Language and Speech Development
Episode 36
Role of Parents
Developing Sounds
Modeling
Learning Multiple Languages
Seeking Evaluations
Show and Tell
Holly Springs Feeding and Speech
- Speech is the physical act of how you move your mouth to produce sound
- Can you be understood?
- Encompasses syntax - how you are putting words together to make complete sentences
- Language is a larger component
- How am I communicating what is in my head
- Receptive language and expressive language
- Social pragmatic language - how are we using language with peers with adults
- 18 month old 5-25 words typically spoken
- Starting to talk and wanting to imitate
- 2 year old have an increase in single word development
- Should be imitating and labeling words
- Can point things out
- More intent when speaking
- 3 year old should have more advanced sentence development
- Able to answer more questions, state actions ex. I ran up the slide
- 4-5 year olds have more advanced vocabulary
- Put 4-5 words together
Role of Parents
- Play a huge role in language development
- How much language is child exposed to?
- Is there a lot of modeling at home?
- TV and iPad cannot replace human interaction. Need the back and forth turn taking
Developing Sounds
- phonological process
- Slowly develop sounds over time including p b d t by age 2
- Each year add on more sounds
- By age 8 should have all their sounds
- Saying "tookie" for "cookie" at 2 is developmentally appropriate
- A 3 year old that is not able to say s r or l is not usually a red flag
- By age 2, should understand 50 to 60 percent of what a child says
- By 4-5, 80 to 90 percent should be understood
Modeling
- Should not constantly correct a child's speech
- Answer the correct way ex. oh you want a cookie
- Do not use baby talk
- Give child time to get out what they are trying to say. They often need more time to process and express what they would like to communicate
Learning Multiple Languages
- Advancing vocabulary at a different rate
- Number of words they learn can be at a different rate
- Code switching can take time ex. one language spoken at home and one at school
- Consistency in how you are using language helps
- Articulation is different from language to language
- If there are concerns, should look if they are stronger in one language
- If they are struggling in both languages, may be a concern
- Would want to test in language they hear the most
- Bilingual children usually catch up quickly and many benefits to being bilingual
Seeking Evaluations
- See what your insurance company covers
- Under the age 3 can go through children 's development service agency - they help you find therapists at a reduced cost
- Older than 3, start with pediatrician and then search for speech therapist
- Some will do a consultation and you can see if services are needed and if it is a good match
- Socially can be harder to start therapy when the child is older
- Children can get frustration if they cannot communicate how they are feeling
- Can also make it hard to socialize with other children
- Therapy early sets them up for success early
- Therapy with preschoolers is often play-based
- Depending on severity intervention could be a few months to a few years
Show and Tell
- Make sure you give child plenty of opportunities to communicate
- Even if you know what they want, offer them two things so they have to communicate what they want
- Get down to their level and play with your child
- Read with your child
Holly Springs Feeding and Speech
