LET’S TALK ABOUT TALKING…Sample Page
If you’re the kind of person who likes detailed step-by-step instructions, along with an explanation for why you’re doing something, you’re going to LOVE my therapy manual Let’s Talk About Talking. It’s filled with the rationale AND short cuts so that you can get excellent results with minimal effort. You’ll find the best of both worlds for treating toddlers with language delays. Here’s a sample page:
Teach Me To Imitate Words with SNACKS!
In this activity, a late talker learns to imitate words to ask for something to eat.
How to Play and What to Say:
Pick your bite-sized snack. Pour them into a bowl so that you maintain full control of the snack and offer a child one at a time. Small pieces allow for lots of repetition and practice so that a child learns the word. Options are goldfish or other kinds of crackers, bite-sized cookies, fruit snacks, or any other “treat.”
Select your target word. You can begin with all-purpose requesting words like “more” or “please,” but don’t forget about teaching specific words too! In this example, we’ll use cookies. For now, accept any approximation of the word cookie. If that’s too hard for a toddler, default to an easier and more general word like “eat.”
Teach a child to imitate the word using these steps:
- Excitedly show him the snack, saying something like, “Look! I have ___! Mmmm!”
- Say the word a few more times. “____. Yummy ____!”
- Ask the child “Do you want _____? Tell me ____.”
- Expectantly wait for him to say the word. Cue him 3 to 5 times as necessary.
- As soon as he tries, immediately give him one little piece to eat.
- When he wants another bite, repeat the entire process.
If he doesn’t try to say the word, model a word that’s easier, or back up and cue a sign. When imitating words is a brand new skill and still hard for a child, give him the snack anyway, even if he doesn’t say the target word. We want to keep him motivated to try.
Here’s how this activity looks in real life:
Hold up a cookie. Enthusiastically say, “Look! I have a cookie. Want to eat? Tell me cookie.”
If a child seems unaware or uninterested, eat the cookie yourself and act like it’s the best food you’ve ever tasted! Or give him one little piece to pique his interest. Repeat your prompt again. Say something like, “Mmmm! Cookie! It’s so good! Do you want a cookie? Tell me cookie.” Look expectantly and wait a few seconds to see if he will imitate you.
If he doesn’t, say the word “cookie” a few more times, or go ahead and change your target to an easier word you think he can say, like “eat,” or another word you’ve heard him say. As soon as he tries, immediately give him one little piece of the cookie. As he’s eating the cookie, continue to say things like, “Mmmmm… cookie. It’s so good! Cookie!”
When he wants another piece, begin the process again. Use this method to teach other words.
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Hopefully, these instructions will get you started! I have lots more for you in Let’s Talk About Talking… Order your copy today!
Laura
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"I just want to thank you for the invaluable information you’ve given me in helping my grandson to talk (which I have passed on to his parents). We’ve ve learned patience, appropriate expectations, and fun and effective strategies that we had found no where else. He is exploding with conversation! Sometimes I struggle to interpret his articulation, but all I have to do is say, “Show me”, and he’s excited to do so. He and I both want so badly to communicate with each other, and your strategies have made it so much easier and non-threatening. Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Stacey
"My little guy is taking off like a rocket!! We’ve been working through your Autism Workbook for a few months and he has had an explosion of skills develop. YOU are AMAZING! THANK YOU!" Laura Q, Mom
"Dear Laura Mize and Team,
Thank you so much for all your hard work and publishing books! Our 17-month-old toddler suddenly exploded into speaking and imitating everybody's gestures and sounds, just a week or two after we 'completed' all activities that are listed under 11 pre-linguistic skills! Your method really works!"
Grateful customer.
"Hi Laura!
I absolutely LOVE all of your workbooks, especially your Autism Workbook. Starting with Social Games has been a game changer for many of my littles with ASD and their families. It's been the best way for them to finally connect and sustain shared attention and engagement, leading to longer social interactions, through play!"
Jodie, Dev, Therapist
"Hi Ms. Laura,
Thank you so much for the videos you have posted on your youtube channel. They are so direct, informative, and helpful. Thank you for being a resource for me to become a better therapist."
Dianne
"Gosh, I love all of your emails/podcast/website, just everything!! I work in early intervention as a behavior analyst and am learning so much from you!"
Thank you!
Hailey
"Laura,
I love your work! I am a professor of early childhood special education and a speech language pathologist! I have worked to help children learn to communicate and I know how valuable the information you share is for both early interventionists and pediatric speech language pathologists!
Thank you for systematically organizing and explaining essential steps for young children to learn and develop. You are having a great impact on our profession, the ECE profession and families!"
Sincerely,
David
"Thank you.
If this is Laura herself reading this email let me take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have put forth for us professionals. I own every manual (except the autism manual) and have watched every course on DVD. I have listened to countless podcasts. All of what I’ve come to be as an Early Intervention speech therapist was absolutely to your credit. With your resources at my side I have never needed to scramble for answers and strategies and above all the clear language I use when communicating with parents. My fun, animated affect and key phrases I use have been learned through watching your example. So….thank you! May you be blessed."
Chaya
"I just wanted to thank you so much for your incredible help! You are so kind and lovely and every time I implement something you've taught in your manuals or videos it is always a success, I cannot thank you enough. I really appreciate how specific you are in giving us examples of wording to use and how to use a toy in therapy with your videos, it is exactly what I need to properly help my little students. I also really appreciate your list of books of list of toys. I have seen my little students make significant progress thanks to you. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos, taking more of your CEU's, and reading more of your materials. From the bottom of my heart: thank you so much again!!"
Lauren
Laura thank you so much. Btw, you have transformed my therapy- I have become such a competent and strong therapist after watching probably like 350 of your videos and podcasts over the past few years. And I am a seasoned therapist with almost 25 years experience. (Yes prob 350 episodes ha!) But there was still a lot I learned from you. I have such a thorough understanding of birth to 3 development and how to properly incorporate appropriate therapeutic goals, techniques and strategies now, thanks to you. Kelly
