You’ve found out your child has a speech delay. What can you do to help?
Speech delays are challenging for children and their families. They hinder a child’s ability to communicate effectively. That means they also affect their social, emotional, and academic development.
Early intervention gives kids a better chance of overcoming their speech challenges. Curious about the best ways to help your child overcome speech delays? Parents play an essential role in accelerating their children’s speech development at home and can significantly contribute to their progress with the right strategies.
Strategies for Parents to Support Speech Therapy
Helping your child overcome a speech delay starts at home.
Incorporating simple yet effective strategies into your daily routine can significantly support your child’s speech development and boost their confidence.
Strategy 1: Talk, Talk, Talk!
Your voice is your child’s first language teacher. Every interaction is a learning opportunity. Engage in constant conversion and narrate your actions to immerse your child in language.
You also can sing songs, read aloud, talk about picture books, and describe your chores as you do them. The idea is to fill your child’s world with language.
Strategy 2: Make it Fun and Engaging
Speech therapy doesn’t have to feel like work. It’s more effective when kids enjoy it. Transform learning into playtime with games, songs, and puzzles.
Sensory play – like playing with playdough or water, for example – also stimulates language development by introducing new sensations and textures to describe. The key is creating a fun and engaging environment where your child enjoys exploring language.
It may also help to use an assessment that creates a clearer picture of your child’s word inventories, like the (CASL-2) Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language, Second Edition.
Strategy 3: Model Correct Speech
Children learn by imitating the sounds around them. When interacting with your child, be sure to speak clearly and correctly, emphasizing word endings and enunciating.
When you correct pronunciation errors, avoid frustration. Instead, repeat the correct word or phrase in a playful tone. Free from shame, your child will naturally pick up the proper way to say things.
Strategy 4: Expand on Their Interests
Capitalize on your child’s passions. Have conversations with your young learner about their favorite characters, toys, and activities.
Describe what they’re doing, ask your child questions, and encourage them to share their thoughts. When you build conversations around their interests, the interactions motivate kids to communicate.
If your child is not yet verbal or doesn’t speak much, there are early childhood assessments like the ESB (Early Sociocognitive Battery), which measures what a child is looking at, how they react to stimuli, and basic comprehension for children ages one-and-a-half up to almost five years old.
Strategy 5: Be Patient and Positive
Speech development is a journey, not a race. Small victories should be celebrated alongside the more significant accomplishments. Make sure you offer plenty of praise and encouragement each step of the way.
Your child is doing their best, and knowing they have your support is invaluable. Your patience and positivity will create a nurturing environment where language can grow.
Parents Are Paramount to Proper Speech Development
Early childhood is crucial for language development, which lasts a lifetime. Parents play a pivotal role in developing communication skills.
When you incorporate fun activities into daily life, you accelerate your child’s speech progress. Every interaction is a learning opportunity.
