It's Halloween time! Many of us think it is fun, whereas others are not feeling the same amount of joy as the rest of us! In hopes of making the holiday more pleasant for all, I have provided a link on ideas for adapting this holiday for a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I also think these ideas could work well with any disability or young child:
http://www.autismsupport.org/halloween.html
My small family of four likes to dress as a theme. Last year we all dressed up as characters of Toy Story. This year we will be characters from Peter Pan...even the dog is dressing up as a pirate. Since my three year old son gets scared of "spooky" things easily, we probably will be wearing "happy" costumes for a while. Last year, he became very upset with the decorations we had on our front porch, and would only go out the back door until the decorations were taken down the day after Halloween. So, if you have a case like this, some of the ideas in the link may work well for you even with a child who doesn't have a developmental delay or diagnosis of autism.
Enjoy trick-or-treating and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Showing posts with label developmental delay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label developmental delay. Show all posts
Monday, October 24, 2011
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Fostering A Young Child's Imagination
I have to hand it to my husband because for someone without any education what so ever in child development, he does an excellent job of fostering our two children's imagination. It is not uncommon for him to bring home toys or items for him and the kids to play with. He tends to buy the fun imaginative toys and I tend to buy the fun craft projects and gross-motor toys; my only rule is no hand-held electronic devices until the kids are older. I also limit computer time and electronic toys of any type. The key word is limit, not eliminate.
My favorite story about him and my daughter playing imaginatevely is how he bought her a Peter Pan costume and him a Captain Hook outfit that included the eye patch, hat, hooked hand, and sword. He did this back when she was four years old and they had watched the Disney (R) Peter Pan movie numerous times. She then started wanting to act out scenes with her Dad. Of course he is thinking "How can you really act out the scenes without the proper gear?". I stood back and watched them play. It was amazing to watch. She quoted lines from the movie here and there, but mostly just played the part. He would toss her in the air onto our king-sized bed to pretend like she was shot out of the cannon. Then she walked across the bed as if it were the plank. They also had sword fights with foam swords. She sometimes switched roles and was Tiger Lily. To top it off, she insisted at bedtime everynight for at least 3 months that him or I read the Peter Pan story to her. From an occupational therapist's point of view it was nice to see the motor planning, coordination, and problem-solving during the whole play period.
Really, this is huge, because so often the children I work with that have developmental disabilities have difficulties with play. Not only is the reciprocal interaction difficult, but also not perseverating on how things must go. Often the play skills of the kids I work with is initially guided by the adults. It then hopefully progresses to the children initiating the ideas and expanding the amount of time they can play one activity. Because I work with infants and toddlers I don't see this often, but sometimes right around the time the child turns 3 years old it starts to emerge. It is times like that I wish I still worked with children of all ages such as when I worked in a therapy clinic.
Sometimes I work with children who are functioning age-appropriate or above normal in the area of cognition. Maybe I am working with them in OT due to feeding problems or orthopedic impairments of the upper extremities such as a brachial plexus injury. When I do work with these kids, once they are two years old I can get them to do amazing things all in the name of imagination. For example, if I can get a 30-month old boy with a nerve injury to his arm to pretend that the exercise ball is a horse and that he is a cowboy, then I can get him to do some great stretches, strengthening, and balance exercises without him ever realizing it. If his favorite character is Spider Man, then we can jump, wheelbarrow walk, and go through obstacle courses while he pretends to be Spider Man. The possibilities are endless.
One population of children with age-appropriate cognition that I sometimes see a "not so good" imagination in is kids with feeding problems. Not the mechanical or motor problem feeding delays, but the behavioral and sensory-based feeding problems. Some of the time this is due to the overly structured environment they live in along with being constantly told what to do; maybe this is the etiology of the feeding problem- they can control food and mealtime even when they can control nothing else. Before I make anyone mad, I emphasize "sometimes", mainly because sensory-based feeding problems have many reasons for arising. I am focusing in on when it is truly a child with behavioral based feeding issues. For example, if a 2.5 year old child is somewhat robotic in that he can label colors, animal names, and facts that only a 5 or 6 year old would know, but can't play with his kitchen play set or with another child interactively, then imaginative play is delayed. And the reason is not because he is not intelligent enough. I can peg these kids quite early on in the evaluation process because usually the parents are trying to answers questions for the kid and guiding them to follow my directions with multiple cues. If the child doesn't perform, the parent either becomes frustrated, demands the child do it again, or tells me "I know he can do this".
