The problem isn’t sign language.

The problem is that the child wasn’t ready to sign.

Know the prerequisites so you can accurately determine when teaching signs will be successful.

To help you, here’s a list!

Toddlers are developmentally ready to learn sign language when they:

• are aware of you and focus on you when you talk to them (the social piece).
• understand the back and forth piece of communicating—meaning they listen to you and then respond (the turn taking piece).
• can imitate other body movements, like clapping, banging on a table, waving, and doing hand motions in songs (the imitation piece).
• are beginning to link meaning to your words (the receptive language piece).

If a child is not doing these things yet, don’t waste valuable treatment time by having unrealistic expectations that he or she sign before they are able. Get them ready!

Learn how in my new book Let’s Talk About Talking… Ways to Strengthen the 11 Skills All Toddlers Master Before Words Emerge.

All those areas – the social piece, turn taking, imitation, and receptive language (or how a child understands words) – are prelinguistic skills that “get a child ready” to talk. In the book, I’ll walk you through how to teach a late talker any piece that’s missing or weak.

The post Signs a Toddler is Ready to Sign… Prerequisites for Teaching a Late Talker to Use Sign Language appeared first on teachmetotalk.com.

If that’s the situation you’re in, I can help you! Listen to my podcast for my suggestions for teaching sign language to toddlers – especially a toddler with ASD (autism spectrum disorder). Click the link below to listen to the show.

http://tobtr.com/s/7511253

I have written about this too! Check out the article Help! My Child Will  NOT Sign

Hope these ideas help!! I’d love to hear about your successes! Shoot me a note on the green CONTACT button at the bottom of the page.

Don’t miss a single podcast! AND you can listen to all of the old shows too. Click the SUBSCRIBE button on the right!

The post #257 Help! My Child Will NOT Sign…A Frustrated Mom’s Questions about Sign Language for a Toddler with Autism appeared first on teachmetotalk.com.

“Hi Laura. Your video and books have been a great help for our son. I have a question about sign language. We have been working with my son on signing for about 4 months and progress has been slow. He understands some signs but will not do them by himself. When I say a word and show him the sign he holds his hands out for me to do the sign with his hands. He will not do a sign without my help. He will even push my hands together for more and then hold his hands out but will not push his own hands together. Hoping you might have a suggestion for this. My son is 2 1/2 and is Autistic. He does not use any words yet. Thanks.”

My reply to her:

Thanks so much for your question! There are a couple of possibilities for what’s going on here and without seeing him, I wouldn’t know exactly what’s happening, but I’ll tell you what my experience has taught me.

Possibility #1: It could be that he is having difficulty with motor planning (the ability to send a message from his brain to his hands) and he knows he can’t sign, so he doesn’t. BUT thankfully, he knows you can sign, so he prompts you to do it! If this is the case, signing progress will be SLOW. When I think this is what’s going on, I switch to PECS (The Picture Exchange Communication System.) Have you tried that method with your therapists? Ask them about it so they can teach you EXACTLY how to begin this system. PECS is not just teaching a child to use pictures; it’s a very distinct way to introduce the pictures using highly motivating objects so that he learns to trade the picture for the object. If you’re going at it alone with him and he’s not in speech therapy (WHICH I NEVER RECOMMEND UNLESS THERE’S NO OTHER OPTION), look at the suggestions in my book Teach Me To Talk: The Therapy Manual to get started AND buy the PECS manual too. The PECS Manual will teach you exactly how to proceed, but again, I’d start by talking to your SLP. Make sure she uses PECS too in the way it’s supposed to be presented.

Possibility #2: It could be that he can perform the signs himself, but he has learned through all of his past experience with you that you do the signs. In a sense, he thinks that only you’re supposed to do it. He hasn’t learned the whole imitation piece. If this is the case, back up and teach him how to imitate you, first by using with objects/toys before you move on to teaching him signs. Use the ideas from Level 1 in my book Building Verbal Imitation in Toddlers. Young children first learn to copy you with familiar objects before they begin to imitate body movements and signs are a type of body movement. The book will walk you through that entire process with lots of step-by-step instructions.

Possibility #3: It also could be that he can sign on his own, but he’s become overly dependent on you to do it and it’s the path of least resistance to prompt you to sign for him by holding up his hands as if to say, “Go ahead and move them for me!” If that’s the case, you’ll have to pick something that is ULTRA motivating for him, something he cannot resist, and use that to cue the sign. Continue with the sign for “more” since it’s easy and you’re already using that one. Many SLPs don’t teach the sign for “more” first since some kids, especially those with autism, tend to overgeneralize that sign, but that’s certainly not the case here! I bet you’d love for him to use this sign alone, even if he overused it for a while. For more on that discussion, read my post In Defense of “More”… 10 Reasons I Still Teach the Sign for “More” First.

I have a question for you… does he clap? If he can clap, he CAN sign more!! If not, he can’t, for whatever reason… again that’s too hard for me to help you sort that out without seeing him. If he can’t clap yet, then signs are too difficult for him at this point and I’d highly recommend beginning with PECS. AND you also should look at teaching him to use other early gestures first. Does he wave bye bye? Will he give you a High 5? Does he lift his hands to be picked up? Have you seen him point – either to a picture in a book or to direct your attention to something? Can he dance to music with you? Those are all things I try first before beginning signs, or if I’ve jumped the gun and realize a child can’t sign, I work on these things as my “back up” plan and move forward with signs when he’s mastered using some early gestures. Many, many toddlers with ASD do not use gestures until they are directly taught.

One other idea – has he seen anyone else sign besides you? If not, then get someone else to sign so he has a “model” for what he should do. A sibling or dad usually work well for this solution. Pick something he LOVES and have the other person model the sign and then very excitedly receive whatever it is that he would want too.

If he’s a video/TV/iPad kind of kid, you may even video this kind of exchange and let him watch it several times over several days and then try the VERY SAME activity with him to see if he’ll implement the sign then. This option is a great solution for kids who love apps on your phone or iPad. ! I haven’t used it often, but when I have, it’s been magic!

I’ve seen this issue a lot over the years – and I always use one of the ideas above to break that cycle.

Let me know how it works out for him and YOU : ) I love this question and I’m going to use it for an upcoming podcast. Do you listen to those shows? I’ll try to remember to email you and let you know when it’s recorded. Thanks and good luck to you!!

Laura

**Photo credit: pixshark.com**

Want to hear more? Listen to the show about this topic!! Click here for the post about the podcast!

The post “Help! My Son WILL NOT Sign!” A Familiar Question from a Mom appeared first on teachmetotalk.com.

Currently, there’s a lot of discussion in our field about this topic. Scroll through any SLP blog, message board or Facebook page and you’ll find it. It’s a question I’m frequently asked in courses and via email from readers at teachmetotalk.com.

In case you’re not an SLP or can’t imagine why this would be a problem, let me offer you some background information…

Traditionally, sign language was utilized primarily for communicating with individuals with hearing loss.

In the 1990’s through the early 2000’s, “baby sign” programs began to spring up, and parents everywhere were encouraged to try modified sign language to their infants as a way of encouraging them to communicate before they could speak. The popularity of these programs grew as stories appeared in parenting magazines and on the news. Now, most parents have heard of teaching babies simple signs to use before, and while, they’re learning to talk.

Even before these trends emerged in parenting circles, speech-language pathologists were successfully introducing sign language during speech therapy in order to facilitate communication for young children who were having difficulty learning to speak.

