Halloween speech and language tips 

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays! Trips to the farm, haunted houses, costumes, face painting, decorations, baking, and candy! Each family seems to have their own traditions.

Traditions offer predictability, an ideal environment for children to learn language skills. 

And, because halloween is filled with an abundance of visual supports, which help children make connections between words and their meanings, it really is the perfect time to focus on language. Here are some tips and fun resources to enhance your children’s speech and language development this season.

Supporting sequencing and narrative skills

Help your child build sequencing and narrative skills by talking through the main events.

  • First we choose a pumpkin.
  • Next we take out the pumpkin seeds.
  • Then we carve a face on the pumpkin.
  • And last, we put a candle inside the pumpkin.

HERE is a visual with sequencing photos.

Modelling past and future verbs

When moving on to the next activity, remind your child of what you did together and introduce what you will do next.

  • We chose our pumpkin, next we will cut it open.
  • We opened the pumpkin, next we will take out the seeds.
  • We took out the seeds, next we will bake the seeds.
  • We baked the seeds. next we will draw a face.
  • We drew a face on the pumpkin, next we will carve the pumpkin.

Building descriptive vocabulary 

Use contrasts to describe what you are doing.

  • Look at all the pumpkins, find the biggest… now find the smallest.
  • One pumpkin has many seeds.
  • The outside of the pumpkin is hard and bumpy, the inside is soft and gooey.
  • We cut the top off, but we leave the bottom as is.
  • The pumpkin was full, but now it is empty.

Answering “where“ questions

Set up your decorations together. Name each item and ask your child where they think it should go. If you’re setting up a spider web, ask where the spiders should go. Asking these questions and making it clear that the location is up to them will help build their understanding of “where” questions and how to answer them.

HERE is an activity where your child can choose and drag a face on to their pumpkin. Talk about where the face goes… “in the middle”.

Halloween is more than just a time to put on a costume, decorate and indulge in candy. This is a season when you can be anything you want to be… let your imagination run wild and help your child to do the same.

Why you shouldn’t play the “wait and see” game

clock

This past month I was contacted by two sets of parents, each concerned about their children’s speech sound errors. In both cases, the parents had been recommended years earlier to “wait and see” if the sound errors would resolve on their own.

“Wait and see” is an unsatisfying recommendation. It often lacks important information such as: How long should I wait? Who shouldn’t wait and why? Exactly what am I waiting for? How can I support my child’s speech while I wait?

I am not a fan of “wait and see”. Here’s why…

Although many kids who are speech or language delayed catch up on their own, 30-40% go on to need intervention. Early intervention is key for these kids. And some of them need years of intervention. 

There are so many parents who hear “she will grow out of it”, or “stop comparing him to other kids”, or “she’s going through a phase”, or “he just needs to slow down”. These comments are well-meaning but unhelpful.

Don’t ignore your gut instinct to get your child help!

As a parent, you are your child’s expert and advocate. The power to help your children is in your hands.

If you are suspicious that something is not right there is no harm in getting it looked at. You can’t go wrong arranging for an early evaluation.

Parents don’t get upset when the evaluation yields good news, but they might regret playing the “wait and see” game. Many parents who wait wish they arranged for evaluation and intervention sooner than they did.

Here’s what could happen when you “wait and see”:

  • While children with delays are in “wait and see” mode, they are missing out. They are deprived for months, or perhaps years, of fully participating in interactions and exploring the impact of their words, both of which are precursors for developing social language competency.
  • When children with speech sound errors continue to make their sounds incorrectly, the errors become habits, making it more difficult to correct in the future.
  • When children with oral placement disorders do not receive intervention, they naturally make adaptations which may cause changes to the teeth, jaw, lips and tongue.

I recommend consulting with a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) if you have any concerns about your child’s speech and language development. And whatever your SLP recommends, ask them to explain the reason for their recommendation so that you can make an informed decision.

“Waiting is a trap. There will always be reasons to wait. The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don’t count.”  – Robert Anthony

Will my child stop stuttering? What the Experts say…

It can be very difficult for parents to watch their children struggle with speech.

Close to 5% of young children begin to stutter. Almost 75% of them will outgrow stuttering on their own within 12-24 months.

While we don’t know for sure which children will stop stuttering on their own and which will continue to stutter, we do know that the severity of the stuttering does NOT predict the likelihood of the stutter continuing.

 

Children are more likely to naturally outgrow stuttering when:

  • There is no family history. More than half of children who stutter have a family member who stutters. A family history indicates a risk for persistence.
  • The stuttering started early. Children who begin stuttering before 3.5 years are much more likely to outgrow it.
  • The stuttering has lasted less than 6 months. 75% of children who start stuttering will stop on their own within 12-24 months.
  • Your child is a girl. Three to four boys continue to stutter for every one girl who continues to stutter.

