Every child's language development journey is unique, yet some may be considered a "late talker" if they fall behind on their milestones (more on that here). If you want in on the secrets of a speech therapist, you've come to the right place! And the best news is, you can easily implement these into your daily routines and make a significant impact on your child's language development. These evidence-based techniques can be used by anyone who interacts with your child - parents, grandparents, caregivers, educators, siblings, and more. Here are some basic tips for setting your child up for success in learning communication skills:

1. Support all forms of communication. Gestures, sign language, and nonverbal cues are all valuable steps toward verbal speech. Celebrate and honor your child's attempts to communicate with you! For examples of early gestures to teach your child, see this handout by First Words Project.

2. Simplify your language. Reduce questions, simplify your language (while still using grammatical, adult-like speech), and use repetition to help your child understand what you are saying. Model what you would like them to say (such as "More milk, please" or "I want car") when requesting. Use the same phrases over and over.... and over again! Repetition is key. Just remember - even if it feels like the 1,000th time saying a word, it might just be that they need 1,001 times before trying it themselves.

3. Unleash language through play. Play holds remarkable potential for language learning. Label objects, describe what your child is doing, narrate your own actions, or add sound effects to create a rich language environment during playtime. This is a fun and motivating way for your child to encounter new words!

4. Provide wait time. Wait a few more seconds than you typically would to provide your child time to respond. In the fast pace of conversation and communication demands, they may not be getting enough time to process your model, request, or direction. Repeat it again, and if they still do not respond, model the correct response and move on. Withholding an item from your child until they speak can be very frustrating for them if they are communicating with you in other ways (see item #1).

5. Utilize picture supports. Visual schedules, pictured labels, books, and flashcards can all help provide additional information about the words you are teaching your child. Schedules and routines are predictable and repetitive, giving your child an opportunity to learn and remember vocabulary related to those tasks across time. Any way to incorporate pictures with verbal models means double the language input.

Still need help? Reach out to our speech therapist at Homegrown Kids Therapy today! While these tips lay a good foundation for supporting early developing language skills, there are many more evidence-based strategies we use during speech therapy sessions to support your child's growth. We plan and adapt our treatment around your child's needs to provide personalized care and support. Parent coaching is an important part of our speech therapy model to empower caregivers to support their child's learning outside of our sessions. Call or text 515-216-0091 or fill out a Contact Form to get started.