Teaching methods have evolved over time, and now we have recommendations for how, what, where, and why to teach sign language to a wide variety of infants and toddlers, whether they have difficulty learning to talk or not.

In the last several years, one piece of advice SLPs may have been taught is to avoid teaching signs with broad concepts such as “more” (and other general signs like “please” or “want”) because some young children may overgeneralize and use those signs to represent anything and everything they want. In other words, a toddler may get “stuck” on a sign or two rather than learning many different signs to represent a variety of specific items. But here’s a secret SLPs are telling me as I teach continuing education courses across the country…

Many speech-language pathologists (like me!) still begin teaching signs with “more,” particularly with toddlers.

When I’ve asked other SLPs why they continue to start with the sign for “more,” I’ve received responses like “that’s how I’ve always done it,” or “that’s how I was taught,” and “it’s worked for me.”

While I’m asking this question during casual conversation and receiving spontaneous and honest explanations, the responses may not have been considered as deliberately and as clinically as I feel the process should be.

I purposefully begin to teach signs with “more.” I’d like to share my carefully weighed reasons for doing so with you.

1. First of all, the sign for “more” is easy!

The sign for “more” is performed by tapping your fingers together. It’s a pretty simple movement. If a child can clap his hands or hold a bottle or cup at midline (therapist-speak for holding both hands together in the middle of the body), he is physically able to sign “more.”

It’s also easy to help a child learn the sign “more” since you can grab his little hands and push his fingers together. These physical cues, or hands- on assistance, are necessary for many toddlers as they are learning to sign. It is much more difficult to shape little hands when the physical movement is harder.

If we are enticing a toddler to learn any new skill, particularly something completely different from what he already knows how to do, we should begin with something that’s not too difficult for him to accomplish. We want SUCCESS! Choosing a sign that’s easy to do and easy to cue (from a motor perspective) makes success more likely.

2. The sign for “more” is FAST!

Because the physical movement is so easy, if a child is developmentally ready to use sign language, then you should be able to elicit an attempt for the sign “more” pretty quickly.

(I’ll explain more about how I gauge if a child is developmentally ready to sign in an upcoming post.)

Anything that’s faster to teach is a natural first goal for a toddler… or anybody else for that matter!

Because the sign is easy to perform, it also makes taking turns faster, which is another bonus. We don’t have to wait (and wait and wait) for a child to perform the sign “more” as we might with a more complex motor movement. The turns can move rapidly. Ideally, a child signs “more” and then gets a little more of what he wants. He signs “more” again. He gets a little more. So on and so on and so on until he’s mastered using the sign on his own to get what he wants.

3. The sign for “more” is popular.

Almost every person who has worked in childcare or educational settings has seen the sign for “more.” As mentioned in the introduction, baby sign programs have popped up all over the place, making signs mainstream for today’s daycare and preschool personnel. Even if a teacher knows only a handful of signs, “more” is usually one of them!

 4. The sign “more” is functional.

In therapy- speak, functional means learning a skill that enables you to “function” better and more consistently in everyday life. In other words, teaching a child something he can use.

The sign for “more” is extremely usable in everyday life, especially for a toddler. Asking for “more” is something all young children do every day, all day! We should give a nonverbal child a way to do this too.

5. The sign for “more” is multi-purpose (hence the reason for the controversy!)

The sign for “more” can be used in many contexts for many reasons throughout a toddler’s day. Parents can practice the sign for more ALL THE TIME.

That’s why I love this sign!

A parent doesn’t have to work too hard to set up situations for using the sign for “more.” When a parent can easily work it into the day, especially initially, a child is more likely to learn the sign AND learn that communicating is POWERFUL. That initial revelation can be intoxicating for a frustrated toddler who is just learning that he can change his world as he learns to “do something to get something.”

I introduce the sign for “more” for lots of things a child might want – snacks, toys, activities – during therapy sessions. Then I help parents plan specific ideas for how to work the sign into whatever their child likes to do all day long at home with them. Moms and dads can help their child learn the sign for “more” while playing with bubbles in the bathtub, to ask for extra snacks, or to take another turn on the slide or swing. The ample opportunities for practice are what make this sign stick.

Again, that’s why I love this sign …and why others hate it.

The multiple functions are what enable a child to learn this sign so well – and why a child may get stuck. It’s an adult’s job to move a child along to other signs after learning the sign for “more.” The sign for “more” is the beginning of a child learning to sign, not the end. We can’t let a child get stuck!

6. The word “more” is easy to say.

The word “more” is easy to say, especially if we’re considering the simplified versions of “muh” or “mah” we likely hear from new talkers. The ‘m’ sound is made with your lips. Speech-language pathologists call these sounds “bilabials,” and these sounds typically emerge early in babbling and early word attempts. There are always exceptions, particularly with toddlers with atypical speech development, but usually /m/ is easier for a young child to say than words with more difficult consonant sounds such as /s/ or /r/ or /l/.

Our ultimate purpose for teaching signs to most late talkers is that signs become a bridge to words. Some studies say that signing can make it easier for some late talkers to begin to speak. Because of this premise, we would want to select signs that represent words that would also be simple for a new talker to try to say.

7. The word “more” is evidence-based.

As clinicians, we look for research studies to prove that what we do works, and we call this “evidence-based practice.”

There are studies to support teaching the word “more.” A 2011 study by The Child Study Institute at Bryn Mawr College listed the 25 words that every two year old should know. The word “more” is on this list. To extrapolate these results, if the word “more” is useful for a toddler, then the sign for “more” is too!

8. AAC experts include “more” as a first option for picture systems and with speech-generating devices too.

AAC means “augmentative alternative communication” – basically, using anything besides talking as a means to communicate. Experts in AAC include “more” represented by a pictured symbol to teach a person to request with his or her system. Why stray away from this standard when teaching signs, another form of AAC, for toddlers?

 9. Asking for “more” is an early form of requesting, and requesting is one of the earliest pragmatic functions to develop.

“Pragmatics” means language use. We have to teach a child to “use” words and signs to communicate with other people, not just to name or label things and people.

One of the earliest ways a child learns to communicate with others is to use words is to ask for things he wants and cannot get on his own.

When a child learns to use the sign for “more” to request, his communication skills are advancing. Signing is more complex and more purposeful than other less-mature forms of requesting, such as when a younger baby uses crying or reaching.

10. I’ve seen success with this sign… for over 20 years now!

In my own career, I’ve taught late-talking toddlers, even those with significant developmental challenges, to use the sign for “more” hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times. In my own personal experience, it’s a sign that WORKS, especially to get signing started.

Let me also address the issue of overgeneralizing head-on with something we know to be true: overgeneralizing is very common in language development. Many babies call every man they see “Dada,” every round object “ball,” and all four legged animals “doggie,” until we teach them new words. The same holds true for the word or sign “more.” A child will overuse this sign until we teach him to replace it with new signs.

It is important to note that the sign for “more,” and all other signs for that matter, only works when signing is an appropriate strategy for a toddler who is struggling to learn to communicate. Signing doesn’t work for every child with language delays. Look for an upcoming post that includes studies that tell us when signing may not work, along with practical ways I use to gauge whether a child is developmentally ready to sign.

Until then, let me encourage you to revisit the idea of beginning with signs like “more” to get signing going in late talking toddlers. While it won’t work with every child (just for the record – NOTHING works with EVERY child!), it is worth trying when a child is ready

Laura

The post In Defense of “More” – 10 Reasons I Still Teach the Sign “More” First appeared first on teachmetotalk.com.

