Social communication skills play an important role in a child's life when it comes to making friends, completing classroom group activities and participating in team sports. However, some children require additional support to develop these skills. If this is the case for your child, below are 9 strategies that can help:
1. Face Your Child Facing your child when communicating with them will help your child develop better eye-contact. Conversation, reading books, and play-time are great examples of when you can practice face-to-face communication with your child [1]. 2. Make Objects Less Accessible Keep objects such as toys and books in sight but out of reach for your child. This will encourage your child to initiate communication. When your child is unable to reach the object they want, they will have an incentive to communicate their wants. Don’t give the object to your child until they use at least one of the following communication tools: words, sounds, eye contact, pointing or gestures. 3. Play Interactive Games Interactive games will teach your child how to take turns with objects when interacting with others. Board games, stacking blocks, and rolling balls are great examples of interactive games that allow you to practice turn-taking with your child. 4. Make Songs Interactive Make songs interactive to teach your child how to take turns with others during verbal interactions. Pick a nursery rhyme or song that your child enjoys singing and take turns singing parts of it with your child. Allow your child a turn by leaving blanks when singing the song (e.g. “twinkle, twinkle little ____, how I wonder what you ____”) [1]. 5. Wait...wait...and wait some more Most parents try to elicit communication from their child by asking them many questions. Instead, try waiting and see what happens. Contrary to what most people might think, children tend to communicate more when their communicative partner is quiet. When you wait, you give your child more opportunities to communicate. Also, try waiting for your child to ask for “more” or “help” during play [1]. 6. Make Playdates With Other Children The best way for your child to practice using their social communication skills is to be exposed to other children. By arranging play-dates for your child, you are providing them with many opportunities to interact with other children. 7. Show Your Child How If your child is struggling with a particular social communication skill, show them how. You can model this skill when interacting with others in front of your child, or you can role-play this skill with your child. For instance, if your child forgets to say hello to people, have your child pretend to walk into the room and then model “hello”. You can repeat this role-play and switch roles. 8. Tell Your Child Social Stories People remember information better when it is told in the form of a story compared to when the information is given as a series of facts. Scientific research has shown that this is because listening to a story activates more parts of the brain. Therefore, you can help to teach your child social communication skills by making up a relevant story. Your child will not only enjoy the story, but they are also more likely to remember it. 9. Use Pictures Many children are visual learners and respond much better to information presented in pictures compared to verbally. When possible, use pictures to support your child’s understanding of social communication skills. For instance, you can use pictures of a person waving with a speech bubble saying “hello” to teach your child how to greet others. That's all for this week... subscribe to my mailing list to be notified about all future articles! Speak soon, Expat Speechie © COPYRIGHT 2016. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I would like to acknowledge and thank the following reference: [1] Pepper, J., & Weitzman, E. (2004). It Takes Two To Talk. A Practical Guide For Parents Of Children With Language Delays (Fourth Edition). The Hanen Centre: Toronto, Ontario Everyone wants their child to be happy when they grow up. Interestingly, the longest scientific study ever conducted on happiness, a seventy-five year Harvard study by Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger, showed that good relationships are the greatest determining factor of happiness. This study also found that good relationships actually keep people healthier as well.
As you can imagine, social communication skills are crucial for sustaining good relationships with family and friends. These include both verbal and non-verbal skills which people use to send and receive messages to communicate with others. It is also essential for children to have adequate social communication skills for reasons other than forming relationships with other people. For instance, these skills are necessary for classroom activities such as completing group work and engaging in classroom discussions. They are also important for participating in team sports. Once a child has completed school, these skills then play a major role in obtaining and sustaining employment. When do children develop social communication skills? Children start to develop social communication skills much younger than most people think. These skills typically develop as below: From birth – 6 months a child will:
How can a speech language therapist help? Assessment The first step a therapist will take is to obtain information about the social communication skills that your child already has. The therapist will do so by collecting information from you through an interview and questionnaire. The therapist will then interact with your child to probe the social communication skills they have and try to elicit certain responses from your child. If your child is old enough to attend school, the therapist might also collect information from their classroom teacher, or even observe them in their classroom or playground environment. Planning Intervention The therapist will then compare the information obtained with what is typically expected from children of a similar age to your child. Based on the findings, the therapist will formulate an individualised therapy plan to improve your child’s social communication according to your child’s abilities, needs and their motivational factors. Therapy Sessions Therapy sessions will allow your child to learn and practice social communication skills. They will often be shaped to reflect your child’s natural settings as much as possible. For younger children, therapy sessions are primarily ‘play-based’ with a focus on non-verbal interactions skills first. If your child attends school, then therapy sessions are likely to be more ‘conversation-based’ and might involve your child’s peers. That’s all for this week… If you would like to be notified when my next article is released, subscribe to my mailing list and receive a copy of the speech and language development table! Reference I would like to acknowledge and thank this resource whereby the above milestones were obtained: Lanza, J. R., & Flahive, L. K. (2008). LS Guide To Communication Milestones. LinguiSystems, Inc. USA. School holidays can get really busy for parents. Planning all the different ways to keep your child occupied throughout the day while trying to find the time to practice language skills can get tricky. The good news is that you don’t actually need to sit down with your child for hours to practice language.
