At Los Angeles Speech Therapy Solutions, we believe that early intervention and positive reinforcement are the keys to helping young children overcome delays in speech and language skills. While professional speech therapy offered by Los Angeles Speech Therapy Solutions can significantly increase the rate of improvement, parents are always the best teachers. There are many different ways to encourage and stimulate better communication skills at home. Here are 7 proven methods that provide some rather dramatic results.
Talk more slowly and pause frequently.
After the child finishes speaking, parents should wait a few seconds before speaking again. Talk in a more relaxed manner and avoid harsh criticism. Even simple instructions like “slow down” or “say it again, only this time more slowly” can stifle the child’s progress and self-esteem.
Pay attention to body language and facial expressions.
Parents can use these non-verbal forms of communication to convey to the child that his or her message is being clearly understood. This builds confidence and facilitates learning.
Ask fewer questions of your child.
Children with speech difficulties tend to find answering questions more challenging than speaking freely. Reduce the number of questions that you ask of the child, instead comment on what the child has just said. Engage in a conversation rather than a question-and-answer dialogue. This process makes learning much more fun.
Set up a regular time of day to engage in conversation with your child.
Children love routine. When engaging in speech and language exercises, always give the child your undivided attention. With a regular daily schedule, the learning process becomes easier and more rewarding for the parent, too. Find a nice, quiet location. Let the child
know that you look forward to this time of day and that you enjoy his or her company. This process builds self-esteem, and as the child grows older, this will promote his or her comfort level when talking about their feelings with the parent.
Get the entire family involved.
Teach your older children how to talk and listen to the speech-impaired child. Children with stuttering issues tend to find communication easier when there are fewer interruptions. So, sharing the in-home instruction with other family members can boost the child’s progress significantly.
Be diligent about your daily interactions with your child.
Make sure that you have plenty of time to talk when you begin a dialogue with the child throughout the day. If the speech-delayed child feels rushed in any way, his or her progress can be hampered. Avoid criticisms, questions, interruptions, and rapid speech. Be careful of heavy signing, crossed arms, or other forms of body language that may convey a message of frustration or impatience.
Above all, instill confidence by expressing a message of love and acceptance.
This is the most powerful tool of all. Showing how much you love and support your child, whether he or she suffers from a speech delay or not, is always the most powerful way to build a child’s self-esteem and level of self-acceptance.
LA Speech Therapy specializes in childhood speech development. Our team of experienced speech pathologists will work with you to develop an individualized treatment plan for your child. Contact us today: (323) 5226-701. We can help your child gain confidence when speaking.