PARENTS, ARE YOU FRUSTRATED TRYING TO TEACH YOUR TODDLER TO TALK?
ARE OTHER CHILDREN HIS AGE ASKING FOR WHAT THEY WANT AND NEED  WHILE HE CAN ONLY CRY?

Find help for toddlers with speech delay…

Maybe the experts tell you everything’s fine. But you can’t get past that nagging feeling that things should be getting better. And they just aren’t.

As a parent, there’s nothing more frustrating than watching your precious baby struggle to learn to communicate. While friends’ and relatives’ toddlers are all saying “Mama” and “ball” and even forming simple sentences, your child can only cry in frustration, locked away from the world of words that should to be opening up for her.

You can’t help feeling embarrassed, or jealous, or even angry. Why YOUR child? Why does it have to be so hard?

You would give anything for your baby to be able to ask for help when he needs it, or tell you he loves you when he snuggles close.

Everyone tells you, “Oh, she’ll talk when she’s ready.”

Even the pediatrician insists there’s nothing seriously wrong. But you KNOW your child. You know she WANTS to communicate. You see her trying. You know she’s ready now.

But no matter how hard you try to help her, the words don’t come.

Maybe your child is seeing a speech therapist. But it’s hard when the techniques the therapist tells you to use at home are too hard and too complicated for you , let alone your toddler!

I want to tell you right now, the problem is not you.

And it’s not your child.

The problem is simply that you don’t have the simple, easy to understand tools you need to help your child communicate.

Until now.

Right now, TODAY, there IS something you can do. Without letting another painful, frustrating, heartbreaking day go by.

BECAUSE FINALLY, THERE’S AN EASY, FUN, NO-TEARS METHOD THAT’S PROVEN TO HELP TEACH YOUR TODDLER TO TALK.

It’s called Teach Me To Talk, and take it from a mother who’s been there! And it’s just amazing.

The Teach Me To Talk DVD is packed with strategies that will unlock that beautiful voice your child has locked away inside. And best of all, these strategies are PROVEN to be simple to learn, easy to apply, and best of all, successful in teaching young children to talk.

Order here.

Interested in seeing the Teach Me To Talk techniques in action? Here’s a quick preview of the Six Essential Strategies you’ll learn — and a glimpse of the first technique you’ll see:

What makes Teach Me To Talk different?

It was developed by Laura Mize, a pediatric speech-language pathologist who has literally spent thousands of hours and 20 years on the floor, helping toddlers just like yours and mine learn to communicate.

Laura has read stacks and stacks of research on the subject of delayed speech in children. She’s attended more professional courses than you can count. She’s taken the best of the best from all the ‘experts’ in language development.

And she’s condensed all those years of learning and experience and trial and error into a single DVD, with the six most simple, most practical, MOST EFFECTIVE strategies to get your child talking. And best of all, you can start using them the minute you start watching the DVD.

“Thank you so much for this DVD! Our 3 and a half year old son has apraxia and only has 10-12 clear words. When I first started watching this DVD, I wondered if I could ever be that animated. About 5 minutes into the DVD, my son walked into the room and was instantly fascinated. He sat with me and watched the rest with me! His reaction was truly amazing, and our speech therapy will never be the same again! The most amazing thing to me, though, was how my son interacted with you! During the 90 minute video he  got two new words: choo choo and boom. He also tried to say pull and barn, and learned the sign for fish. Twice he signed ‘give me’ and then touched a toy you were playing with, and every time you tried to get a child to say a word he knows, he would say it with you.” Robyn, mother from Wyoming

Order here.

How wonderful would it feel to hear your child say “Mama?”

You’ve been waiting for that moment since he was born and you first held him in your arms. But as the months have dragged by, you may have started to lose hope that you will ever communicate with your baby, to hear what he wants, what he needs, what he feels.

And even if your toddler can say a few words, is it taking longer for her to communicate than other children her age? Are you constantly trying to interpret what you think she might be saying, or asking for?

Maybe both of you are ending up in tears.

“When I watched the DVD, I felt like I was reliving my son’s life for the past 1 1/2 years now. It was a little sad in some ways, but on the other hand, if I concentrate on where he is now and how far he’s come, it’s positive!..” Holly, a mother from New Hampshire

Order here.

The Secret is Simple- Change Your Approach!

Of course, you’ve been trying to teach your child to talk. It’s what parents do. But if what you’re doing hasn’t been working, the solution is simple.

Change your approach.

If you’re like me, you’re probably wondering what that can possibly mean when you’ve tried EVERYTHING. The problem is, you’ve probably tried without really knowing what to do, or how to do it.

This DVD will change everything. Because a lot of the time, it’s not what you do, but HOW you do it. Teach Me To Talk will lay out step by step, in easy-to-follow terms, exactly what you can and should be doing to help your baby learn to talk.

“I know for a fact that Laura’s approach really does work because I’ve been using it for years myself! Don’t be afraid to copy exactly what she says, how and when she says it! It is not hard and can become second nature to you, just as it has to me. By implementing her approach, you will set the stage for both you and your child to be successful!”  Kate, Developmental Interventionist, Kentucky

If your child has a language delay, no doubt you’ve heard it all. There’s always the well-meaning friend who tells you, “Boys talk later than girls.” Or the mother-in-law who tells you to “Wait and see” (while you worry what she’s saying about your parenting skills behind your back).

The fact is, the most critical time for language development in a child is from birth through age three. So if you feel in your heart that something’s not right, you’re probably on to something. You know your child.

Most parents of children with language delays regret that they waited to do something. The good news is, YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT ANY LONGER.

Teach Me To Talk will show you a better, easier way to do things. Things you can do RIGHT NOW, at home, that will help your child learn to talk. It’s all about learning a new and better way of working with your child.

After all, as a parent, you are the most important teacher your child will ever have.

“Just wanted to let you know how thrilled I am with your video. I just received it five days ago and I’ve watched it every morning to gear up for working with my daughter each day and I have to tell you what a difference it has made! My daughter has been in therapy for a year and a half (she’s 31 months) and she would often run from me during our ‘play’ sessions. Finally, after only five days, she is starting to think that her mommy is fun during playtime! Thank you for giving me a way to really connect with my daughter on a new level. This video is priceless.” Helen

“I do think the video will be very helpful for parents with late talkers. The ideas are great, and you really do show them how to do the things you are talking about which is very important!..” Holly, mother from New Hampshire

Secrets Your Speech Therapist Hasn’t Told You (or might not even know!!!!)

“Even when weekly therapy reports indicated a great deal of progress, we weren’t always seeing that progress at home. The Teach Me To Talk DVD has dramatically changed the number of words we hear. Seeing the techniques you use, and seeing how easy they are to incorporate in to our daily routines has been a blessing. I can get so many words and even phrases out of my both my toddlers by incorporating playfulness in to our daily activities. As a working mom, I’ve always felt as if I’m not as active in my children’s therapy as I should be. You DVD is finally helping me make that connection. Thank you so much for such a fantastic tool!” Stephanie, Mother from Kentucky

Speech therapy is a specialized skill, that’s why speech therapists charge hundreds — even thousands — of dollars for their services. But the very same techniques they use can be SIMPLIFIED, so that you can use them at home.

Teach Me To Talk will teach YOU how to use the very best, most effective techniques speech therapists charge hundreds of dollars for. Watch and learn as these techniques are explained in plain language so that you can use them at home. Then, see each technique in action.