Here are some great ways to ensure your child receives adequate language exposure these school holidays: 1. Practice On The Go Language practice doesn’t need to be in a structured environment. Because children are observant and curious, you can stimulate your child’s language just as effectively while driving in the car, during bath time and during mealtimes [1]. For instance, when you are in the car with your child, you can comment on things you see. If your child makes a comment first, use what they say and expand their comment. For instance, if your child points and says, “look mummy, bike!” You can respond with, “Yes, the man is riding a bike”. By expanding, you are acknowledging what your child has said while keeping the interaction interesting. 2. Encourage Story Retelling Story retelling is an important skill to develop because we often talk about our experiences when interacting with others. Your child will have lots of different experiences during this school break. At the end of the day, take a few minutes with your child to recall all the things they did. After you have done this, encourage your child to retell what they did that day in the order that they did it. You may need to model this to your child the first time. You may also need to provide your child with prompts to support them in structuring their story retell. For instance, you can start this off by saying “Today I…” You can also provide your child with prompts for additional detail “and then I…”. Asking your child some follow-up questions will also help prompt them to give more details. 3. Make Playdates With Other Children Interacting with other children is the best way for your child to develop and practice their social language skills. Arranging playdates with other children will provide your child with many opportunities to do so. As your child interacts with other children, they will practice using important verbal and non-verbal social language skills such as eye contact, turn-taking and listening to others. Your child will also practice initiating activities by inviting others to join them in play or suggesting what to play with, as well as maintaining activities. 4. Let’s Pretend! Pretend play is the foundation of language development. When children engage in pretend play, they learn to use symbols (toys) for actual objects. Similarly, when we use language, we use symbols (words) for actual objects [2]. Pretend play can be as simple as pretending to feed a doll or as complicated as involving a series of logical steps when visiting the doctor’s office. Encourage your child to engage in pretend play by exposing them to pretend play toys these school holidays such as dolls, dollhouses, tea sets, toy food, toy animals, toy cars and trucks. You don’t need to have such a wide range of toys available because your child will use their imagination to substitute for what they don’t have. For example, your child might use a piece of paper and pretend it is a blanket for her doll. 5. Sing Away As most children love music, songs are a great way to interact with your child during the school holidays while stimulating their language. You can use songs to teach many different types of words. Here are a few: · Body Parts - 'Heads and Shoulders' · Animals - 'Old Macdonald' · Prepositions (up, down, out) - 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' · Counting - 'Five Little Ducks' · Days of the week - Days Of The Week · Letter-Sound Association - Phonics Song · Feelings - 'If You’re Happy and You Know It' That’s all for this week. Sign up to my mailing list to be notified about next week's article and receive your copy of the speech and language development table! Speak soon, Expat Speechie References: 1. Pepper, J., & Weitzman, E. (2004). It Takes Two To Talk. A Practical Guide For Parents Of Children With Language Delays (Fourth Edition). The Hanen Centre: Toronto, Ontario. 2. Weitzman, E. Greenberg, J. 2002. Learning Language and Loving It: A guide to promoting children's social, language, and literacy development in early childhood settings. Toronto: The Hanen Centre. Are you a parent who is considering speech therapy for your child? Then like many other parents, you might have these questions:
FAQ 1: How do I know if my child needs speech therapy? The best way to know if your child needs therapy is to arrange an assessment with a speech language pathologist. The assessment will be conducted in either of these two ways: 1. Brief Screening: During a brief screening, the therapist will make observations of your child’s communication skills as well as obtain background information from you. This takes approximately one hour. If your concerns about your child are simple (e.g. "is my child stuttering?" or "does my child have a lisp?"), this is enough time for an experienced therapist to provide you with answers based on their observations. However, if you have multiple or complex concerns (e.g. "does my child have a language delay and how severe is it?") this type of assessment will not be enough to obtain detailed results. 