Some thoughts on promoting imagination during play:
- offer toys that can be played with in more than one way such as cars, blocks, dress up clothes, and balls. Not that toys that can only be played with one way are bad, they just may not promote the imagination as much.
- follow your child's lead instead of having them join your play all of the time. For example, if your child has a limited repertoire of play and insists on playing with trains on the tracks, not expect him to play dress-up with an animal costume. Instead, change the train tracks, change the location of the train table, or push the trains around the room including over the chairs, under the table, and through the hallways while making "choo-choo" sounds. Expand upon their interests which is much more likely to help them be creative.
- encourage simple artwork such as finger paints, water sticks, chalk, and crayons. Do this with blank paper as opposed to a coloring book
- set up obstacle courses and pretend like you are in the jungle or some other place, and name all of the furniture after what you would see in the jungle. When crawling between the back of two chairs with a sheet draped over it, pretend as if that is the dangling greenery from the jungle trees.
Well, that is enough ideas for now. I am off to go play cops and robbers in the backyard with my two little ones!
My favorite story about him and my daughter playing imaginatevely is how he bought her a Peter Pan costume and him a Captain Hook outfit that included the eye patch, hat, hooked hand, and sword. He did this back when she was four years old and they had watched the Disney (R) Peter Pan movie numerous times. She then started wanting to act out scenes with her Dad. Of course he is thinking "How can you really act out the scenes without the proper gear?". I stood back and watched them play. It was amazing to watch. She quoted lines from the movie here and there, but mostly just played the part. He would toss her in the air onto our king-sized bed to pretend like she was shot out of the cannon. Then she walked across the bed as if it were the plank. They also had sword fights with foam swords. She sometimes switched roles and was Tiger Lily. To top it off, she insisted at bedtime everynight for at least 3 months that him or I read the Peter Pan story to her. From an occupational therapist's point of view it was nice to see the motor planning, coordination, and problem-solving during the whole play period.
Really, this is huge, because so often the children I work with that have developmental disabilities have difficulties with play. Not only is the reciprocal interaction difficult, but also not perseverating on how things must go. Often the play skills of the kids I work with is initially guided by the adults. It then hopefully progresses to the children initiating the ideas and expanding the amount of time they can play one activity. Because I work with infants and toddlers I don't see this often, but sometimes right around the time the child turns 3 years old it starts to emerge. It is times like that I wish I still worked with children of all ages such as when I worked in a therapy clinic.
Sometimes I work with children who are functioning age-appropriate or above normal in the area of cognition. Maybe I am working with them in OT due to feeding problems or orthopedic impairments of the upper extremities such as a brachial plexus injury. When I do work with these kids, once they are two years old I can get them to do amazing things all in the name of imagination. For example, if I can get a 30-month old boy with a nerve injury to his arm to pretend that the exercise ball is a horse and that he is a cowboy, then I can get him to do some great stretches, strengthening, and balance exercises without him ever realizing it. If his favorite character is Spider Man, then we can jump, wheelbarrow walk, and go through obstacle courses while he pretends to be Spider Man. The possibilities are endless.
One population of children with age-appropriate cognition that I sometimes see a "not so good" imagination in is kids with feeding problems. Not the mechanical or motor problem feeding delays, but the behavioral and sensory-based feeding problems. Some of the time this is due to the overly structured environment they live in along with being constantly told what to do; maybe this is the etiology of the feeding problem- they can control food and mealtime even when they can control nothing else. Before I make anyone mad, I emphasize "sometimes", mainly because sensory-based feeding problems have many reasons for arising. I am focusing in on when it is truly a child with behavioral based feeding issues. For example, if a 2.5 year old child is somewhat robotic in that he can label colors, animal names, and facts that only a 5 or 6 year old would know, but can't play with his kitchen play set or with another child interactively, then imaginative play is delayed. And the reason is not because he is not intelligent enough. I can peg these kids quite early on in the evaluation process because usually the parents are trying to answers questions for the kid and guiding them to follow my directions with multiple cues. If the child doesn't perform, the parent either becomes frustrated, demands the child do it again, or tells me "I know he can do this".
Some thoughts on promoting imagination during play:
- offer toys that can be played with in more than one way such as cars, blocks, dress up clothes, and balls. Not that toys that can only be played with one way are bad, they just may not promote the imagination as much.
- follow your child's lead instead of having them join your play all of the time. For example, if your child has a limited repertoire of play and insists on playing with trains on the tracks, not expect him to play dress-up with an animal costume. Instead, change the train tracks, change the location of the train table, or push the trains around the room including over the chairs, under the table, and through the hallways while making "choo-choo" sounds. Expand upon their interests which is much more likely to help them be creative.