And you won’t just see how it works with one child, but with 20 different toddlers, all with different personalities and challenges. You’ll be amazed and inspired by their progress as each and every one of them learns to talk, just like your child can with the Teach Me To Talk DVD.

“The DVD brought tears to my eyes (not your goal I’m sure, but there you go!). Each strategy you used – reminded me of my child. It is amazing how simple techniques (most of which we take for granted) can help a non-verbal child become verbal. Another thing I learned from my experience with being a mom, a pediatrician, having your guidance and the DVD – is that language, talking, speech, and articulation involve SO many other aspects of development.” Ranjana, pediatrician and mom from Ohio

If your child is a late talker, you’ve probably read dozens of parenting books and looked for advice on the internet. But when you apply it to YOUR child, it doesn’t always make sense.

Do you try to do what the “experts” say, but find it just doesn’t work with your child?

The secret isn’t just knowing WHAT to do, but WHY you need to do it, and better yet, seeing exactly HOW to do it. Teach Me To Talk unlocks those secrets.

“The DVD was quite different from what I expected – in a good way. I hardly expected to see so much one-on-one with the kids, and it was great!” Kristyn, mother from New Hampshire

“The DVD is great! I wish I had had this when we first started down the path with Gabe who has been diagnosed with apraxia.” Julie, mother from Illinois

View It — Then Do It!

You don’t have to read another book. You don’t have to make time for a class. All you need is a TV and a DVD player  or your computer, and you can watch and learn at your own pace, in your own time, in your own home.

And your child can be right there with you while you learn!

“I recently watched a DVD that has been advertised on this site called Teach Me to Talk, by Laura Mize, Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist. The DVD was 90 minutes long and taught six strategies to teach your child to talk.

It is aimed at toddlers who are delayed in speech…..which is how I will use it. It has tons of video of the speech therapist actually working with children! This was so informative. Laura Mize explains what she is doing while showing actual video of her working with children with delays! These are things you can incorporate in every day interaction with your child. I finished watching the video feeling like I could really teach my child to talk!

From the time I first learned Sophie had autism, I have wanted to see what a speech therapist actually did while working with a child. I desperately want to homeschool Sophie, but until now I have been in the dark about what the experts do to get children to talk. Now I have video examples to work with.

I watch this video with my 3 children in the room, and my daughter Sophie, was actually playing along with the video! I highly recommend this video for anyone who has a child with delayed speech. It is worth every penny.” Sarah, mother and author of the website www.wakingsophie.com

Teach Me To Talk takes the camera INSIDE therapy sessions with children just like yours. Whatever stage your child is at, if you’re just wondering if there’s a problem, if you’ve already seen a professional or if your child is currently in speech therapy, you’ll see all kinds of children in all kinds of situations.

So you’ll discover the very best techniques to use with YOUR child.

“Seeing these tips in action was very beneficial. When you have a child that is language delayed, you want to do as much at home as you can – after all, our children are at home most of all! And this DVD helped me do that.”  Kristyn, mother from New Hampshire

All of this for only $39.99???

It can be expensive teaching your child to communicate.

Conferences that teach parents and therapists cost hundreds of dollars  and take up hours and hours of time.

But the Teach Me To Talk DVD has all the information you need for only $39.99. That’s less than 1/3 the cost of a typical one-day training conference.

And the Teach Me To Talk DVD is packed full of ideas and tips you can use all day, every day as your child learns to communicate. Plus, it’s yours to keep and watch over and over again until you master the techniques.

“I have worked with quite a few speech therapists in my practice as a developmental interventionist. In ten years, I’ve only worked with one that was universally appreciated by parents and young children alike! Thanks to this DVD, you no longer have to live in our county to benefit from Laura Mize’s unique and effective approach. For a minimal investment, she comes live to your living room to demonstrate her highly successful approach to speech and language therapy.” Kate, Developmental Interventionist, Kentucky

To order, click this link.

Teach Me To Talk the DVD is now available for $39.99 plus shipping. Order yours now!

“A lot of the therapy techniques that you use, some and or all of his therapists have used EXCEPT for a few things. First, your enthusiasm, it’s AWESOME!!!!! I have never seen any of my son’s therapists be so upbeat and fun as you were in your video. I wish they had been because I know my son would respond so well to that in therapy. Any time I play with him at home and do some of the things you do with your kids, like tickling them and just being ‘silly,’ his whole frame of mind changes and I can usually get him to try whatever it is again at least one more time.” Holly, mother from New Hampshire

Watch how you can learn sign language to help teach your child to communicate.

“I also like the emphasis put on signing with your child. I was very hesitant to do this with my son at first, I was afraid it would hurt his speech development, but it helped him learn that he has to do something to get something, now anytime I hear someone say they are hesitant about signing, I pipe up and tell them to please consider it. What a great DVD! It will be a huge help to other parents like me!” Julie, mother from Illinois

Teach Me To Talk the DVD is now available for $39.99 plus shipping. Order yours now!

Get The Must-Have Speech Therapy DVD Recommended For Both Parents and Professionals!

The Teach Me To Talk DVD was especially designed for parents. But the techniques used are equally beneficial for professionals. Anyone who works with young children can learn from these PROVEN, EFFECTIVE techniques, including speech-language pathologists, developmental interventionists and therapists, occupational therapists, service coordinators, family therapists, and preschool teachers.

“I think this DVD is a tremendous & invaluable guidance tool for parents, preschool teachers, caregivers, and other therapists (speech, occupational, developmental, etc) and should be used as an accessory aid for anyone involved in early childhood development.” Ranjana, pediatrician and mother, Ohio

“Teach Me to Talk is an easy to watch DVD that empowers parents and caregivers with the ‘how to’ skills to not only promote speech development, but also PLAY. As an occupational therapist, I believe that play is an important ‘job’ for a child, but it requires more interaction from a parent than just watching a child play. Finally, parents have a visual tool that teaches them how to interact and play with their child so that he or she will not only learn to talk but will be on the road to reaching their optimal potential! The techniques are easy to implement, and you will discover playing with your child is actually fun!” Carey White, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist

The Teach Me To Talk program is so effective, university speech pathology programs all over the world have ordered this DVD to train their new grad students! Several state early intervention agencies have purchased Teach Me To Talk for their loan libraries to make these proven techniques available to parents and therapists.

Why? Because the experts know,Teach Me To Talk does exactly what it says it does.

“This is an excellent training DVD for parents of late talkers. The strategies that Laura teaches are the same ones she used when working with my son, who has apraxia of speech. My son made incredible progress working with Laura. These strategies are very effective and easy to apply to a variety of speech and Ianguage disorders. I wish all speech therapists possessed this level of knowledge and skill. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I would recommend this DVD to my parents of late talkers. As a Mom of a late talker, I would recommend this DVD to all speech therapists working with children.” Laurie Felty, Speech-Language Pathologist

“I just finished your DVD. It was great! I really got into it and actually found myself taking notes! As a PSC (early intervention service coordinator) it was helpful to see the speech therapy in motion so I can answer some questions from parents. As an OT is was refreshing to see some OT techniques embedded into the speech therapy activities.” Cindy, Louisville, KY

“Thank you so much for allowing me to preview your DVD! I will put these techniques into practice myself on Monday morning with my clients! They’re not going to recognize me anymore! I learned so much from watching you provide therapy, and I will never use those same approaches again. This DVD has rekindled my excitement for pediatric speech therapy. I can?t wait for next week to come so I can try them out! One more thing – Why didn’t they teach me this in grad school? Thanks again!” Penelope, Speech-Language Pathologist, Kansas

Another Mom’s Testimonial

Even experienced therapists struggle with the challenge of providing therapy that’s developmentally-appropriate for toddlers.

