Late Talkers
We have extensive training and experience in providing speech therapy to young children who are not yet talking or “late talkers.”. Through meaningful and engaging opportunities, children learn words associated with the world around them. Our therapists are trained in programs specifically for working with “late talkers” such as “Target Word” and “It Takes Two to Talk.” Individualized therapy and specific suggestions for carryover throughout the week are provided following each session. Our compassionate and engaging therapists make therapy fun and meaningful for your little one!
Is My Toddler a “Late Talker”?
A child is considered a “Late Talker” and would benefit from intervention if:
18-20 months = Less that 24 words
21-24 months = Less than 40 words
24-30 months = Less than 100 words
OR is not using word combinations by 24 months
Has relatively good understanding, play, social motor, and cognitive skills.
And has two or more risk factors:
What are the Risk Factors?
______ Was your child quiet as a baby?
______ Did your child have reoccurring ear infections?
______ Is there a family history of speech, language, or academic difficulties?
______Does your child imitate sounds?
______ Does your child engage in limited sequenced pretend play?
______ Does your child have a vocabulary consisting of mostly nouns with little or no verbs?
______ Does your child have difficulty communicating with peers?
______Does your child use limited use of gestures?
______ Does your child make a limited number of sounds?
Adapted from Target Word Program (www.hanen.org)
How can I Help my Toddler?
- Talk to your child as you do things and go places. For example, when taking a walk, point to and name what you see. Say things like, “I see a dog. The dog says ‘woof.’ This is a big dog. This dog is brown.”
- Use short words and sentences that your child can imitate. Use correct grammar.
- Talk about sounds around your house. Listen to the clock tick, and say “t-t-t.” Make car or plane sounds, like “v-v-v-v.”
- Play with sounds at bath time. You are eye-level with your child. Blow bubbles, and make the sound “b-b-b-b.” Pop bubbles, and make a “p-p-p-p” sound. Engines on toys can make the “rrr-rrr-rrr” sound.
- Add to words your child says. For example, if she says “car,” you can say, “You’re right! That is a big red car.”
- Read to your child every day. Try to find books with large pictures and a few words on each page. Talk about the pictures on each page.
- Have your child point to pictures that you name.
- Ask your child to name pictures. He may not answer at first. Just name the pictures for him. One day, he will surprise you by telling you the name.
- Talk to your child in the language you are most comfortable using.
- Use short words and sentences. Speak clearly
- Repeat what your child says, and add to it. If she says, “Pretty flower,” you can say, “Yes, that is a pretty flower. The flower is bright red. It smells good too. Do you want to smell the flower?”
- Let your child know that what he says is important to you. Ask him to repeat things that you do not understand. For example, say, “I know you want a block. Tell me which block you want.”
- Teach your child new words. Reading is a great way to do this. Read books with short sentences on each page.
- Talk about colors and shapes.
- Practice counting. Count toes and fingers. Count steps.
- Name objects, and talk about the picture on each page of a book. Use words that are similar, like mommy, woman, lady, grown-up, adult. Use new words in sentences to help your child learn the meaning.
- Put objects into a bucket. Let your child remove them one at a time, and say its name. Repeat what she says, and add to it. Help her group the objects into categories, like clothes, food, animals.
- Cut out pictures from magazines, and make a scrapbook. Help your child glue the pictures into the scrapbook. Name the pictures, and talk about how you use them.
- Look at family photos, and name the people. Talk about what they are doing in the picture.
- Write simple phrases under the pictures. For example, “I can swim,” or “Happy birthday to Daddy.” Your child will start to understand that the letters mean something.
- Ask your child to make a choice instead of giving a “yes” or “no” answer. For example, rather than asking, “Do you want milk?” ask, “Would you like milk or water?” Be sure to wait for the answer, and praise him for answering. You can say, “Thank you for telling mommy what you want. Mommy will get you a glass of milk.”
- Sing songs, play finger games, and tell nursery rhymes. These songs and games teach your child about the rhythm and sounds of language.
- Talk to your child in the language you are most comfortable using.
*This information is from www.asha.org