2. Comprehensive Assessment: During a comprehensive assessment, the therapist will gather background information from you and other sources such as your child’s classroom teacher. The therapist will then make observations of your child’s communication skills. The therapist will also administer at least one norm-referenced, standardised assessment tool. These tools include established 'norm scores' reflecting what is expected from children at each age. Comprehensive assessments usually take between two to four hours, and are often administered across more than one session. The therapist will also write a report about your child’s communicative ability across all the areas assessed. A comprehensive assessment will provide you with a holistic and detailed understanding of your child’s communication skills. FAQ 2: How much does speech therapy cost in Bangkok? The price for speech therapy in Bangkok ranges between 3,000 – 4,000 THB per hour. Some therapists may charge slightly less if you sign up for a package with them. You should note that the above price estimate is not the same for assessments. The price for assessment sessions will depend on what type of assessment your child will receive (i.e. a comprehensive assessment or a screening), how much time is required to complete the assessment, as well as time required to write an assessment report. FAQ 3: How much speech therapy will my child need? A common misconception is that speech therapy is a ‘quick fix’, when in fact, it is a process which involves several steps. These steps include an assessment, goal setting, therapy, homework and follow-up sessions. The duration of therapy required can’t be predicted accurately because it differs for each child. For instance, I have previously worked on the same goals with two children separately; while one child required only a few months of therapy, the other required therapy for over a year. There are many factors which contribute to the duration of the therapy process including: · The types of communication areas requiring therapy · The number of communication areas requiring therapy · Your child’s ability to focus during sessions · Your child’s awareness and response to cues provided in sessions · The frequency of therapy sessions · The consistency of home practice FAQ 4: How much home practice is involved? As therapy is an ongoing process, home practice should also be consistently ongoing. However, it is not practical to expect parents to complete hours of daily home practice. I usually recommend 10 minutes of daily homework. Your child will benefit more from short but frequent home practice instead of long practice sessions. FAQ 5: What is my role as a parent in the speech therapy process? Your role in the therapy process really depends on your own personal preference. However, as a parent, you should never underestimate the impact of your involvement. Scientific research has even shown that some interventions lead to better outcomes when delivered by parents, compared to being delivered by a therapist[1]. Also, because no one knows your child better than you do, a therapist will always appreciate your input. Your role in the therapy process can include: · Referring your child for speech therapy services. · Expressing what areas of your child’s communication you are concerned about. The therapist can then focus on these areas during the initial assessment. · Collaborating with the therapist to develop goals. You can inform the therapist what you would like to prioritise in therapy. This can be broad such as the general area of therapy like speech sounds instead of stuttering, or very specific such as the production of ‘s’ and ‘z’ sounds. · Being involved in therapy sessions. You can use the session time to practice doing what the therapist is doing with your child and as an opportunity to seek feedback about this. · Asking any questions or voicing any concerns. · Providing feedback regarding any progress which you have observed. · Consistently completing home practice with your child. That's all for this week... If you would like to be notified when next week's article is released, sign up to my mailing list and receive your copy of the Speech and Language Development Table! Speak soon, Expat Speechie References [1] Roberts, M., & Kaiser, A. (2011). The Effectiveness of Parent-Implemented Language Intervention: A Meta-Analysis. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20, 180-199. Shortly after becoming involved in the Bangkok speech and language pathology scene, I noticed that children growing up here have very limited access to these services compared to children growing up in other parts of the world. The sad truth is that while many parents here, both Thai and foreign, have valid concerns about their child’s speech and language development, most don’t know where or how to obtain support. Increasing awareness about this topic in Bangkok has not been all smooth sailing so far. For instance, several parent support groups that I have contacted in attempt to promote awareness have not responded. Also, finding the time to consistently create content while juggling caseloads across so many different work settings gets tricky. However, the overwhelmingly positive response that I have received from you my subscribers, as well as other parents and teachers, has exceeded my expectations and made this all worthwhile. As speech and language pathology is relatively new here in Bangkok, there is still much work to be done. I am fortunate enough to be living here permanently which will allow me to achieve my vision: 1. To increase awareness for identifying and helping children with speech and language difficulties 2. Empower parents to become increasingly involved in supporting their child’s speech and language needs 3. To earn a reputation for having the highest clinical standards in my profession here in Bangkok You can read more in my recent interview for BKK Kids.com linked below http://www.bkkkids.com/blog/bangkok-faces-chiman-estephan-speech-pathologist/ Speak soon, The Expat Speechie In my opinion, the most apparent speech sound error is a lisp. Even the untrained ear can sometimes detect when a child is lisping. Unfortunately, lisps are not only heard in children’s speech. In some cases where a persistent lisp is not treated during a person's childhood, it continues well into adulthood. This can make a person self-conscious about the way they speak and might even impact how they are perceived by others.