One on hand, it needs to be entertaining enough to hold their attention. But on the other hand, it needs to provide real growth and learning opportunities in order to be “therapeutic.” Teach Me To Talk effortlessly combines the two, illustrating WHAT to do and HOW to do it in a wide range of situations.

“What I especially loved was that it wasn’t just clips of the PERFECT session; you showed us what to do when a kid turned away, or lost interest, or was more difficult to engage (for instance, touching the child or changing their position). Let’s face it, sometimes kids have their own agenda!” Kristyn, mother of a child with apraxia, New Hampshire

The 1 hour Teach Me To Talk DVD is packed with plenty of “HOW TO” examples you can begin using right away with clients in your practice. Learn how to make therapy FUN, how to keep a busy toddler’s attention, and how to select successful and age-appropriate techniques that will lead to SUCCESS for you and your clients.

You’ll see toys that are “winners” with children at various developmental levels from 12-36 months old, watching the kids in action and seeing how the toys work.

“Just watching how my son interacted with the DVD made me a believer in how engaged he will become once it stops being ‘work’ and begins being fun.” Robyn, mother of a 3 year old with a language delay and apraxia, Wyoming

You’ll learn how to use play and food as THE focus for therapy — not just the reward at the end of the session!

“The whole idea of using food during speech is awesome. I will usually reward him with something after therapy especially if his self esteem is a little low that day or he’s just having an off day, but I never thought of buying something to use when working with him, nor have any of his therapists used food .” Holly, mother of a 3 year old with apraxia, New Hampshire

Teach Me To Talk is packed with essential, must-have tips to make your sessions more natural, more kid-friendly, and most importantly, more effective.

“If you are the parent of a young child who has been in speech therapy, you may have already learned the hard way that children don’t necessarily respond to all speech therapists efforts to ‘teach them to talk.’ Despite being well intentioned, far too many speech therapists attempt to implement the same strategies that they use with school- age children or mistakenly believe that young children ‘choose’ not to talk. As a result, young children are frequently frustrated by inappropriate techniques or by speech therapists who aren’t using developmentally appropriate techniques.” Kate, Developmental Interventionist, Kentucky

Of course, there are plenty of things that just DON’T work with toddlers, and you’ll learn what those are too! Watch here as Teach Me To Talk illustrates a classic example of one of the most common mistakes parents and professionals make when trying to teach a toddler to communicate:

Teach Me To Talk the DVD is now available for an introductory offer of $39.99 plus shipping and handling. This is for a limited time only! Click here to order.

More feedback….

“I also liked the tips in the ‘withholding’ section. A lot of times, we Moms are instructed to do so (by putting toys out of reach and such), but sometimes it is difficult to judge just how much is too much or how long is too long. You gave easy to understand tip to follow. How to push just far enough to elicit a response, but not so far as to discourage language, or cause too much frustration.” Kristyn, mom from New Hampshire

“I love the part about not ruining the interaction and to keep it going with humor, this is SO important. I can’t tell you how many times I probably lost Gabe in the process of working with him because it was too drill like. The withholding concept is explained perfectly. It was never explained to me as well as you did, I failed to keep it playful and as a result totally killed the communication with Gabe. As you say in the DVD, you will miss the effectiveness and the child won’t learn anything! I plan on trying to keep things much more playful with him from now on when it comes to withholding.” Julie, Mom from Illinois

If you’ve been struggling to help a late talker learn to communicate, there’s no need to wait another day to hear those precious words. Order Teach Me To Talk today, and you’ll be on your way to a healthier, happier relationship with your child tomorrow.

Teach Me To Talk the DVD is available NOW for an introductory offer of $39.99 plus shipping. This is for a limited time only! Order yours now! Click here.

Read more feedback from parents and SLPs alike –

“As members of the medical community and parents of two toddlers who experienced speech delay, we can personally attest to the value and effectiveness of Laura’s instructional video, Teach Me to Talk.The teaching points reinforced throughout the DVD are parent friendly, reproducible, and easy to follow.Laura repeatedly demonstrates simple and effective techniques that promote language skills, while at the same time emphasizing a fun and engaging environment for both parent and child.Jane Rice, RN and Michael Rice, MD

“Hi Laura. I just finished watching your DVD and am so impressed You really did a terrific job putting everything into “parent-friendly” language, and your examples are super. Thanks so much for doing this. I look forward to sharing it with the parents in our practice. By the way, I am working on a 3rd edition for my “Childhood Speech, Language & Listening Problems: What Every Parent Should Know” book, and I will definitely include your DVD and website. You have so much great information on there.” Patti Hamaguchi, Speech-Language Pathologist and Director, Hamaguchi & Associates, Cupertino, CA 

“I have been a Speech and Language Pathologist for 12 years, and I have worked in the early intervention for the last 2 years.In my quest to provide the best services I could for the children I worked with, I scoured the internet looking for therapy tips.I hit a gold mine when I found Laura Mize’s Teach Me to Talk website.Her website has wonderfully informative articles, but being the visual person that I am, it was even more helpful to see her therapy techniques in action.The Teach Me to Talk DVD is a valuable tool for anyone looking for hands on ideas to help develop speech and language skills for toddlers, and it is an especially valuable tool for those in the profession. No matter if you are a seasoned pro or a grad student; you will surely find many helpful tips and ideas to make the most of your therapy sessions with toddlers. he DVD does a great job of putting the information into very simple and easy to understand steps.I also found it helpful that Laura did not just show the sessions where ‘everything’ goes perfect, because in the real therapy world it often does not.Her DVD includes several clips that show you how to playfully re-direct those ‘little angels’ when they might not be at their ‘toddler best.’This is really a wonderful tool, and I will be recommending the DVD not only to my early intervention parents, but also to the other early intervention speech therapist I know.” —Yvonne Smith, Speech and Language Pathologist MS, CCC-SLP, Sacramento, California

To order and see other products from teachmetotalk.com, click here.

This DVD is now available for ASHA CEUs for SLPs! Order the DVD and then click here for CEU information and to purchase!

The post “Discover The Best Approach To Teach Your Toddler To Talk” appeared first on teachmetotalk.com.

If this is your first visit, I’d like to tell you how I recommend “first timers” navigate the site because I have TONS of info on here that may not be apparent to you with your first click!

The site is organized in chronological order with the newest entries listed first here on the home page below the green banner.

However, lots of my best information is in the older articles and most of those articles are listed by category in the BLOG section. Click BLOG for a drop down list and choose the topic that most interests you. Once you’ve clicked on that section, you’ll see articles beginning with the most recent. I started this website in 2008 so there are hundreds of posts. You may want to scroll down to the bottom of the page and hit “next page” until you’re all the way back to the beginning of so that you can read those detailed “how to” posts first. I wrote lots and lots and lots of those kinds of posts in 2008 and 2009. The information is still EXCELLENT for parents as well as professionals. If you’re looking for in-depth information, start there!

Another category I’d like to tell you about is in VIDEOS. I have over 35 short (most are less than 10 to 15 minutes) videos here for free in my Therapy Tip of the Week series. You can also watch those on teachmetotalk.com’s  youtube channel. Most of the videos are ideas for a particular toy or activity. I walk you through how to work with toddlers and young preschoolers with language delays and provide suggestions for goals for each issue you might be working on at home or in therapy.

