

You may also need to step-back a stage, e.g. Although sequenced, the stages may overlap. The adult and the child reciprocate imitations of behaviours involving the voice, face and mouth.Įach stage may last a few sessions to several weeks.The adult imitates, but only behaviours related to voice and movements of the face and speech organs (e.g.


#Best way to encourage toddlers 2 word phrases how to
A Hanen-certified speech pathologist trains parents in how to use well-known language stimulation strategies for improving communication, including getting face-to-face with your child and following your child’s lead to promote and increase opportunities for interaction. One well-known program is the Hanen It Takes Two to Talk program. One approach to toddler speech-language therapy is training parents in how to use evidence-based strategies to promote language development. Two examples of evidence-based treatment options for toddlers who don’t talk (a) It Takes Two to Talk (Hanen) Instead, we recommend evidence-based speech-language therapy designed to stimulate and accelerate the development of speech-language skills in order that they are normally attained. a lack of a 10-50 word vocabulary at the age of 18 months.Ī “wait and see” approach is a risky policy for such children (Hedge and Maul, 2006).a lack of interest in imitating gestures (Hamaguchi, 2001) and.There are several known red flags for delayed language development. By 24 months, most children start combining words.įor some children, these things doesn’t happen.most children have a “word spurt” where they rapidly acquire new words (Bloom, 1973) – sometimes over 30 new words each month (Goldfield and Reznick, 1990).most children can say (or at least approximate) 50+ words (Nelson, 1973) and.This is often followed in short order by first words (Tomasello et al., 1993). At 12 months, most children start imitating adults’ gestures (e.g.Typical language development is founded on joint attention (e.g Gill et al., 2011).It’s about communicating with each other. Language is about more than speech or words.To answer this question, we need to step back and cover some basics about typical language development: So what is the goal of speech-language therapy for toddlers? Good speech pathologists will adjust their therapy to accommodate your child’s interests, on what they see during the course of therapy and on what you tell them. That’s simply not how early language development works.Īnd we’re not going to make any fixed determinations based on what your toddler does or doesn’t do on our first meeting! Good speech pathologists will supplement what they see on the day with lots of questions about what you know about your child and how your child responds in different places with different people. Very few speech pathologists I know advocate sitting a toddler at a table and using flashcard drills etc., to help him/her learn to speak. But my child is too shy/won’t sit still/doesn’t “perform” well for others/may tantrum.

If there is a clinically significant language or speech delay, we design a therapy plan to help you kick-start your child’s language development. How do speech pathologists help?įirst, we assess your toddler’s communication skills. And you have every right to inform yourself about what is involved. But this can be a big step for some parents and other carers. If your child isn’t saying words at 18 months, most GPs and speech pathologists (including me) will recommend a speech and language assessment. But when your two year-old doesn’t speak at all, silence can be very stressful – especially when all the other kids in the family/playground/mothers’ group/daycare centre/soccer tots/park, etc. For parents of most toddlers, a moment’s peace is as welcome as the Easter Bunny.