- encourage simple artwork such as finger paints, water sticks, chalk, and crayons. Do this with blank paper as opposed to a coloring book
- set up obstacle courses and pretend like you are in the jungle or some other place, and name all of the furniture after what you would see in the jungle. When crawling between the back of two chairs with a sheet draped over it, pretend as if that is the dangling greenery from the jungle trees.
Well, that is enough ideas for now. I am off to go play cops and robbers in the backyard with my two little ones!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
T.V, is it so bad?
We don't watch too much television in my household. In fact, some days we don't even turn it on at all. But since it has been cold lately, I have let the kids watch it some. My six year old either watches videos, movies, or the Disney (R) channel...that's it. I don't trust what is on other channels, sometimes even the cartoon channels aren't so safe, at least by my values! My son either watches PBS or Elmo (R) videos. Even then, it is for limited amounts of time. Of course, as I am typing this I can just hear him saying "Elmo, Elmo!".
I don't believe that T.V. in and of itself is bad, just when it is in excess and the wrong show! Small children don't need to be watching violent or sexual adult programs in the evening! They also don't need to be watching too much educational television programs. Why? Well, there isn't much socialization, learning to wait, playing, gross motor activity going on during the average T.V. program.
But what about if you watch the show with your toddler, repeat simple words, and ask questions? Then, I think it is fine. With preschoolers and elementary age children, they can learn nice facts such as while watching shows about animals. Some of them also need time to relax after a long day of school. But of course, that doesn't mean sitting at the television for 3 hours in the evening!
Some videos geared toward infants and toddlers claim to "make your baby smarter", but I think that has never been proven, and in fact one big company was forced by the courts to reimburse people for their money if they so wish, because it wasn't able to prove it help children get any smarter! There are some baby videos I like more than others. For example, Brainy Baby (R) does a better job over some other popular companies. Why? Because their videos tend to say words more often, not just music. One video I have in Spanish from Brainy Baby (R) shows a picture of various dogs and says "perro" over 6 times, whereas some other brands may only say "dog" or "perro" once. So, the point is to stimulate the language center of the brain. You may want to sit next to the child, and also say "dog", then show a picture in a book of a dog or have a toy dog nearby. This way it is more interactive, which makes learning more likely to occur.
When going into homes as an occupational therapist, I get to see many families' routines, including television watching habits. If the mom is constantly watching her T.V. programs during the day, she is less likely to be speaking to her child. Some families have the T.V. on all day, and may even eat meals while watching it. This has actually been proven with research for people to over eat and make poorer food choices, because they aren't focused on when their bodies tell them they aref a full, instead they are distracted. This coupled with less activity is a recipe for childhood (and adult) obesity! Also, I shouldn't be having to encourage a family to reduce their T.V. watching down from 8 hours a day, especially when the child's language and social skills are severely delayed such as with autism.
So, I think T.V is fine as long as it is not the "babysitter" and is in small increments of time. And for toddlers, I approve of T.V. when it is more interactive.
I don't believe that T.V. in and of itself is bad, just when it is in excess and the wrong show! Small children don't need to be watching violent or sexual adult programs in the evening! They also don't need to be watching too much educational television programs. Why? Well, there isn't much socialization, learning to wait, playing, gross motor activity going on during the average T.V. program.
But what about if you watch the show with your toddler, repeat simple words, and ask questions? Then, I think it is fine. With preschoolers and elementary age children, they can learn nice facts such as while watching shows about animals. Some of them also need time to relax after a long day of school. But of course, that doesn't mean sitting at the television for 3 hours in the evening!
Some videos geared toward infants and toddlers claim to "make your baby smarter", but I think that has never been proven, and in fact one big company was forced by the courts to reimburse people for their money if they so wish, because it wasn't able to prove it help children get any smarter! There are some baby videos I like more than others. For example, Brainy Baby (R) does a better job over some other popular companies. Why? Because their videos tend to say words more often, not just music. One video I have in Spanish from Brainy Baby (R) shows a picture of various dogs and says "perro" over 6 times, whereas some other brands may only say "dog" or "perro" once. So, the point is to stimulate the language center of the brain. You may want to sit next to the child, and also say "dog", then show a picture in a book of a dog or have a toy dog nearby. This way it is more interactive, which makes learning more likely to occur.