In 2008 I started a podcast where I host a weekly show about topics related to late talking toddlers. I used to do the show with a co-host and you can still hear those, but now I have guests or it’s just me! The podcast has thousands of listeners, both parents of children with developmental delays and professionals who work with young children with language delays. Scroll through the podcasts until you find show titles that are most applicable for your situation. You may also want to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and listen from your smart phone or another device.

If you’re looking for resources, I’ve developed a whole line of DVD and therapy manuals to help parents and early intervention therapists. Click here for more information about those products.

If you haven’t signed up for my free eBook, do it now! It’s full of information, particularly for parents who are just beginning to search for answers. You’ll also receive updates and special offers when you subscribe including a coupon code for a nice discount on any teachmetotalk.com product.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you find what you’re looking for to help your baby! If not, leave me a comment with your questions, and I’ll try to point you in the right direction.

Laura

——————————————————————————-

More information about Laura

The post New to this Site? appeared first on teachmetotalk.com.

?

?

?

?

?

The post See a Toddler Using Sign Language appeared first on teachmetotalk.com.

• Choose signs that your toddler can USE to make a difference in his world. I always teach words for things he already tries to ask for first since knowing what your kid wants when he’s crying, grunting, and pointing makes a HUGE difference in reducing his frustration level.
• Choose signs for your toddler’s favorite things since she will be more motivated to use her new signs.
• Initially choose signs to teach that look very different from each other so that you and your child are not confused.

For specific directions on how to teach signs or why using signs with late talking toddlers is beneficial, please refer back to the post “Talking Before Speaking Using Sign Language to Increase Communication Skills in Late Talking Toddlers.”

Look below the lists to find links to specific signs and a rationale for teaching certain signs. If you don’t see a sign you’d like to teach your child, click on this site to search for it. (Click on the word “site” to access the link.)

I also love this site. They have many cute photos of babies signing in their small but useful dictionary. There are also lots of great articles about the benefits of signing and lots of?books or videos to purchase if you really want to pursue this for your family.

First Signs – more, eat, milk, all done, please

I always teach these signs first because these are easy to do, and parents report that these are the ones that their children need to use the most initially. Click the word to see the sign.

More

Some experts don’t like this sign because it’s so general, but that’s exactly why I still teach this one first. It’s all-purpose, very simple to help your baby perform, and it’s very univeral. Many daycare and preschool teachers recognize this, even if they don’t know very many signs.

Eat

Talk about one of life’s basic functions! Most parents love introducing this sign because asking for food is one of the earliest requests babies make.

Milk
Again this is a sign for something babies ask for all day long.

All Done
Very useful because it gives your toddler control over his environment.

Please

I use this for requests, particularly when a child can’t say or sign the thing he wants, but I still want him to learn to “ask”?for it.

Go

I use this sign often during play – from making cars, trucks, or trains “go,” or in a game of chase, or as a starter word for any social game as in “Ready Set GO!” Instead of the ASL version of this sign, I make fists and then roll my hands and arms in front of my body.

Open

I use this sign often during play since toddlers usually need help to “open” most containers, doors, or really any kind of toy. For this sign I place my hands palms down in front of my body then turn them over to expose my palms.

Next Signs

Snack Foods – cookie, cracker, fish (for goldfish), chip, candy (I use this mostly for fruit snacks and other candies), juice, water, cup/drink

Favorite Activities-choo-choo, ball, book, bubbles, car/truck, plane, baby (for dolls)

Favorite Animals – dog, cat, fish, bird, duck, bear (Many children’s books, pajamas, stuffed animals, and room decor are based on these.)

I always teach signs for a child’s favorite snacks and toys, activities, and animals next since these are highly motivating for him to learn. The following signs are among the most popular I have used for many years. If you can’t find your child’s favorites here, search for it using this link or here.

A word of caution – Please don’t encourage your child to use the same sign for all liquids he drinks or all snack foods he eats. While many new talkers generalize language (They call all animals “dogs,”all vehicles”cars,” or all men “Dada,” you want to work to expand their language when it makes sense. This is especially so with requests. Just as you wouldn’t give him a green bean when he asks for a cookie, try to resist the urge to make it easier to call all snacks the same thing. I do have one exception that I ponder in my mind all the time – just what do you call an animal cracker; is it a cookie or a cracker?)

Cookie

One site I like lists this as the most important sign in a toddler’s life. I agree!

Cracker

Another popular snack and a great one to teach since it looks so different from any of the other signs.

Fish
I use this for goldfish to help differentiate from the cracker sign. I also use it to label any other fish- the real thing, a toy, or a picture in a book.

Chip? (No link provided)

I use a modified version of this sign since the ASL version is too hard for toddlers. Place index finger & thumbs together in front of body (like more) and then pull hands apart. I can’t find a picture of this one on line, but I modified it from the sign for Computer Chip a long time ago. It’s worked for the kids and families I’ve used it with.

Candy

I use this sign for fruit snacks and other candies. I use the version listed at Signing Baby.com, but they are darn picky about using any of their photos on other sites according to their copyright information, so I may have to take this link down if I get negative feedback! I point my index finger on my check and twist it several times. You may not want to offer candy often, but it can be a powerful motivator!

Juice
I use a modified ASL version of this sign by performing a “j” in the air with my index finger since the pinkie finger is too difficult for toddlers to isolate. Many times kids just end up wiggling their index fingers in the air. You can try the The Baby Signs version, but it’s too similar to milk in my opinion.

Water

Kids who like water or for parents who insist on water.

Cup/Drink

I teach this one as the same sign and use the words interchangeably. I know, I know. I am contradicting myself again about teaching the same sign for different words, but this is one case when parents might prefer to use the noun “cup” or the verb “drink” to mean the same thing.

Choo-choo (No link)

Choo-choo is easier to say because of the duplicated syllables and is more novel than saying “train,” so toddlers seem to prefer this version. Pull arm down as if pulling a train’s whistle. I can’t find a picture of this one anywhere, but it’s easy, and it’s a keeper!

Ball
Many toddlers say this word rather than signing it, which is WONDERFUL, but I included the sign just in case your child can’t say it just yet.

Book

Many late talkers detest reading books, but most of them like to carry them around or chew on them. Use it whenever/however you can.

Bubbles (No link)

This activity is almost guaranteed to elicit words and sounds from toddlers. For hints for using bubbles see the post titled “Facilitating Words – Moving Beyond Grunting and Pointing.” I can’t find a great link for this one either, but I use this sign everyday. I alterante opening and closing both hands like I’m popping bubbles.

Car/Truck
Little hands cannot differentiate these signs, so I sign them the same way, but I always say the appropriate word for what we’re using.

Plane

Another popular sign for the kids who love vehicles. Also useful for pointing them out in the sky. If your child can’t do the ASL version, I prefer to hold both of my arms out beside my body like wings. This also makes the sign look different from others.

Baby

A very cute sign to use for dolls and real life babies.

Dog
The most popular animal sign ever. I always pant after I say, “dog.” Many times this is the first imitation of anything near a word I get with late talkers. I always use the first part of the sign, patting my leg. I rarely have a kid who can even try to snap his fingers.

Cat

Another cute and popular sign.

Bird
Lots of kids use this one. Teach it well after drink is established, or you’ll be confused.

Duck
I use the whole hand instead of a few fingers so that it looks dramatically different from bird. You child may still confuse the two signs, but rely on context to know which one he’s signing. Don’t forget to “quack” to help differentiate the sign/word.

Bear

A favorite one for kids who love teddy bears.

