They don't know how to imitate words... which is always linked to late talking. In fact, imitating can be the most important thing that separates late talkers from toddlers who are already talking. Imitating is how toddlers learn everything, especially how to talk! So... how do we teach nonverbal toddlers to imitate? Obviously, we can't start by trying to teach them to say words. They're not able to repeat words no matter how much we beg, bribe, and plead! What most parents of late talkers don't know is that there are "levels" of imitation that all kids learn before they begin to talk... whether a child talks late or on time.
During their first year and a half, babies learn these levels of imitation easily and naturally as they mature and grow. When a child doesn't begin to talk on time, we know that a child has gotten "stuck" in an earlier level of imitation and hasn't been able to progress to imitating words. When this happens, we must determine where they're "stuck," meet them there, and then help them learn to imitate at higher levels until they're developmentally ready to imitate real words. Once they're imitating easily and frequently, we've turned them into full-time imitators, which leads to a child who talks!
Our CEU program features intermediate course material for professionals and ultra-committed parents and always includes detailed PDF handouts ready to print and share with families. We also take a deep dive into analyzing therapy clips with toddlers and their families with new teaching segments and videos of therapy sessions dissected and analyzed during the course to help you better understand a child's issues and effectively implement evidence-based, science-backed strategies that WORK!
Over 10 years ago, I developed a chart for teaching late talkers how to imitate. That information was originally released in my therapy manual Building Verbal Imitation Skills in Toddlers and then I taught the course live all over the country. Now, this information is available in 1 to 2-hour courses you can watch online completely for FREE. I love that we're able to offer that!
Here's a page for the shows. The first one is below. Get started!
Watching the podcast is always FREE. Therapists... follow the directions below for obtaining continuing education credit.
The best part of this series is the handout PDF for each show with parent handout or CE credit purchase.
Building Verbal Imitation Skills in Toddlers
In this 180-page therapy manual Laura Mize, pediatric speech-language pathologist explains the hierarchy of verbal imitation skills she teaches to therapists throughout the country. This simple, straight-forward approach is easy for both parents and therapists to understand and implement during familiar play-based activities and daily routines. Laura’s method delivers a framework for knowing where to begin work with a late-talking child, provides ideas for what to try when a young child’s progress stalls, and can serve as your new approach when your standard methods don’t seem to be adequate for a particular child’s issues.
Parent's: Buy The Entire Building Verbal Imitation in Late Talkers Podcast PDFs Here
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ASHA CEU CREDIT COURSESBuilding Verbal Imitation in Late Talkers Podcast Series
Watch for free anytime!
ASHA CEU COURSE #422 Imitation Matters! The Building Verbal Imitation in Late Talkers Podcast Series
ASHA CEU COURSE #423 Teach Me To Imitate Actions with Objects: Building Verbal Imitation in Late Talkers Podcast Series
ASHA CEU COURSE #424 Teach Me To Imitate Body Movements & Gestures: The Building Verbal Imitation in Late Talkers Podcast Series
ASHA CEU Course #425 Teach Me To Imitate Face and Mouth Movements: The Building Verbal Imitation in Late Talkers Podcast Series
ASHA CEU Course #426 Teach Me To Imitate Easy, Early Vocalizations: The Building Verbal Imitation in Late Talkers Podcast Series
ASHA CEU Course #428 Teach Me To Imitate New Words: The Building Verbal Imitation in Late Talkers Podcast Series
ASHA CEU Course #429 Teach Me To Imitate Phrases: The Building Verbal Imitation in Late Talkers Podcast Series
ASHA CEU Course #427 Teach Me To Imitate Verbal Routines: The Building Verbal Imitation in Late Talkers Podcast Series
Teach Me To Talk Testimonials
Happy Therapists, Teachers, Parents & Children
"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
