book Teach Me To Talk: The Therapy Manual.
This is the first response I give to any mom who asks, “What can I do to help my toddler learn more words?”
Teach USABLE Words and Teach by DOING
“The brain learns best through exploration and interaction with real people!” ~ [...]
Can’t vs. Won’t
I RARELY, no make that never, think that a child doesn’t talk because he’s stubborn or lazy. I get so frustrated when parents tell me this, or worse, when I hear another therapist say this. If you, or gasp, a professional, is telling you this, please re-evaluate your situation.
The truth is when kids can talk, they do talk. It makes life so [...]
Signs of Autism in Toddlers
Nothing evokes fear in a parent like thinking their baby may have autism.
Many people assume, incorrectly of course, that because a child isn’t talking by age 2 or 3, he or she must be autistic.
Let me reassure you, there are many reasons for late talking or speech-language delays in toddlers, and autism is just one of them.
Late talking, when there’s [...]
Teach Me To Talk with Apraxia and Phonological Disorders NOW SHIPPING
“Teach Me To Talk with Apraxia and Phonological Disorders” is now shipping!
Apraxia and phonological disorders are among the most common speech disorders diagnosed in young children. These diagnoses can be difficult for parents to understand. In this comprehensive 2 DVD set, you’ll learn the diagnostic characteristics and see examples of young children with motor [...]
Listen LIVE on August 29 for “Teach Me To Talk with Laura and Kate”
I want to invite you to join us for my next show this Friday, August 29. You can listen LIVE using the link here EVERY Friday from 1-2 pm Eastern time.
During this week’s show we’ll finish discussing in detail strategies for parents to use at home to help late talking children begin to communicate. We’ll be discussing the technique of expansion [...]
Teach Your Child To Say “Mama”
Today on my show “Teach Me To Talk with Laura and Kate” (click the icon in the right column to hear it for yourself!), one of our wonderful callers Annette shared with us that although her son is talking now and understands and says, “Dada,” he’s not yet saying “Mama.” How heartbreaking for her!
This is [...]
Listen LIVE to My New Podcast - “Teach Me To Talk with Laura and Kate”
I want to invite you to join us for our next show for parents and professionals, “Teach Me To Talk with Laura and Kate.” I invited my good friend and developmental therapist Kate Hensler to chat with me about teaching young children to learn to communicate.
During this week’s show we’ll discuss in detail very specific [...]
Communication Basics
As a pediatric speech-language pathologist, I often get referral information for a child with the primary concern listed as “speech delay” or “communication delay.” These are often “catch-all” terms that can mean anything from a child is not saying as many words as other babies his age, to a child who is talking but is [...]
What Doesn’t Work - Unproductive Strategies For Helping Toddlers Learn To Talk
(Edited with the addition of #9 on March 18. 2008.)
Here’s what I’ve learned, the hard way unfortunately, about behaviors that do not help babies and toddlers learn to talk. All of these are helpful for not only parents, but also professionals working with young children. Most of these are common sense, but worth repeating.
1. The adult interacting with the child is (yawn) boring.
As even two-year-olds know, interacting with a [...]
What Works - Strategies That Help Toddlers Learn to Talk
Here’s what I know after spending nearly 30 hours a week for the past 10 years in the homes of my little clients. Listed below are the 10 best ways to entice a child to interact, then communicate, then (FINALLY) talk!
1. Play, play, play, and when you’re tired of all that, play some more!
You absolutely, positively have to [...]