When going into homes as an occupational therapist, I get to see many families' routines, including television watching habits. If the mom is constantly watching her T.V. programs during the day, she is less likely to be speaking to her child. Some families have the T.V. on all day, and may even eat meals while watching it. This has actually been proven with research for people to over eat and make poorer food choices, because they aren't focused on when their bodies tell them they aref a full, instead they are distracted. This coupled with less activity is a recipe for childhood (and adult) obesity! Also, I shouldn't be having to encourage a family to reduce their T.V. watching down from 8 hours a day, especially when the child's language and social skills are severely delayed such as with autism.
So, I think T.V is fine as long as it is not the "babysitter" and is in small increments of time. And for toddlers, I approve of T.V. when it is more interactive.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Take Time for Your Young Kids- Don't Be In Such A Hurry
My friends and relatives say that I am a high energy person. I have to agree, because I like to do things fast. I can clean the dishes, laundry, and other parts of the house in light speed. My paperwork is always (unless I am ill) turned in on time at work. I can blog, cook supper, and talk on the phone simulataneously. So, it does not come natural for me to "stop and smell the roses" with my two children; somehow, usually I do slow down for them. If I weren't an OT with lots of training in child development, I probably wouldn't slow down for them. Especially in this day and age of cell phones, internet, video games, etc.
It is during the everyday routines and activities that young kids are learning from their parents, caregivers, and the environment. This might mean a slow-paced walk in your backyard as your toddler points to the flowers and birds, or throws trash away. What a great opportunity for language development! It might also mean that the trip up the staircase takes 5 minutes as your little one stops to talk, sing, or go up-down-up-down. What a great opportunity for gross-motor development. Even though it might seem cumbersome to let them go at such a pace, it is at this time that they are learning. I am glad my kids don't move around as quick as I do, because I think that kids subjected to this think they always have to be doing something. That would leave little time for reading, "free play", naps, imaginative play in the child's bedroom, etc. It makes me sad when I see families out and about running errands, sports activities, or other things late at night when they have been going at that pace all day long for most of the week; one or two days a night is fine, but not every night like this! Not good for the kids, and not good for the adults. Our bodies need time to rest and relax. Many kids who live fast-paced lives think they have to be constantly entertained. Once again, not good. I think this contributes to impulsivity, inattentiveness, and hyper-activity.
Many times a child with a developmental delay can improve during everyday activities, that is if the families just take that opportunity. For example, not being in a rush in the morning, means that the child can help put his shirt and shoes on. If the family is in a rush, usually the child has clothing put on him and he doesn't have to help at all.
Think about how this information could impact your family routines. Could you let the kids help you prepare supper at home instead of preparing everything yourself or eating out at a fast-food place? Could you let the kids help you with the trash, laundry, or other chores? These activities help with problem-solving, motor, and language skills. I plan this weekend to make a huge fruit salad for the extended family. I could hurry up and do it myself, but I am choosing to let my daughter help me. It's a great time for me to have her use a measuring cup, stir, and count food pieces. And I have no doubt that when we serve it to our family members, she will have a huge smile on her face and be more than willing to tell them she made it!
It is during the everyday routines and activities that young kids are learning from their parents, caregivers, and the environment. This might mean a slow-paced walk in your backyard as your toddler points to the flowers and birds, or throws trash away. What a great opportunity for language development! It might also mean that the trip up the staircase takes 5 minutes as your little one stops to talk, sing, or go up-down-up-down. What a great opportunity for gross-motor development. Even though it might seem cumbersome to let them go at such a pace, it is at this time that they are learning. I am glad my kids don't move around as quick as I do, because I think that kids subjected to this think they always have to be doing something. That would leave little time for reading, "free play", naps, imaginative play in the child's bedroom, etc. It makes me sad when I see families out and about running errands, sports activities, or other things late at night when they have been going at that pace all day long for most of the week; one or two days a night is fine, but not every night like this! Not good for the kids, and not good for the adults. Our bodies need time to rest and relax. Many kids who live fast-paced lives think they have to be constantly entertained. Once again, not good. I think this contributes to impulsivity, inattentiveness, and hyper-activity.
Many times a child with a developmental delay can improve during everyday activities, that is if the families just take that opportunity. For example, not being in a rush in the morning, means that the child can help put his shirt and shoes on. If the family is in a rush, usually the child has clothing put on him and he doesn't have to help at all.
