Are you concerned that your child is not talking yet? Are other children around you talking a lot and yours continues to say nothing or very little? Read the article below and find out what you can do at home before having to seek alternative support - it may just help get things going and reduce your anxiety!
One of the most common referrals I get is from parents whose children are struggling to get talking. They have reached the age of 2 and are saying very few words. Sound familiar?
From a personal level, being a mum, I can completely see the anxiety that comes along with this. We constantly ask ourselves questions like: Why is my child not doing what everyone else's is doing? Do I need to get them help? Will this resolve on its own?
I can't help with everything but I can give you some basic ideas on how to get your child talking.
Step One - take away the pressure!
One of the most common strategies parents get told to do by other professionals, family members etc. is to just talk to your child all the time. In most cases this is fine, however if your child is struggling to get going then just talking at them in full sentences can be overwhelming.
I often ask my clients to think about a time when they went abroad on holiday and a stranger stopped them in the street and spoke to them quickly in a language they don't know. As an adult you may pick up the odd word this person says but the whole sentence and the meaning behind it is not understood. This is what a child who is struggling to get talking may be feeling.
Step Two - stop asking so many questions.
Another thing we do as parents is ask hundreds of questions a day. Open questions, closed questions, rhetorical questions, questions we don't want others to hear... it is endless. Try listening to another adult interacting with your child and take note of the number of questions they ask, it can be pretty astonishing.
Questions are a funny thing (see my blog post about this in more detail). We need them in our daily lives but we have a strange ability to ask them incessantly. So why is that a challenge for children who are struggling to get talking? Well in a nut shell they don't have the vocabulary or the ability to answer you.
By taking away your multitude of questions you will focus on vocabulary which is relevant to the situation. This doesn't mean you can't use your intonation to add a questioning element to your talking but try not to ask questions.
Step Three - play play play
Having two children myself I am finding it increasingly hard to get all my household bits done, keep my 4 year old entertained and make sure I get one on one time with my 9 month old. However, it is really important.
Children learn through play. They try things out, experience new things, learn from others and replicate what they have seen through play. Play is your window of opportunity to support a child to learn to talk.
Try to set aside 10 minutes a day with your child 1:1 and just play with toys that they enjoy. Use simple language to talk to them about the toys they are using, try not to ask them any questions and have fun! They will get more out of this 10 minutes than the rest of the day.
To wrap up...
Take off the pressure. Try not to speak to your child in full sentences. Stop asking them questions about menial things. Enjoy playing together! Simple!
What next?
If having tried all of these strategies and you still feel your child is struggling it may be worth seeking support from a Speech and Language Therapist. This can be through the NHS or through independent practice.
If you are in the East Devon area please contact me directly for a free 20 minute telephone consultation and we can talk through what you have done so far and I can support you to determine if you need independent therapy support.
If all is going well and you are seeing progress then check out my other blog posts which give you more ideas on expanding your child's language:
I hope this is helpful! Please share with others who may be struggling - sometimes a little change can make all the difference!
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