——————————————————————————————-

If your child has learned all of these signs, he knows more than 25 different signs! What an accomplishment!!! When you’re ready for more ideas, check out the post titled First 100 Words – Advancing Vocabulary with Words and Signs.

The post Early Sign Language Vocabulary appeared first on teachmetotalk.com.

Social Function Words

more, please, thank you, hi/hello, bye-bye, again, sorry,?uh-oh, yes/uh-huh/okay, no/uh-uh

Common Action Words (Verbs)

eat, drink, go, stop, run, jump, walk, sleep/night-night, wash, kiss, open, close, push, pull, fix, broke, play,want, hug, love, hurt, tickle, give (“gimme”), all gone, all done, dance, help, fall, shake, see, watch, look, sit, stand (up), throw, catch, blow, cry, throw, swing, slide, climb, ride, rock, come (“C’mon”), color/draw

Location Words (Prepositions)

up, down, in, out, off, on, here, there (Plus later ones such as around, under, behind, over at/after age 3)

Descriptive Words (Adjectives/Adverbs)

big, little, hot, cold, loud, quiet, yucky, icky, scary, funny, silly, dirty, clean, gentle, wet, soft, fast, slow, color words (red, blue, yellow, green, pink, orange, purple, black, white, brown) and quantity words (all, none, more, some, rest, plus early number words – especially 1, 2, 3)

Early Pronouns

me, mine, my, I, you, it (Then toward age 3 the gender pronouns such as he, she, him, her )

Just in case you’re wondering, here’s a list of the most common nouns:

ball, book, choo–choo, train, bike, rain, bubbles, car, truck, boat, plane, baby, bowl, spoon, diaper, sock, shoe, shirt, pants, hat, star, flower, house, tree, brush, towel, bath, chair, table, bed, blanket, light, cookie, cracker, chip, cheese, apple, banana, ice cream, cereal (Cheerios/ “O’s”), candy, milk, juice, water, dog, cat, fish, bird, duck, cow, horse, bunny, bear, pig, lion, elephant, giraffe, zebra, monkey, chicken, butterfly, bee, frog, alligator, snake

Plus names for people – Mama, Dada, brother and sister names, pet names, grandparents & other family members, and favorite characters such as Elmo, Dora, Diego,etc…

The post First 100 Words – Advancing Your Toddler’s Vocabulary With Words and Signs appeared first on teachmetotalk.com.

What Sign Language Is?

Learning sign language is incorporating a few key gestures into your daily routines when a parent talks with the child.  Babies then learn to use the same key gestures to “talk” back to the adult. This process becomes communicative and enhances the normal parent-child connection. Most speech-language pathologists and other pediatric interventionists use American Sign Language (ASL), the same sign language that hearing impaired individuals use. Another popular method is “Baby Signs, a system of modified signs pioneered by Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn.” These signs were designed to closely match naturally-occurring gestures for words. In my practice I teach and use both. Some of the ASL signs are too difficult for little hands to master, so I teach the Baby Sign version for that particular word. However, using ASL is universal in the educational field, so many teachers and therapists recognize and use the same signs. This can be quite helpful if a child goes to preschool, daycare, or has more than one therapist on his team.

What Sign Language Is Not?

Some parents get so caught up in the initial excitement of signing that they enroll in courses and invest lots of money in textbooks and videos. Just when the parents really get going, their kid decides to go and TALK! I’ve seen parents almost disappointed that signs may not be a lasting”second” language for their kids. For me and for most parents, using sign language is a means to an end. We want the child to become communicative and eventually talk. Signing is one way to help accomplish our overall goal.

Benefits of Signing

Researchers, particularly the National Institutes of Health, have conducted studies that revealed the following benefits of using signs with babies & toddlers:

1. Using signs reduces frustration. Signing gives the child a symbolic way to communicate before he’s able to speak. This reduces stress for everyone because (finally!) there’s way for him to let you know what he needs beyond crying, pointing, and grunting.

2. Signing may make learning to talk easier (and sometimes faster) for children. When children are exposed to signs, they experience the “word” in a multi-sensory way. They hear the word as you say it, see it as you sign it, feel as they sign it, and then finally say it. There’s also good evidence that producing an accompanying motor movement makes it easier for some children to produce the word.

3. Signing stimulates intellectual development and emotional growth. Research has proven that upon entering kindergarten, kids who used signs had higher language scores, used more sophisticated play, and had IQ averages 12 points higher at age 8. (These studies were performed on children who were described as typically developing.) In the book Baby Signs, authors Acredolo and Goodwyn state, “Signing allows you to see how smart your baby really is.” This is so true for kids who aren’t talking yet. Many people assume that they’re not smart, and this is often not the case. On the emotional side, signing gives children a “can do” attitude. It gives kids power to control what happens in their lives, and their self-esteem and confidence is boosted. This is so important for late talkers. You can see the pride on their little faces when they finally realize, “I can make Mommy understand what I need!”

Will signing prevent my baby from learning to talk?

I always answer this question with an emphatic NO! It’s actually the opposite! As noted above, there are lots of reasons, backed by research, that prove that signing does not keep a baby from talking. Some parents are afraid that signing makes a baby “lazy” about using words. This is absolutely false!!! When babies can talk, they do talk. I promise! Not signing because you’re scared your baby would prefer to use signs instead of words is as crazy as saying you won’t let your baby crawl because you are afraid he won’t learn to walk, or not teaching your baby to wave bye-bye because you think he might not learn to say “bye-bye.” Signing is an extension of using gestures to communicate. As long as you keep emphasizing the spoken word as you sign, your baby will associate the word with the sign and drop the sign when he or she can consistently say the word. Trust me on this.  I have RARELY seen a kid hold onto signs past the point when he or she could communicate verbally proficiently. On the rare occasion that this happens, the kid hangs onto a favorite sign or two, and then it’s pretty easy to fix at that point because you insist that he say the word. Please don’t let this little issue that very likely will NEVER happen keep you from trying signing. Any person,(I don’t care if it’s a therapist, doctor, teacher, or whoever) who tries to discourage signing because they think it might prevent talking is, for a lack of a better word, wrong! It absolutely, positively helps.

Getting Started

There are many good programs available to help you teach your baby to sign if you feel you need one. I’ve already mentioned Baby Signs, a book by Acredolo and Goodwyn. There’s also a book and video on teaching signs to your baby called Sign with Your Baby by Dr. Joseph Garcia. The Signing Times series is a darling set of videos that kids and parents can watch together and learn the signs. Many PBS stations air this program. (Let me emphasize WATCH TOGETHER. It does a child no good to learn to use signs if his parents don’t know what he’s communicating! Again, let me restate that parents should be very careful about the amount of TV, even good quality programming such as this, that they allow children to view, particularly for children under 2. See the post entitled “No TV” for the scary truth about television viewing.)

There are also many good sites on the Internet that demonstrate signs. Look for my post in the next few days entitled “Early Sign Language Vocabulary” for links to my favorite sites.

Before I would invest in books or videos on signing, I would start simple by teaching your baby a few signs on your own. As I’ve stated throughout this site, learning from mommy and daddy is much more effective than learning from a video!

There aren’t many special skills your baby needs to have mastered before you introduce signs. If your baby is waving, clapping, pointing, or shaking her head no, then she’s already using the fine motor skills she needs to sign, and she’s already mastered the concept of gesturing to make things happen in her world. Is your baby bringing things to you for you both to look at together? Then your baby already understands the concepts of initiating communication and of joint attention. I have taught signs to children who weren’t using these kinds of gestures yet, but it makes it much easier if they are.