So, let's talk about lisps... Why do some children have a lisp? This usually occurs because a child has developed a habit of saying the 's' and 'z' sounds with the incorrect placement of their tongue and teeth. Are all lisps the same? There are different types of lisps. The two most common types I have seen in children are frontal lisps and lateral lisps. How can I determine what type of lisp my child has? You can identify the type of lisp your child has by observing your child’s mouth when they speak and tuning into their speech. These tips below will help you: Frontal lisp: What it looks like: When a child has a frontal lisp on a sound, they inappropriately protrude their tongue between their front teeth when producing that sound. What it sounds like: The sound your child produces will actually be the ‘th’ sound (e.g. the word ‘sun’ becomes ‘thun’). Lateral lisp: What it looks like: When a child has a lateral lisp, they incorrectly produce a sound with their tongue in the position required to make the 'l' sound. This causes excess air flow over the sides of the tongue. What it sounds like: Your child’s speech will sound ‘slushy’ or wet. At what age should a lisp be treated? This differs for different types of lisps. Frontal Lisp: A frontal lisp is actually an age-appropriate error until a child is about four and a half. Because of this, many therapists will not treat a frontal lisp until a child is just under five years old. Lateral Lisp: Unlike a frontal lisp, a lateral lisp is not part of typical speech development and is not appropriate at any age- so if your child has a lateral lisp, consult with a speech therapist. What are some cues that I can give my child? If your child has a one of these lisps, you can give them the following cues to help: Frontal lisp: · Guide your child to keep their tongue inside their mouth when saying the 's' and 'z' sounds. · Encourage your child to place their tongue at the roof of their mouth. Because the correct tongue placement is similar for both the ‘t’ sound and ‘s’ sound, practicing the ‘t’ sound (e.g. t-t-t-t) before working on the ‘s’ sound generally helps. · Remind your child to keep their teeth together or smile when producing the 's' and 'z' sounds. This will help stop their tongue from protruding. Lateral Lisp: · Guide your child to focus on producing the sound from the front of their mouth as opposed to producing the sound from the sides of their mouth. · Remind your child to swallow constantly before speaking to reduce the amount of saliva in their mouth. This will help reduce the ‘slushiness’ of their speech. · Encourage your child to produce the 's' or 'z' sound 'gently'. This will help reinforce the fact that they do not need to push excess air from the sides of their mouth when producing these sounds. How can a speech therapist help? A speech therapist will first assess your child’s speech. They will identify the type of lisp your child has and for what sounds. The therapist will then formulate a therapy plan depending on your child’s target sounds, their motivation and their awareness levels. Therapy typically begins with increasing your child’s awareness of their tongue and teeth placement. Therapy then focusses on auditory discrimination- ensuring your child can hear the difference between the correct and incorrect production of the target sounds. The therapist will then train your child to produce the target sounds in isolation, consonant vowel combinations, different word positions, phrases, structured sentences, spontaneous sentences, oral reading, oral narratives and structured conversations. The final step of therapy is creating opportunities for your child to practice transferring their new skills to situations and environmental settings outside of therapy. How much therapy is needed for a lisp? This is different for each child. I have seen children who required only a couple of months of therapy and I have also seen children who required a year of therapy. This depends greatly on a number of factors including: · Your child’s awareness · Their ability to follow cues provided · Your child’s attention · Frequency of home practice · The type of lisp. In my experience, lateral lisps generally take longer than frontal lisps. Why is home practice so important? Therapy sessions alone are not enough to resolve a lisp. Imagine how many times your child has produced certain sounds with a lisp. As with all habits, this will not be easy to change and much practice is needed. The children who I see improve the quickest are always those who consistently complete home practice exercises. So, never underestimate your role in helping your child improve their speech! If you would like to be notified when my next article is released, subscribe to my blog today and receive a copy of The Speech & Language Development Table! Speak soon, Expat Speechie Reference: Bowen, C. (2011). Lisping: When /s/ and /z/ are hard to say. Retrieved from http://www.speech-language-therapy.com/ on 5/6/2016. As I started discussing in my previous article ‘Bilingualism & Your Child’s Education - Part 1’, parents of bilingual children are often faced with difficult decisions when it comes to their child’s education. Below, I have addressed some further common concerns regarding this topic:
