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    • Who Said That?
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    • Diagnosis Destinations

    aphasia

    apraxia or dyspraxia

    articulation disorders

    dysarthria

    late talking

     pervasive developmental disorder

     phonological disorder

     semantic pragmatic language disorder

     specific language impairment

     stuttering

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    Education Station Helping at Home Things to do at Home: Stretching Conversations Further in Everyday Activities

    Do what you can (when you can) to comply with verbal requests your child makes; this helps to teach him the power of language.

    Slow down and drag out words: "so" becomes "sssooh", "sun" becomes "sssuhnnn", "zoo" becomes "zzzoo.". Be aware that chopping the word and inadvertently adding sounds (example: the "uh" in "zuh-oo") can cause confusion for your child, so keep the flow smooth and don't add sounds that aren't there.

    To help your child develop volume control, practice whispering by playing at telling secrets or pretending a baby is sleeping. (See also "Cueing for volume control" in the Music and Singing section.)

    Imitate squeaky, high character voices and very low character voices. Some sounds might be easier to make using a higher or lower tone than the child's normal voice.

    When sign language or other visual clues are combined with spoken words, the signs help to cue the correct speech sounds. Many parents and speech therapists also report that teaching apraxic children some signs can greatly reduce the frustration often felt by our children. Children usually drop sign as they learn to say the corresponding word. Signs used do not need to be formal American Sign Language; any gesture can work.

    For example, for consonant blends like "st," visually cue for an "s" sound (waving left hand), then visually cue for the "t" sound (pinch thumb and forefinger together). As you model these hand cues, and your child says the corresponding sound, gradually shorten the length of the pause between the two gestures, bring them closer together until the "s" and "t" make "st".

    Visual hand cues can also be used to signify the last consonant. For "p," raise an open hand to your mouth as though you were going to spit on it. When you say the "p," feel the breath on your open palm. Using a small mirror that your child can fog up with a final "p" can help demonstrate this.

    Use a punch in the air to highlight the implosiveness of the "sh," "ch," and "j" sounds.

    Make up words that a child can relate to that represent sounds. For example:
    Nose sounds: NG (example: wiNG)
    Sliding sounds: Y
    Sticky sounds: B, H, M, D, T, P, S as final sounds in words (examples: siT, haT, poP, toSS, baD)
    Throatie sounds: K, G
    Chomping sounds: SH, CH, J
    Windy sounds: H
    Popping sounds: B, P
    Tippy sounds: D, T
    Helper sounds: blends like ST
    Fat and fluffy sounds: F
    Using tactile cues: have your child feel his/her throat when s/he makes a voiced sound to feel the vibration. Have your child feel his/her lips and cheeks while building air and popping.

    Use rhythm: have your child tap out with you on the table the sounds in a word or the syllables in a word. (See Music and Singing section.)




     




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    The Late Talker

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    Speechville Express is a resource for families, educators, and medical professionals, offering information about language development in children, helping those who care for toddlers and young children who are late talkers, and connecting you with others who have been down this road. Language disorders and communication impairments included are apraxia, stuttering, pervasive developmental disorder, dysarthria, and aphasia, among others.

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    Last updated: Friday, May 9th 2008
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