Tips On Effective Speech Therapy For Toddlers Tucson, AZ

By Enid Hinton


Children with speech problems may have trouble sharing their thoughts with gestures or words. This inability to communicate effectively can be frustrating for both the toddler and the parent. This is because they may have a hard time saying words clearly and understand spoken or written language. The following tips are critical to caregivers for effective speech therapy for toddlers Tucson, AZ.

You need to consult a certified speech language pathologist for assessment of your child if you suspect the toddler has a language disorder. This is when the kid is about two years old, with about fifty words in its vocabulary. However, it is sometimes difficult to get an accomplished expert to evaluate the condition appropriately. Hence, you are required to liaise with friends, colleagues and parents who might or have such a child for recommendation. A search online and in social media will give favorable results.

The efforts given by the specialist and the parent will determine how fast the toddler will recover from the disorder. A good therapist will train the parent on management aspect of the disorder. You need therefore to inquire on the training before you accept the services of the expert.

Reading a story loudly from a book to your child can help to strengthen their communication and language skills. This is because reading stimulates the brain to develop. Select books that you think your child will enjoy and will be fun for you to read. Since the concentration of young children is short, read the book for a few minutes. It is recommended you repeat the same story several times before there is another one for the kid to internalize the story.

Children enjoy learning through music and songs. Select books with familiar songs and pictures. You can make a scrapbook with fascinating pictures of favorite objects like toys and cartoons. Get pictures from old magazines, booklets and pamphlets. Mix up these pictures to look crazy like a dog biting a car. This is tantamount to provoke the curiosity of the toddler. Let the child ask questions and identify familiar shapes, colors and objects in the pictures.

Numerous parents do make a mistake of rushing the kid though too many words in a short while. This will confuse the child. Likewise, too much concentration on correction of pronunciations at the beginning will discourage the child from learning. Thus, it is advisable to be slow on sound at the beginning. You may increase speed later on when the child can give at least five sounds consecutively.

You can use role-play to increase the word power of the kid. In addition, it can help create confidence by concentrating only on the correct responses that the child will give for a start. Pretend play offers an opportunity to improve speed therapy drills. You can stimulate the brain such as by pretending to be a waiter, shopkeeper and any other familiar activity to the toddler.

With several intervention measures, which can be taken to manage the disorder, the responsibility of the parent in management cannot be underestimated. Regardless of the fact that, most of the parents become anxious after their child is diagnosed with speech disorder, it is easily contained.




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