1. Common Concern: “I’m about to give birth. We speak both Thai and English fluently at home and when the time comes, we intend to send our child to a school where the curriculum is taught in both of these languages. What language should we expose our child to after I give birth?” It is best to introduce your child to both languages after birth. By doing this, it is likely that your child will learn both languages simultaneously because they have a balanced exposure to them. Research has shown that infants have the ability to learn two languages from birth; they are able to develop two separate language systems which are connected. Being exposed to two languages from birth will not hinder your child’s language ability. In fact, there are many benefits of being bilingual from birth which extend into even the later school years, which were discussed in my previous article 'Bilingualism and Your Child's Education - Part 1'. 2. Common Concern: “My daughter is three years old and up until recently, we have only communicated with her in Thai. She seems to communicate well in Thai. We have just enrolled her in a pre-school where English is spoken. I’m worried she will become confused once she starts being gradually exposed to English.” Your child won’t be confused if you introduce English at this age. In fact, most children are capable of learning a new language at this age. However, when introducing a new language to your child, it is important to ensure your child’s first language is strong to begin with, and secondly, that their first language continues to be stimulated. 3. Common Concern: “My child is starting school next year. Up until this point, they have only been exposed to Thai. They seem to have difficulty communicating in Thai and I think they might have a language delay. Some schools we are considering have an English curriculum. Will my child struggle with their language even more if we introduce this new language at school? If your child has difficulty communicating in the language that they are already exposed to then avoid introducing a new language at this time. Introducing a new language will only confuse your child further. Instead, focus on improving your child’s ability in the language that they currently use. I always say to parents, a child only needs one strong language initially. Of course, more than one is better, but in the case of language delay having one strong language will prove more beneficial to your child than being exposed to two languages and having difficulty with both. Once your child becomes strong in their first language, then you can introduce another language. 4. Common concern: “My child struggles in both Thai and English at school, but I have noticed that they usually respond better in Thai. I want to have their language formally assessed by a speech therapist. What language should they be assessed in?” Your child should always be assessed in their strongest language (which in this particular case is Thai). Your child’s strongest language is the language they prefer to use when speaking and the language which they respond better to. If your child is assessed in English when it is not their strongest language, the assessment will not reveal your child’s actual language ability. 5. Common Question: What programs are available at school to help my bilingual child if they need further language support? English as a second language (ESL): ESL involves teaching English to students who are learning it as a second language. This is appropriate for your bilingual child if they are already strong in their native language but have difficulties with English. Speech-Language Therapy (SLT): SLT involves teaching language for a bilingual child if they have difficulties in both languages that they are exposed to. It involves correcting a fundamental language delay. 6. Common Concern: “Who can I speak to if my bilingual child needs further language support at school?” If you are concerned about your bilingual child’s education, you can consult with the SEN Coordinator at your child’s school about what programs are available to support your child. You can also consult with a speech language therapist for a language assessment which will help you determine what program will best support your child. If you would like to be notified when my next article is released, subscribe to my mailing list to receive a free speech and language development table! As always, feel free to write any comments or questions below. Speak soon, Expat Speechie References I would like to acknowledge and thank the following resources from where the information for this post was obtained: Espinosa, L. M. (2008). Challenging Common Myths About Young English Language Learners. FCD Policy Brief, 8, 1-12. Genesee, F., Paradis. J., & Crago, M. (2004). Dual Language Development and Disorders: A Handbook on Bilingualism and Second Language Learning. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing Research has unequivocally shown that being bilingual – speaking two languages – is an asset. The benefits of bilingualism start early on in life, and by early, I mean really early! For instance, by the age of only 7 months, bilingual infants have better attention and conflict management compared to monolingual infants.
