Author: Margaret Morris MS CCC SLP

    New research from a team of psychologists at the University of Miami finds that preschoolers produce the same amount of language whether or not they are wearing masks.  Researchers used a device which tracks the number of language sounds coming from the person who wears it, in order to monitor the language of two classes of preschoolers.  When they compared the class from early 2020 (pre-Covid pandemic) with the class of teachers and children who wore masks, they found no change in the children’s ability to learn and produce language.  The study also included children with hearing loss, who often exhibit language delays. While they anticipated that mask wearing might affect these students most, they found no difference

  Oral language skills are the foundation for a child to develop the reading and writing skills they need as they start and progress through school.  Researchers  who study early language development have identified six conditions in a child’s environment that can promote language learning (Dickinson, D. K., Griffith, J. A., Michnick Golinkoff, R., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. , 2012). An easy way to create these conditions at home is through reading with your child. The six conditions that promote language learning are: Children need to hear many words often.  Between the ages of one and five years of age, children learn approximately 3-4 new words per day.  Books expose children to many new words, because they often include new, unfamiliar

Family Game Night- Have Fun and Work on Language Skills Too! Playing games together promotes social interaction and opportunities for your child to practice skills like establishing eye contact, listening, taking turns, encouraging others and problem solving.  Plus, they’re motivating and just plain fun!  So, turn off the TVs and computers and go old school with a family game night! Try a classic game that can work on observation, description and deductive reasoning skills: Twenty Questions!  Pick a person, place or thing and give the other person 20 yes or no questions to guess what/who it is. (“Is it a person? Is it a thing? Is it a food?”, etc). Try making your own version of a “Hedbandz” style game

Children with learning differences might have difficulty following directions. Here are 10 tips to help you present information in a way that will help your child to listen to and understand directions: Don’t give directions until you have your child’s attention. You can move into your child’s line of sight, or ask for their visual attention directly. Be close to your child, rather than calling from across the room. Minimize distractions when you are giving instructions. Turn off the tv, or ask your child to put down their toy, book or tablet while you are speaking to them. Using a softer voice and a calm tone may help your child tune into what you are saying. Give age appropriate instructions.

If your child has speech, language or communication needs, starting school or changing to a new classroom/teacher can feel especially stressful. Here are a few strategies that can ease this transition:   Introduce school-related words. Words like cafeteria, auditorium, assembly, recess may be unfamiliar. Come up with a list of school-based words your child might encounter and talk to your child about what they mean. Pictures can help with understanding. Teach them to ask for help. Make sure your child has some useful phrases to ask for help: “I don’t understand”, “Can you repeat that?”, “I need some help”. Role-play some ways to talk to new friends. You can suggest some good phrases they might use to start conversations and

What is a “Late Talker”?  This is a toddler who is late to start using words, but has typical development in other areas. These late talking children understand much of what is said to them, have good play skills and interact well socially.  Despite these typical skills, their expressive vocabulary is limited compared to other children their age. How do we decide if your late talking child needs some help?  Here’s what we know: —Certain factors make it more likely that a child will experience ongoing issues. If your Late Talker doesn’t use many sounds or gestures, or has difficulty understanding language,  they are at greater risk of having language delays that persist. —Family history can play a role.  Late

Why involve siblings in your child’s speech and language practice? For a child to master new speech and language skills, they should practice several times a week, outside of their speech therapy sessions.  This can be a challenging task for parents who are juggling busy schedules.  With fun, age-appropriate games and activities, your child’s siblings can learn to become helpers to make speech-language practice more enjoyable and enhance carryover of skills. By setting clear expectations and limits, the older sibling can also benefit from this experience.  If everyone has an opportunity to feel special and appreciated, it will create a positive experience for all and ultimately strengthen the sibling relationship. To keep the experience fun for both children: 1- Let

Young children often have difficulty identifying how they are feeling and how to express their emotions appropriately.  Parents may observe behaviors such as hitting, biting, tantrums or outbursts at these times. While these moments can be challenging, they can also be a learning opportunity for your child in understanding and using “thinking and feeling” words. According to The Hanen Centre, studies show that children typically learn these types of words from their parents during everyday activities and conversation. Young children’s first thoughts and feelings revolve around their own wants and needs (“I want juice”) and their physical feelings (“I’m hungry”). As early as age two, they learn to talk about what other people are feeling (He’s sad”). It will take

Even as we all look forward to increased availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in the upcoming months, it is clear that we will continue to need to wear masks for some time to come. Kids with special needs, such as autism, can experience sensory issues that make it more difficult for them to tolerate wearing a mask.  Certain fabrics may be uncomfortable, or they may not like the feeling of the loops around their ears.  It may be helpful to have your child pick out their mask. They can touch it, and make sure they like the texture and color or pattern.  You can also experiment with a variety of mask alternatives, including those that tie behind the head or

Speech and language disorders are among the most common disorders that young children experience. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 11% of children ages 3–6 have a speech, language, voice or swallowing disorder. Most speech and language disorders are highly treatable, but the earlier parents and caregivers seek help for their child, the better. Now there is a free and convenient resource for parents and caregivers who have concerns about their child’s speech and language development. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Identify the Signs campaign and Bright by Text , have joined forces to provide a free resource for families of children ages 2–6.   Bright by Text, a national nonprofit that sends parents and caregivers