Think about how this information could impact your family routines. Could you let the kids help you prepare supper at home instead of preparing everything yourself or eating out at a fast-food place? Could you let the kids help you with the trash, laundry, or other chores? These activities help with problem-solving, motor, and language skills. I plan this weekend to make a huge fruit salad for the extended family. I could hurry up and do it myself, but I am choosing to let my daughter help me. It's a great time for me to have her use a measuring cup, stir, and count food pieces. And I have no doubt that when we serve it to our family members, she will have a huge smile on her face and be more than willing to tell them she made it!
Monday, August 17, 2009
Why I Don't Recommend Walkers for Babies
To say that I am not a fan of baby walkers is an understatement! Not only can they be unsafe if the baby goes near electrical cords, the stove, cords to blinds, and staircases, but they don't help the baby walk any sooner. Why is that? Well, babies tend to lean forward, backward, or sideways while in the walker, instead of having their feet aligned underneath their hips. If a baby were to lean in any of those directions while walking without a device, he would fall over. Hopefully, he would land on soft padded carpet, but usually that is not the case...tile, hardwood, or worse the cement sidewalk is where it may happen. Also, babies tend to be up on their tippy toes in these walkers as opposed to having a flatter foot on the surface. Makes sense that research reveals that babies who use commercial walkers on a regular basis are more likely to be late with independent walking.
Are you tempted to put the baby in a walker to give him a chance to stand up or to give yourself a break from chasing after him as he crawls away? I can understand. But there are better choices. If you need 5 minutes to get the dishes done, put the baby in his highchair near you as he takes a snack or plays with toys. If you need a moment to take a shower, then put the baby in his play yard within your sight (although I'm not the biggest fan of those either, because they tend to be over-used). If you need the baby to bear weight into his legs, then have him practice standing at the couch, an activity table, or other surface while you supervise him. Another option is the standing activity bouncers. But, if you put the baby in one of those, make sure it is for a limited time and his feet are at the proper height as suggested in the instructions. One thing I tend to see with the infants and toddlers I work with through early intervention, is that the baby leans to the side or is too far up on his tip toes, or worse is in the device for 30 minutes multiple times per day...yikes! Also, some parents put their babies in these devices too soon. A 3 month old should not be in a standing bouncer, jumparoo, johnny jump up, or any other similar device that can be bought at the nearby retail center. Developmentally, a 3 month old should be on his tummy, back, side, beginning to roll, sitting in your lap, being held, and briefly standing with total assistance by the adult holding him....not a standing device! However, a 3 month old could sit in a bouncy seat or infant swing...once again, on a limited basis as you wouldn't want to contribute to him getting a flat head or a delay in his motor skills! If you need tips on helping your baby tolerate tummy time, go to http://tiny.cc/TUtUo.
Are you tempted to put the baby in a walker to give him a chance to stand up or to give yourself a break from chasing after him as he crawls away? I can understand. But there are better choices. If you need 5 minutes to get the dishes done, put the baby in his highchair near you as he takes a snack or plays with toys. If you need a moment to take a shower, then put the baby in his play yard within your sight (although I'm not the biggest fan of those either, because they tend to be over-used). If you need the baby to bear weight into his legs, then have him practice standing at the couch, an activity table, or other surface while you supervise him. Another option is the standing activity bouncers. But, if you put the baby in one of those, make sure it is for a limited time and his feet are at the proper height as suggested in the instructions. One thing I tend to see with the infants and toddlers I work with through early intervention, is that the baby leans to the side or is too far up on his tip toes, or worse is in the device for 30 minutes multiple times per day...yikes! Also, some parents put their babies in these devices too soon. A 3 month old should not be in a standing bouncer, jumparoo, johnny jump up, or any other similar device that can be bought at the nearby retail center. Developmentally, a 3 month old should be on his tummy, back, side, beginning to roll, sitting in your lap, being held, and briefly standing with total assistance by the adult holding him....not a standing device! However, a 3 month old could sit in a bouncy seat or infant swing...once again, on a limited basis as you wouldn't want to contribute to him getting a flat head or a delay in his motor skills! If you need tips on helping your baby tolerate tummy time, go to http://tiny.cc/TUtUo.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tips for Helping Your Toddler with a Communication Delay to Talk More
Somedays I think that I am ready for my 14 month old son to speak and understand more and other days I am afraid to know what he is thinking. So far he is babbling and following simple one-step directions such as "Come here", "No stairs", "Get the ball", "Let's go bye-bye" (and he then goes to the front door), and "Do you want more food?"; there are a few other basics he seems to understand. He can say "nana" for bananas or all food in general as well as "mama", "dow" (down), "dada", "ma" (more), "no", and "hi". At times, he uses sign language for "more". Unfortunately, he communicates often by squealing and throwing tantrums to get his point across because he doesn't yet have the words to express his needs and wants. The tactics that I am using for him will be the same tactics I use at work for an older toddler with a language delay. I can't prove that this will keep my son from being delayed, but hopefully it will help his language skills (expressive and receptive) to blossom. Even though I am an occupational therapist and not a speech language pathologist, I have learned alot of tips from my co-workers. Also, when working with infants and toddlers we all (therapists) need to know each others area, because we are working with the child as a whole! And it never fails that at an OT session a parent will ask me a language-based question about their child.
