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. Are you 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.
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 also early childhood assessments that measure 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.
This article was written for WHN by Jessica Parker who is an experienced speech-language pathologist who has helped countless children overcome speech delays through personalized, home-based strategies. Her work emphasizes the importance of parental involvement in language development. Jessica frequently utilizes tools like the ESB (Early Sociocognitive Battery) and the (CASL-2) Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language, Second Edition to assess and support children’s communication progress. She is passionate about creating accessible resources for parents, and ensuring speech therapy is both fun and effective. When she’s not working directly with families, Jessica enjoys sharing practical advice through her writing to help guide parents on their child’s speech development journey.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN does not agree or disagree with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of WHN/A4M. Any content provided by guest authors is of their own opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything else. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
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References/Sources/Materials provided by:
Language Delays in Toddlers: Information for Parents – HealthyChildren.org
Speech Therapy: What It Is & How It Works (clevelandclinic.org)