The benefits of being bilingual have also been found in the areas of memory, attention, analytic ability, cognitive flexibility, learning new words, as well as understanding the structure and use of language. Interestingly, the benefits of being bilingual continue well into the later years of life such that it prevents cognitive degeneration. Bilingualism & Education In the past, it was commonly believed that in order for bilingual children to achieve academically in English, they should prioritise learning English over their native language. However, recent scientific evidence has now shown just the opposite! Did you know that children who continue learning concepts in their native language while they study in English at school, actually perform better academically in English compared to children who only learn in English?! These research findings are fascinating, and contrary to the common beliefs and concerns of parents, which is why I have chosen to post on this topic. Common Concerns Parents Have Once a bilingual child reaches the age to start school, parents are faced with some confusing decisions. Below, I have addressed two common concerns that parents have regarding this issue. Common Concern 1: “I’m worried that if I continue speaking to my child in my native language while they learn English at school, they will fall behind in English.” Response: Continuous exposure to your native language will not delay your child’s learning of English or negatively impact their English academic achievement. Research has shown that in terms of educational outcomes, children learning English do not benefit from restricting their bilingual education. In fact, the opposite is true, where children aged 3-8 who receive consistent learning opportunities in their native language have higher academic achievement during their middle and high school years compared to children in English-only programs. This means that ongoing learning in both languages will actually improve their English academic performance. Common Concern 2: “Since we enrolled our child in an English curriculum, they have stopped using their native language. How can I ensure that they maintain their native language while they continue to study in English?” Response: Continue communicating with your child in your native language, even if they respond in English. This will ensure that your child is still being exposed to the language consistently. Children in English-only pre-school programs usually start to prefer English and can tend to lose their ability to communicate in their native language. The major cause of this is likely due to an imbalance in the exposure to each language. You can ensure that your child is consistently exposed to your native language by doing the following: · Reading to your child · Singing to your child · Talking to your child during everyday activities (e.g. mealtimes, in the car, etc.) Also, remember that you don’t have to do it all yourself! In fact, using the people and resources around you will ensure that your child is receiving more consistent exposure. Some ways to do this include: · Grandparents as they can provide a correct native language model for your child (and they love speaking in their native language too!) · You Tube videos · Employing a nanny or maid who speaks your native language fluently · Encouraging cousins and relatives to use their native language around your child · Enrolling your child in a day care centre where your native language is spoken · Attending playgroups where your native language is spoken This topic of bilingualism and education involves many aspects which need to be addressed. I will expand further on this topic in my next article ‘Bilingualism and Your Child’s Education - Part 2’. My next article will answer questions including: “what programs are available for my child at school if they need further language support?” “what is ESL?” “how do I know if my child needs ESL or speech therapy?” and “is it ok to introduce a new language at school when my child has a language delay?” Speak soon, Expat Speechie References I would like to acknowledge and thank the following resources from where the information for this post was obtained: Bialystok, E. (2001). Bilingualism in Development: Language, Literacy, and Cognition. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. Bialystok, E., Craik, F., & Luk, G. (2012). Bilingualism: Consequences for Mind and Brain. Trends Cognitive Science, 16, 240-250. Bialystok,E., Craik, F., & Ryan, J. (2006). “Executive Control in a Modified Antisaccade Task: Effects of Aging and Bilingualism. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 32, 1341-1354. Campos, S. J. (1995). The Carpenteria preschool program: A long-term effects study. In E. E. Garcia & B. McLaughlin (Eds.). Meeting the challenge of linguistic and cultural diversity in early childhood education (pp.34-48). New York: Teachers College Press. Chang, F., Crawford, G., Early, D., Bryant, D., Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Barbarin, O., Clifford, R., & Pianta, R. (2007). Spanish-speaking children’s social and language development in pre-kindergarten classrooms. Early Education and Development, 18(2), 243-269. Espinosa, L. M. (2008). Challenging Common Myths About Young English Language Learners. FCD Policy Brief, 8, 1-12. Ga´ndara, Patricia C., & Hopkins. M (2010). Forbidden Language: English Learners and Restrictive Language Policies. New York: Teachers College Press. The long-term effects of bilingualism on children of immigration: student bilingualism and future earnings. Genesee, F., Paradis. J., & Crago, M. (2004). Dual Language Development and Disorders: A Handbook on Bilingualism and Second Language Learning. Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing Kaushankskaya, M., & Marian, V. (2009). Bilingualism Reduces Native-Language Interference During Novel-Word Learning. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 35, 829–835. Kovacs, A., & Mehler, J. (2009). Cognitive Gains in 7-month old Bilingual Infants. PNAS, 106, 6556–6560. Mechelli, A., J. T .Crinion, U. Noppeney, J. O’Doherty, J. Ashburner, R. Frackowiak, & Price. J. C. (2004). Structural Plasticity in the Bilingual Brain. Nature, 431, 757. Restrepo, M.A., & Kruth, K. (2003). Grammatical characteristics of a bilingual student with specific language impairment. Communications Disorders Quarterly, 21, 66-76. Schweizer, T. A., Ware, J., Ficsher, C. E., Craik, F., & Bialystok, E. (2012). Bilingualism as a contributor to cognitive reserve: Evidence from brain atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease. Cortex, 48, 991-996.
Establishing mealtime routines is a common area of concern for parents, and can often be very challenging.
Below are ten tips to help: 1. Increase Independence By the age of one, children should start using their fingers to bring food to their mouth as well as attempt to drink from a cup. If your child is one year or older, encourage them to start feeding themselves to increase their independence during mealtimes. 2. Avoid Spoon Scraping When your child begins feeding themselves, they will still need your help to eat, especially with a spoon. A common mistake that parents make when feeding their child with a spoon is scraping the spoon upwards over their child’s top lip to clear the food. Try to avoid this as it encourages passive eating. Instead, when you put the spoon inside your child’s mouth, rest it on your child’s tongue while applying slight pressure. This will encourage your child to clear the food off the spoon themselves using their mouth. 3. Limit Milk Consumption Often when parents express concerns that their child is not eating enough, it is because they are actually drinking more milk than necessary throughout the day. If your child is over a year old, try to limit their daily milk consumption to approximately 500ml. 4. Accept The Novelty Phase Once you start to give your child the opportunity to increase their mealtime independence, they will want to ‘explore’ this. Most children tend to experiment with food by squashing it in their hands or spreading it over a surface. Rest assured, this novelty will wear off eventually if you just let it be. 5. Put Down The Face Wipes! Picture yourself trying to eat while someone is constantly wiping your mouth. You would find this very frustrating and unpleasant. If it happened constantly then you would start to associate mealtimes with mouth wiping, and perhaps start trying to avoiding them altogether. Well, the same applies for children. Because of this, try to avoid wiping your child’s mouth or hands until after the mealtime is finished. 6. A Social Interaction Eating is a common social activity for adults, and you can make your mealtimes a social activity with your child as well. Encourage your child to sit at the table with you during mealtimes. Position yourself so that you are sitting across from them at the table and model eating. Your child is likely to imitate you. Even if they do not imitate you at first, you will still be exchanging eye contact which is a start to the interaction. 7. Eliminate Distractions Children can become highly distracted during mealtimes, especially if they are trying to avoid them. Eliminate distractions by switching off the TV, hiding the iPad and putting phones out of sight. Distractions also include toys and other objects that your child is interested in which may take their attention away from eating. 8. Stimulate Language Mealtimes present many opportunities for you to stimulate your child’s language development. During mealtimes, you can comment on your child’s actions (e.g. “eat”, “drink”), objects (e.g. “cup”, “spoon”, “food”, “water,”), requests (e.g. “more”) and the list is endless. Your child will enjoy mealtimes if they are interactive and fun. You can find strategies to do so in my previous post: http://www.theexpatspeechie.com/blog/part-2-my-child-is-not-talking-yet 9. Consult a Speech-Language Therapist (SLP) You should consult with an SLP if your child constantly coughs or spills liquid from their mouth during mealtimes. The SLP will assess your child’s ability to swallow safely as well as the use of their oral-muscles (e.g. tongue, lips, jaw). The SLP can recommend a modified diet for your child, oral-muscle strengthening exercises and support you in implementing general mealtime strategies. 10. Consult an Occupational Therapist (OT) If you have concerns that your child’s fine motor skills are interfering with their ability to feed themselves, consult with an OT. They can help your child improve fine motor skills necessary for feeding themselves such as bringing a spoon to their mouth, picking up food with their fingers and so forth.
