Author: Caroline Vance MS CCC SLP

Recently children have been prone to excessive screen time use due to greater accessibility from tablets and smartphones.  It is understandable parents are busy and need rest time themselves, however, excessive use can be damaging to a child’s growth and socialization.  Here are some recommendations on how to use screen time appropriately and reduce potential damage that excessive screens may be causing your child. How to cut down on screen time: Lead by example Children follow what they see.  If the child’s caregiver is scrolling on their phone while the family is at the dinner table, the child is watching and may internalize this as acceptable behavior. Have designated times and places where screen time is restricted If possible, try

Engaging in play based tasks with toddlers and young children is a great way to target language.  Language targets can be “disguised” into play, making it fun for both adults and kids to work on their skills.  Sometimes when we place demands on children during structured tasks they might back off and elope from the activity.  Here are a few activities/games/toys that I have used to work on receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language skills during play. Cars/Car Ramp: Think of some key words/concepts that go along with this activity (i.e. “go” “stop” ), environmental sounds (i.e. “beep beep” “weee ohhh”), size concepts (“big” “small”), locative concepts (up/down, in/on top/under), quality concepts (colors), quantity concepts (1, 2, 3)  to incorporate throughout

  The Stuttering Foundation is a great resource for parents, caregivers, and educators who are looking for assistance with their child’s fluency. This page highlights some key strategies to implement when engaging in conversation with your child: Reduce your pace Demonstrate “full body listening” Avoid asking questions consecutively Take turns during conversation Help build confidence by using specific language Implement “special time” into your daily schedule Discipline per usual, no special treatment https://www.stutteringhelp.org/7-tips-talking-your-child-0?gclid=Cj0KCQjw852XBhC6ARIsAJsFPN1CFGMaXKBxLKGu83yqsaMz-jePL4TZ_X_j_WwvCNBuUlmI02BGKP0aAi5CEALw_wcB