Is your child a late talker?It can be very worrying if your child does not start to talk when expected, approximately between the ages of one and two. Not only is it worrying, but it is not uncommon for other people to suggest that you have not talked to your child enough, or that it is in some way your fault! This can be very hard to take, along with watching other proud parents boasting of how well their child can talk - and some at such a young age. For your comfort I tell you that this is not necessarily the case. You may speak to your child much. However, do check this one point first as it is easy to think you are talking - but maybe not as helpfully as you could be for the needs of your child, We will think more about that in a minute. I have helped children who have very clever parents, to those ordinary mums who are just doing a good job - and late talking is not choosy - it can happen to anyone's child! I am a teacher - and it happened to me! Neither does the fact that your child is late talking mean that s/he will not be clever - some of the cleverest people have been late talking. however, my work with such children tells me that they have a high chance of needing more help to learn to read and write - and that is why I wrote my special reading programme - Reading Made Simple. More - you are not alone as there seem to be increasing numbers of children who are late talking. Your child may be referred for speech therapy. Depending on the area in which you live, there may be a long waiting list to receive help. When you receive help, you may be disappointed, as no-one can make your child talk! Your child will talk when sh/e is ready to talk. So how can I help my child to talk? Do not despair as there are many things that you can do to help your child. Here are some ideas that I have collected while working with parent's of late-talking children. I wish I had known them when my own son was late talking! Help the child to understandThis is the most important thing to remember when you have a child who is late talking: concentrate first on helping the child to understand. As parents we all too often presume that our children understand as they hear - and forget that the child may not understand. We want words, but before a child speaks, they must have a reason to speak and understand what they want to say. Communication is not just words, but words with meaning. Think of all the little things that need to be understood by a young child:
Maybe one day your child will pick the correct 'place' picture from the box when you say you are going to the shops, for example. This will show understanding and it is a wonderful feeling to know that you are able to communicate with your child in this way. Use short sentences and speak slowlyVery often we chatter away to our child when they are babies - and that is good, but when they reach the age of needing help to speak, we need to slow down and speak more concisely. When a child starts to speak without help, we naturally find ourselves repeating words: '"Cup?" "Bed," etc... However, it is much harder to do this if the child has not yet started speaking. It is even harder if it is our first child and sh/e is seemingly getting too old for 'baby talk'. Try to listen to the way you talk to your child. You might find that you are using quite complicated sentences. Late talkers are often children who come to me, when they are a bit older, with reading difficulties - I then find that these children often process information at a slower speed. They find it hard to concentrate for very long and need things broken down into tiny, tiny steps. That is what they need now, to help them to learn to talk. You will need to help structure their learning for them. What to do? Use shorter phrases or single key words and avoid long complicated speeches. Be prepared to repeat the key part of each sentence/phrase: 'Coat - coat on.' Show the coat and make moves to help the child into it. 'Do you want a drink? Cup - drink?' And show the cup and mime drinking. The speed of the parent's speech matters. We tend to speak too fast for some of these children to be able to get the meaning of what we have said. Only give one instruction at a time Keep instructions brief and only one at a time. For example, "Let's put the toys away and then we will have dinner." is two instructions - too many for little minds to process. Instead break it into two parts. "Toys away," and help put the toys away so the child learns what you mean. Then say "Dinner," and lead to the table for the meal. If it is an instruction of correction, then help the child to follow though on it. For example, if the child is doing something that should not be done, then say 'Stop," and then follow through to make sure s/he does stop. Remove distractions Because late talkers often later show difficulties concentrating, it stands to reason they had it when younger. How can they concentrate on what you are saying it there is a lot of 'noise' in the background?
Listen! Listen for any noises or sounds your child may make consistently for the same thing. This is the beginning of speech. Pick up on it and repeat the word often, correctly. If you do not know what word a sound represses, then just repeat it. This tells the child it is good and encourages him/her to keep saying it. One day it will become a word. Spend focused quiet time with your child Read plenty of books - let there be unhurried time for you to spend together so that the child has time to process the information presented. Slow life down - these children are often over-stimulated - there is too much for their brain to process. Keep life simple! Children do not need constant activity. Leave them time and they will learn to amuse themselves. Give natural toys - bricks, car, dolls etc.... rather than characters linked to movies - as these have little real meaning for a child outside of the fantasy world which they do not live in. Play with your child - speak as described above. Remove processed foods from your child's diet Remove toxins from your home Research now shows that children with special needs at any stage of their life have a damaged gut. Ultimately you might want to look into healing the gut, for which I recommend Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's GAPS diet. In the meantime, remove processed food and as a family eat as naturally as possible - full fat foods (as the brain needs saturated fat to function at its best, not least for children). Remove as many toxins as you can - these can come from washing powders, household cleaners, bubble bath, etc... Use plain liquid soap in the washing machine, and vinegar in a spray bottle, half and half with water makes a good kitchen and bathroom cleaner. Dr Mc Bride's advice for these children - and for us all is to only put on the skin that which we can eat! A challenge but we can all do more to reduce those 'smellies' and lotions and potions if we try. She says the the skin is the bodies biggest organ and will let toxins through into the blood stream. When the gut is damaged, these toxins are passed into the body and can accumulate in the brain - where they can slow a child's development. Much more help with these can be found online if you wish to explore this area further. Take hope - one day your child will speak - and one day you will not be able to shut him/her up!! (As if you would ever want to!) This is what people used to tell me - and when your child is four and not talking you find it hard to believe.. But for us, it happened - as it has for many others. Late talkers do not all suddenly start to make up for lost time - some do - but others still only slowly make progress - but take encouragement from every little tiny bit of progress, and look to take the next step. Avoid dwelling on all the things your child cannot do, as that helps no-one - least of all you. Your child needs you! Download our handy crib sheet to keep for easy reference |
WelcomeHello, I'm Lilibette, qualified teacher (B.Ed Hons). I have taught phonics in mainstream education, followed by have home-educated my two sons to 18, and am now a private tutor. Categories
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