Some children have a strong reaction to their stuttering, which can create more tension and more struggling. It is actually the way children feel about themselves and their communication abilities, rather than the type and frequency of their stutter,  that will determine how much difficulty they will have communicating.

You can help these children feel less fear about getting stuck on their words by letting them know it is okay to have some difficulty when learning to talk. Just like it’s okay to fall when learning to walk, or spill when learning to drink.

 

To prevent development of negative reactions and help your child feel more ease:

  • Model a calm and accepting response to your child’s stuttering. Children learn how to react to stuttering by watching how their parents react. Remember that acceptance does not mean you are giving up on fluency.
  • Listen to your child’s concerns about speaking. Focus on the message and not on how he is talking.
  • Talk with your child about stuttering. Be supportive and straightforward to help your child understand what is happening.
  • Avoid putting your child in a position where he feels pressured to talk. Ask less questions and make more comments.
  • Create “special time”. Set aside five minutes each day for one-to-one playful time with your child, with no expectations for speech. Listen patiently and pause before responding to your child’s words.

Because of the high percentage of young children who do outgrow stuttering, some professionals may suggest waiting to see if the stuttering stops on its own.   However, therapy is recommended more often than not in order to give the 25% of children who won’t outgrow their stutters a greater chance to recover from stuttering. 

The decision to pursue treatment for stuttering should be based on the likelihood that a child might continue stuttering without intervention. It is recommended that parents consult with a Speech-Language Therapist to determine their child’s risk for continued stuttering.

 

Therapy by a clinician who specializes in stuttering is recommended when either :

  • The child appears to be at risk for continuing to stutter, or
  • The child or parents are concerned about the child’s communication abilities.

A treatment program designed to reduce children’s stuttering and improve their overall communication skills will include both child-focused treatment and Parent Training.

The Stuttering Foundation is an excellent resource for parents. In addition to providing helpful information, they also offer an international list of clinicians who specialize in stuttering.

And HERE is an excellent booklet written specifically to help parents support their young children who stutter.

How grapefruits reminded me of the power of storytelling

According to Speech and Hearing BC,  29% of children arrive at kindergarten struggling to be able to tell a story. Did you know that telling your children stories helps them develop their storytelling skills?

Storytelling uses language to connect your child to people, events, concepts and humour. Stories teach sequencing, improve vocabulary, strengthen listening skills and help children connect ideas. And, the simple act of focusing on your child when you tell a story confirms for them that they are a valuable member of the interaction.

I love grapefruits!  I use a grapefruit knife to carefully separate the “meat” within each section, a tradition that was passed on to me by my grandfather. I fondly remember my “Papa Paul” eating his morning grapefruits.  He enjoyed this simple pleasure delighting in every bite, describing the grapefruit as a gift, squeezing every last drop of juice into his mouth. His lessons of appreciating the simple things in life were not lost on me.

The first time I served grapefruit to my children I shared stories about my grandfather, a truly unique and great man whom they had never met.

I  told them about the time my grandfather taught me to ride a bike, convincing me he was still holding on when in fact he had let go so that I could find my way. I must have hit every parked car on the street!  The story opened up a conversation about trust, fear and one’s willingness to try new things.

Then there was the time he bought a new set of dentures for a man he did not know, but who had lost his only set on the beach.  The story helped them better understand abstract traits such as compassion and generosity.

When my children were a little older, I told them about the time Papa Paul tried to teach my mother to swim by securing her to the end of a fishing rod! Seriously!  This story included a time lapse and provided a segue to discuss planning, considering your options and perspective taking.

To this day when my daughters see me cutting open a grapefruit they request it “Papa Paul style”!  A man they have never met has become a coined phrase in our home, simply through the act of storytelling.

Ways to support your child’s language skills through storytelling:

  1. Include the concepts of time – Using words such as “first”, “and then” and “in the end” will help build sequencing and narrative skills.
  2. Insert pauses – Pauses allow children extra time to process and consider what you are saying. And by pausing, you model how to pace yourself when speaking.
  3. Use descriptive language – Help them visualize the characters and settings in your stories. Talk about the qualities and traits of your characters to help grow their vocabulary.
  4. Be expressive – By matching your facial expression and tone of voice to your message, you help your child develop the ability to read social cues and understand how others feel. (See my blog on Understanding Social Language Skills)
  5. Connect the story to the present – If possible, build a relationship between one aspect of the story and your child’s life. This will help them remember the story and improve their ability to retell it.

