General Recommendations for Communicating with the Language-Delayed Child
- Unless your child’s receptive language (auditory comprehension) has been tested and found to be within normal limits, there is a good chance he/she may not be absorbing everything you say. When you talk to your child use short sentences, pausing after each one to allow your child to process what you have said.
- When communicating with your child, keep the environment free of distractions such as the T.V., music, or other children talking at the same time.
- Be aware of your child’s speech and language limitations when you ask him or her questions. “What do you want to play with?” is sometimes a more challenging question than “Do you want the bubbles or the book?” For some children, answering a question with “Yes” or “No” is easy (ex. “Do you want the bubbles?”) For others this is difficult. If you are working on expanding your child’s language abilities you may sometimes choose to ask a question in a challenging manner and then rephrase it if your child has trouble. If your child is just beginning to name things, praise every attempt to make a sound.
- If your child indicates his needs by pointing, encourage him or her to at least imitate the word after you. Any attempt on your child’s part to do so should be praised.
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