How to help your child with an Articulation or Phonological Delays:

How Parents Can Help Facilitate Articulation Skills

by Harriett Hoeprich, Speech/Language Specialist

Be a practice partner.

Ask your child's speech/language therapist to let you know when it would be helpful for you to practice at home. Then practice your child's successful words, using word cards or objects, at home. Use games and other fun activities, and make your sessions short and frequent. (5-15 minutes a day)

Don't directly correct sounds that your child has not worked on yet.

Direct correction has been shown to be largely ineffective and disruptive. This is especially true when the child has not had the opportunity to have the new skill presented in a more isolated way than connected speech. At some point, your therapist will let you know if your child is at the stage where gentle reminders may be effective during connected speech for the targeted sound. This is usually after mastery has been achieved at the single word level, however.

Use revision every day to address the articulation needs as a whole.

Parents don't realize how powerful this can be, particularly if the revision is used consistently and simply. Revision is the technique where you repeat what the child has said, but use the correct pronunciation. You may want to give the sound a little extra emphasis. (Example--Child: Look at bu! Adult: Look at that bug! Go, bug, go!)

Don't directly imitate your child's errors. Model good speech.

Some of the cute things our children say are very precious to us. But don't inadvertently reinforce the incorrect productions by laughing or drawing attention. Certainly don't imitate the incorrect production. Repeat the utterance using the correct pronunciation. And make a tape or video recording to save your memories of some of the adorable things your child says at this age! Model good speech.

Address health issues that may contribute to the problem.

Fight ear infections. Address other physical difficulties that may contribute, such as mouth breathing or voice difficulties.

Read to your child.

It's amazing how much this accomplishes. Use reading as a way to surround your child with the targeted sound. (See "Ideas for Books to Enhance Articulation Skills".)

Play with your child.

Spend time talking with your child in play, while you model the correct productions very simply, using revision.

Talk to your child.

Talk to your child as you go through your daily routine. This is a chance to model many correct productions, use revision, and stimulate language development, too.

How to help your child with a Language Delay:

Between ages of 3-4

• Talk about how objects are the same or different
• Help your child to tell stories using books and pictures
• Let your child play with other children
• Read longer stories to your child
• Pay attention to your child when he's talking
• Talk about places you've been or will be going

Between ages of 4-5

• Help your child sort objects and things (ex. things you eat, animals. . )
• Teach your child how to use the telephone
• Let your child help you plan activities such as what you will make for Thanksgiving dinner
• Continue talking with him about his interests
• Read longer stories to him
• Let her tell and make up stories for you
• Show your pleasure when she comes to talk with you

Excerpt from Pro-Ed, Inc.

How to help your child with a Stuttering Delay:

7 Tips for Talking with your Child

Compiled by Barry Guitar, Ph.D. and Edward G. Conture, Ph.D.

1. Speak with your child in an unhurried way, pausing frequently. Wait a few seconds after your child finishes speaking before you begin to speak. Your own slow, relaxed speech will be far more effective than any criticism or advice such as "slow down" or "try it again slowly."

2. Reduce the number of questions you ask your child. Children speak more freely if they are expressing their own ideas rather than answering an adult's questions. Instead of asking questions, simply comment on what your child has said, thereby letting him know you heard him.

3. Use your facial expressions and other body language to convey to your child that you are listening to the content of her message and not to how she's talking.

4. Set aside a few minutes at a regular time each day when you can give your undivided attention to your child. During this time, let the child choose what he would like to do. Let him direct you in activities and decide himself whether to talk or not. When you talk during this special time, use slow, calm, and relaxed speech, with plenty of pauses. This quiet, calm time can be a confidence-builder for younger children, letting them know that a parent enjoys their company. As the child gets older, it can be a time when the child feels comfortable talking about his feelings and experiences with a parent.

5. Help all members of the family learn to take turns talking and listening. Children, especially those who stutter, find it much easier to talk when there are few interruptions and they have the listeners' attention.

6. Observe the way you interact with your child. Try to increase those times that give your child the message that you are listening to her and she has plenty of time to talk. Try to decrease criticisms, rapid speech patterns, interruptions, and questions.

7. Above all, convey that you accept your child as he is. The most powerful force will be your support of him, whether he stutters or not.