give me ideas

[milkmommy]

Okay as many of you know we've had our dd tested for speech delays and she was found to be delayed (just in speech shes not language delayed) wile she "qualifys" for a once a week secession becaue were in no mans land their is only ONE therpist so she can ONLY meet once a MONTH :rolleyes so I'd like to find some simple things to work with her here.
So what do you reccomend for a preschooler, I want somethings that will encouage her to use her words and that she can work on articulation with.

Deanna

[joystrength]

:heart
I can totally relate. My son was "diagnosed" with speech delay at 2 1'2, too. A year later, he's speaking in FULL paragraphs. Therapy TOTTALLYY helped him. Here are some ideas, some of which I"m sure you're already doing.

1) Limit TV.
2) Read lots and lots, so she can repeat what she hears. Ask open-ended questions of her during the reading session (what happens next? Tell me what color/shape/animal this is? Etc.) Anything to "make" her talk.
3) "Make" (I use that as in suggest/prompt/encourage, not as in "force") her tell you what she wants. My son said "da" and pointed to EVEYTHING. We had to strongly encourage him to use his words, he'd slipped into a habit of "da-ing" EVERYTHING.
4) Articulate sounds --overeggagerate -- yourself. Emphasize each syllable of a word. M
5) Make a game of repetition.

DS wants to play a game now ... I'll try to list more later.

You'll notice SO MUCH progress.

:mrgreen

[milkmommy]

Thanks for the response.
1) I'll admit I've been noticing DD been watching more TV then I care for (DH's not working and he tends to just "find a cartoon") :rolleyes so I'm bringing back my TV rules which were we allow a little in the mornings while I shower dress and so morning cleaning I know I could do it diffrently but I'll admit I like her to be occupied. This vout mean 20 mintues worth one day and hour another but then TV goes OFF and stays off (though I sometime turn it to a CD And I get some time when she naps.. About 5 I like to start to wind down her day and I ussualy let her pick a video (ussualy a veggie tales) I'm comfortable with this amount its a bit fleaxiable but not TV TV all day! SO thanks for the motivation

2) Any suggestions for a child that will hardly allow you to read to her, Some days shes great about it but many times she wants little to do with it she just grabs the book and pushes me away, She loves to look at book though.

3) Were trying to work on this were starting to have a little success. She likes to just pull my arm and say GO!!!!!!! I try to get her to use her words now she says Go dink (go drink) I say would you like to go to the kichen and get a drink? ans before shes just scream and pull GO! now she smiles and runs into the kitchen. Sometimes I have trouble staying patient with her :cry

4) trying t o be more aware

5) our life

Deanna

[Soliloquy]

All the speech therapists I know (including my cousin) really recommend teaching ASL (American Sign Language) to children who are speech delayed (and other kids, too!) Contrary to what some may think, it doesn't further delay their speech, but actually helps them move forward in their language development. Children who learn ASL start speaking in sentences sooner than children who don't.

It's recommended to start with 3 or 4 simple signs, like more, stop, eat, drink. You can probably find an ASL dictionary at your local library, but also ask the children's librarian if there's any books specifically for kids--check the parenting section, too. If you want to purchase something, Sign2Me has books, CDs, and Videos. Amazon has some great ASL videos for kids.

Also, try to think aloud as much as possible around your child. i.e. "Hmm, do I want an apple or banana? I want an apple . . . I'm putting on my right shoe . . . I'm putting on my left shoe . . . . I'm putting plates on the table . . . I'm putting spoons on the table . . . etc." The more language your child hears, the better.

Check to make sure you're not rushing your speech or interupting your child when she speaks.

My DD turns the pages too quickly for me to read, so I know what you mean about toddlers not letting you read to them. Instead of reading books, you can try making up your own stories and doing hand motions while you tell the story. My DD loves this. The hand motions don't have to be elaborate, but she's fascinated by them and tries to mimic them.

When you do meet with the speech therapist, s/he will give you more things you can do at home.

HTH!

[JessicaTX]

My daughter just graduated from speech therapy =) We did lots of nursery rhymes and fingerplays to work on her enunciation. Her therapist would send home flashcards and game-ish things for the specific letter sounds she was working on.