Children who may not be ready to sign include those who are demonstrating overall developmental lags. This includes delays in cognitive skills (the way she’s learning and thinking), those with problems in social interaction (Children who don’t or rarely have an interest in other people. For example, they could care less if they attend to what you’re showing them, or they never take the initiative to get your attention), or those who have severe motor coordination problems, may not be able or ready to sign when you first begin. As a concerned parent I’d go ahead and try to introduce a few basic signs, even if you’re not sure if your child is ready. You may be surprised! For kids with motor problems, recognize that his first attempts to sign may be off-target just as we recognize that our child’s first word attempts often don’t sound perfect either. Look for and reward the effort. For kids who lack the social interaction skills, work on these first, and then try signing during times when they are highly motivated to get something from you.

The most important thing to do with signing is to make it FUN! In the Acredolo & Goodwyn book, the authors emphasize, “Make signing a game and not a chore.” They recommend that signs be worked into your day, and not practiced during structured, set-aside “signing lessons.” I have found that parents typically do better when they associate using signs with particular daily routines, such as snack time, bath-time, and especially during play time.

Signs should always be done in context. For example, don’t teach your baby the sign for banana unless you have one and are ready to eat it! Once your baby is signing, don’t have him “show off” signs when it doesn’t make sense. Many parents do this with signs (and words!) for grandparents and friends. They have their kids “perform” by signing or saying words when the object/event is not there. This is very confusing, especially for late talkers. You ask him to show Grandma the sign for “more” when there’s nothing there to ask for, and he’s thinking, “More what?” Or worse, he starts to sign “more,” and you give him nothing in return! During therapy sessions mothers are always trying to get their kids to repeat a new word for me that they might have said earlier in the day or week during a specific event. More often that not, the child does not repeat the word, much to the disappointment of his mother. The?reason for this is that it just doesn’t make sense to the child. Resist the temptation and “keep it real.” If you want him to show off his new skill, set up a real situation, and then have him use the sign.

How to Introduce Signs

1. Always, always, always say the word you’re signing. The child needs to associate the word, sign, and object/event/picture you’re labeling as one in the same. Don’t forget to continue to prompt the word, even if you don’t think your child will or can say it. Sometimes a child will surprise you by saying a word when you are working on teaching the sign. Accept this “gift” and move on to a new sign. Don’t insist that he do the sign too if he’s saying the word. Remember – speech is your goal! The only time I try to get a child to use a sign when he’s also saying the word is when his speech is so unintelligible that his parents have no idea what he is saying.

2. Pick out a few basic signs to get started. Don’t try to learn a sign for every word you say. There will be a suggested list for signs to teach in the next few days in another post entitled “Early Sign Language Vocabulary.” Pick all-purpose signs like “more” or “please,” as well as signs for your toddler’s favorite things.  Signs associated with food usually work the best in the beginning.

Signs I Don’t Teach – With late talkers, I never teach a sign for a word he can already say. I also never teach the signs for gestures he may already use or when the gesture is easier, such as shaking your head for “no” and “yes.” I also never teach the alphabet or numbers with signs to toddlers. It makes no sense to teach them “academic” signs at 1 or 2 (or even at 3 or 4 in my opinion!). They need to learn signs they can really use in their daily environment.

3. Repeat the sign and word many times. You have to say the word and show a sign many, many times for a baby to learn the association. Point and show him the object again and again while you are saying the word and signing. Always keep the sign in context so it makes sense.

4. Help your baby perform the sign. This is the number one reason parents report failure during their previous attempts to teach a toddler to use signs. Some children may resist your help, but go ahead and provide gentle guidance to help him get started. I don’t force kids to do it, but I do continue to provide lots of help until they begin to forcibly resist. Even then I might persist in hand-over-hand assistance at least sometimes, because many late talkers are not coordinated enough to imitate signs without help. They often don’t realize this themselves. You might also find it helpful to use a firmer touch since light pressure is often uncomfortable and almost ticklish to some children with tactile defensiveness.

5. Accept your baby’s version of the sign, even if it’s not perfect. Many babies aren’t coordinated enough to imitate signs exactly like you show them. For example, many babies modify the sign for “more,” which is typically done by tapping together the fingers of both hands. Some initially clap, some tap their fists, and still some tap one finger of one hand to an open palm of the other. Praise and reward his attempts. Don’t correct him since he’s not likely going to use his signs forever. The prize is communication, not perfect signing. If you can remember his version, accept it and move on to a new one.

The only times I “correct” signs are when a baby is using one that’s very similar to another sign, or when I am prompting one sign and the baby uses another one. For example, I am saying and signing “please” and the toddler is signing “more.” By correcting, I mean moving his hands to form the correct sign.

Another common problem is “scrolling.” A child might perform every sign he knows hoping he gets to the right one. When this happens, I always place his hands in his lap to stop the “scrolling,” and then I model the correct sign and word. Most of the time this means that you are teaching too many signs too quickly and your child is on overload. It could also be that he is so excited that he can’t stop and think before he tries to communicate what he wants. Either way, slow down and let him master the signs he’s learned before teaching new ones.

6. When your toddler can consistently use a sign, don’t continue to model the sign yourself.  Model (say) the word and let him do the sign by himself. This increases the complexity of the task. Prompt the sign by saying, “How do we sign ___________?” or, “Show me _____.” This also helps him become spontaneous, or to begin to use signs on his own.

7. Praise and reward your child lavishly for signing. Smile, clap, and respond enthusiastically when your kid signs. Oh – and don’t forget to reward him by giving him what he’s asked for! Nothing is more disappointing to a brand new signer than performing a sign and getting a big “no” or worse, no response. Many years ago I had a mother show me a picture of her daughter in her sleeper signing “candy” at 6:00 am. While I wouldn’t give my own daughter an entire package of M&Ms before breakfast, I would have gladly given her 1/2 a piece of fruit snack just to prove that I “got it” when she signed. Look for a way to reward his or her early attempts, even if it goes against your initial instincts. Reinforcing communication in a late talker is more important than proving what a controlling mom or dad you can be.

8. Teach all the adults and older children in your child’s life his signs. I can’t tell you the number of times a mother has told me that her child’s dad/grandmother/babysitter/sister asked, “What does (sign) mean?” I think this is even more frustrating for a child who is a late talker because she can’t say the word, and now someone doesn’t know what she’s trying to sign!

9. Be patient and persistent. The only time I stop teaching new signs is when a kid is talking well. I keep modeling signs for a nonverbal kid for months. (But I always make sure we’re working on the foundational skills for signing – using other gestures, joint attention, and interacting.) I don’t give up after a few sessions if they don’t get it, and as a parent, you shouldn’t give up either. Keep making (oops- I mean “helping”) him do it, and one day, he’ll get it. I have told many parents and new therapists, you can’t make a kid talk, but you can make him sign!

10. This is worth repeating – MAKE SIGNING FUN! Use something very motivating such as snack foods or his favorite activity. For a description of how to do this, look under the post”Facilitating Words – Moving Beyond Grunting and Pointing” in the Featured Articles section for specific additional directions. I want to encourage you to make learning to communicate the most fun thing your toddler gets to do in the course of the day! When you are enjoying yourself, your baby will enjoy himself. Enough said!

The post Talking Before Speaking? Using Sign Language to Increase Communication Skills in Late Talking Toddlers appeared first on teachmetotalk.com.