Tips to help your toddler talk more:
Tips to help your toddler talk more:
- Give choices throughout the day beginning with two items and build-up to more items as he improves. An example includes holding 2 different cups up & asking which cup he wants to drink from. It doesn't really matter which one he chooses, but he had to think of an answer & choose by either looking, gesturing, or speaking. Other choices could include clothing, toys, and foods. Only give choices that you are willing to live with. Do not begin by asking "What do you want to eat?" but instead ask "Would you like to eat carrots or apples for lunch?". Then, if the child doesn't seem to understand, then hold up the 2 choices for him to see.
- Remember that toddlers who have a severe delay may need to just initially work on gesturing or pointing to what they want. Do not pressure them to talk, but set up the environment and situations to where he is more likely to talk.
- Sing songs. Initially stick to one or two simple songs and repeat them over and over. Then, once you know the child knows the words to the song, or at least some of the words, you can sing and intermittently pause. When you pause, wait for him to possibly say the word that comes next. Some good starter songs are the ones that also include simple motions such as "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", "Wheels on the Bus" and "Pat-a-Cake"
- Pretend that you don't know what he wants when he grunts. Get the wrong item or gesture with your hands that you don't know. Let him lead you to what he wants if necessary. Then, when he gets the item, you verbally label it....pause before giving it to him and see if he will repeat the word. If not, give it to him. Continue this process until he eventually says the word. Good examples for this are his favorite toy or food.
- Put some of his favorite toys slightly out of reach on a shelf or in a clear closed container. This way he has to express that he wants it.
- Try not to anticipate all of his needs, because if you do, the child has no reason to talk. Slow yourself down and let the child ask for his wants and needs.
- Read books with simple pictures to the child. Read the same 2 or 3 books to him over-and-over so he can anticipate the words that are to come next. Ask questions and encourage pointing and labeling the picture. There is no need to read every single word, especially for a child with a short attention span.
- Consider using pictures of items to help the child express his wants and needs. You could have a laminated picture of a cup and another picture for a snack placed on the refrigerator, and when he is thirsty or hungry he can let you know by bringing the picture to you. When he does, verbally say the word such as "cracker". "You want a cracker". Hopefully, he will start to say this word. Start with only a couple of pictures and build up to more.
- Pair the words you say with sign-language. Studies show that this helps vocabulary and doesn't slow it down. Some children are more visual and kinetic so may learn this way better initially.
- Use simple words for instructions such as "Come here" or "Give me the ball". Remember to wait before repeating the instructions. If the child wanders off, help him to physically follow the simple commands.
- Limit the amount of time the child watches television. Watching too much TV doesn't help a child's attention span, motor skills, or speaking. Also, there is no reciprocal conversational skills taught to a child when watching television. Yet, some language skills may be stimulated when watching TV briefly if there is interaction. An example is when watching a cartoon, you can point to and label the characters as well as sing along with the theme song.
- When playing with toys such as cars, planes, and animals, make sounds for that toy such as "honk, honk", "vmmmm", or growling. It may seem silly to model some sounds, but kids like it.
- If your child is older than one year old and still uses a pacifier, limit the use of it or completely discontinue! The AAP (Amercian Academy of Pediatrics) recommends the use of a pacifier for up to a year of age if the child needs it. Children may need it to self-calm when upset or before bedtime. Any other time than that becomes just a habit...and not a good one!. It is very difficult to talk if a pacifier is in the mouth the majority of the time. It is also not beneficial for the development of tongue, lip, and cheek muscles. There is another entry on this blog site on how to wean a toddler off of a pacifier, and can be found in the blog archives.
These are just a few of the basics that I tend to suggest on a frequent basis. I hope these ideas help you or at least remind you of another idea that can help! If you don't already work with a speech-language pathologist or developmental specialist, I recommend you consider it! Helping our little one as early as possible is the best thing!
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