You are your child’s primary language model and the best person to can help further their language development. So, what can you do if your child is not talking yet?
You can stimulate their language by doing the following: 1. Engage In Interactive Play Stimulating language during play is very effective. This is because during play, children are engaged, attentive and motivated, which are the ideal conditions for learning. Try to find 10-15 minutes to engage in play with your child daily. During this time, you will have several opportunities to stimulate their language. 2. Stop Asking So Many Questions! The biggest mistake parents make when playing with their child is that they ask too many questions. When you ask your child a question, you are not teaching them anything. Also, if your child is not talking yet and you are asking questions during play, your interactions will be one-sided because they do not have the words to respond. Picture yourself interacting with someone who asks too many questions. You would feel as though you are constantly being tested and would want to avoid interacting with them in future. The same applies for children. Your child will not want to play with you again if they feel like you are always testing them. Example: Avoid asking questions during play which come naturally to many people such as, “what’s this?” “how many are there?” “what can you see?” 3. Be Your Child’s Commentator So, now that you are trying to avoid asking questions during play, what can you do to stimulate your child's language instead? You can comment. Imagine that you are a sports commentator and your child is the athlete. Base your comments on what toy your child is playing with and what actions they are performing. If your child is not talking yet, keep your comments very simple by using only single words. When you comment on what your child is doing, they will find play enjoyable and will be likely to want to play with you again. Example: If your child is playing with a doll you can use simple comments such as, “baby”, “doll”, “eat”, “drink”, “sleep” etc. If your child is playing with toy cars you can use simple comments such as, “car”, “drive”, “go”, “stop”, etc. 4. Be Your Child’s Interpreter – Not Parrot Although, your child might not be talking yet, they can still be making sounds. If your child produces a sound, try to interpret this as a word. Use the context you are in to guide you. A common mistake that parents make when their child produces a sound is to repeat this sound back to them. When you do this, you are not teaching your child anything new and thus, missing an opportunity for language stimulation. Picture yourself interacting with someone who just repeats everything you say. This would not feel like a mutual or natural interaction and so you would be likely to avoid interacting with them next time. The same applies for children. If your child communicates by making a sound, this is their turn in the interaction. You can then take your turn by interpreting. Example: If your child says, “baa” while holding up a toy bear, avoid repeating “baa” back to them and respond with an interpretation of this sound instead (e.g. say “bear”). 5. Let Your Child Be Captain When you play with your child, take a step back and let them lead the play interaction. Try not to direct your child’s attention to certain toys by holding toys up to them or placing toys next to them. Instead, let your child choose which toys they want to play with. Also, try not to influence what your child does with the toy or for how long they will play with a toy. Let your child decide the events and duration of the play interaction. Your child will enjoy playing with you much more if the play interaction is not directed. As a result, they will respond better to your language stimulation. They will also be more likely to want to play with you again, which will present more opportunities for language stimulation in the future. If you would like to be notified when my next article is released, subscribe to my mailing list and receive a free copy of The Speech & Language Development Table! As always, please leave any comments or questions you may have below. Speak soon, The Expat Speechie Reference I would like to acknowledge and thank the following source where the information for this post was obtained: Pepper, J., & Weitzman, E. (2004). It Takes Two To Talk. A Practical Guide For Parents Of Children With Language Delays (Fourth Edition). The Hanen Centre: Toronto, Ontario. |
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