Stories are captivating. Tell your children stories about them as babies, or what it was like being pregnant with them. Share stories about yourself when you were a child and about your own family.  Draw them in and strengthen their connection to their world.

“There is no greater power on this earth than story”. –  Libba Bray 

The One Question I Am Asked Most Often

The one question I am asked most often is from parents wanting to know if their child has the level of speech and language abilities that are expected at his age. First-time parents especially, may not have previously witnessed a child moving through the stages of development. In such cases, it is not unusual to feel some uncertainty.

January, a time of year brimming with reflection and planning, is the perfect time to check if your child is developing as expected. Following up on any concerns you have now affords you plenty of time to pursue an evaluation and recommendations before the start of the next school year.

Typical speech and language development follows a predictable progression however, children develop at different rates. For example, although not all same aged children will be able to understand and answer the same types of questions, they will all learn to answer basic “yes/no” and “where” questions before the more complex “how” and “why” questions.

Below is a summary of COMMUNICATION MILESTONES. Consider these to be average ages at which most typically developing, monolingual, English-speaking children will acquire these skills. The ages are provided as a general guideline.

Scroll down the checklist to your child’s age. Descriptions of pre-linguistic skills, listening skills, verbal abilities, pragmatic skills, and literacy development have been included for the applicable stages.

From 0-6 months
☐   Responds to voice and sound.
☐   Turns his head toward source of sound.
☐   Watches the speaker’s face.
☐   Establishes eye contact.
☐   Babbles to gain attention.

From 7-18 months
☐   Stops an activity when her name is called.
☐   Listens with interest to new words.
☐   Answers questions when presented with two choices.
☐   Responds to “no”.
☐   Tries to communicate with actions and gestures.
☐   Copies the simple actions of others.
☐   Expressive vocabulary grows to 50 words.

From 19-24 months
☐   Beginning to understand simple one-step oral directions.
☐   Understands 300 words or more.
☐   Understands in, on, another.
☐   Answers “yes/no”, “where”, and “what’s this” questions.
☐   Strangers will understand 25% – 50% of what he says.
☐   Using intonation (raised pitch) to ask questions.
☐   Has an expressive vocabulary of 50-200 words.
☐   Starting to combine two or three words together.
☐   Asks limited “wh” questions.
☐   Begins to use pronouns.
☐   Using turn-taking verbally.
☐   Waves bye-bye.
☐   Recognizes some books by their cover.
☐   Will attend to a toy or a book for up to two minutes.

From 2-3 years
☐   Answers simple “wh” questions logically.
☐   Beginning to understand some time concepts: wait, later.
☐   Understands size differences.
☐   Strangers will understand 50% – 75% of what she says.
☐   Frequently omits consonants in the middle or at the ends of words.
☐   May exhibit initial word repetitions (normal stuttering).
☐   Expressive vocabulary grows to 1,000 words.
☐   Maintains topic over several conversational turns.
☐   Makes conversational repairs if her listener doesn’t understand.
☐   Using pronouns my, me, mine, you, your, yours, he, she, and  we.
☐   Using plurals.
☐   Requests permission.
☐   Begins to use language playfully (jokes).
☐   Begins to describe colors and size.
☐   Holds a book correctly.

From 3-4 years
☐   Follows simple two-step oral directions.
☐   Answers more complex “how” and “why” questions.
☐   Understands beside, between.
☐   Identifies colors.
☐   Strangers will understand 80% of what he says.
☐   May frequently talk to self.
☐   Uses words to express feelings.
☐   Using pronouns they, us, hers, his, them, and her.
☐   Begins to pay attention to print.
☐   Participates in rhyming games.
☐   Able to make some letter-sound matches.

From 4-5 years
☐   Follows simple three-step oral directions.
☐   Answers “when” and “how many” questions.
☐   Understands comparative and superlative adjectives, such as bigger, biggest.
☐   Understands time concepts, such as week days, yesterday, today, tomorrow, next week.
☐   Understands concepts of position, such as first, middle, last.
☐   Strangers will understand 75% – 90% of what she says.
☐   Beginning to use language to resolve disputes with peers.
☐   Understands the purpose of print.
☐   Understands story sequence.
☐   Can answer questions about simple short stories.

From 5-6 years
☐   Follows instructions given to a group.
☐   Understands opposite concepts.
☐   Understands left / right
☐   Strangers will understand 90% – 100% of what he says.
☐   Asks the meanings of words.
☐   Asks questions to obtain information.
☐   Uses yesterday and tomorrow.
☐   Understands that spoken words are made up of sounds.
☐   Begins to write letters and some familiar words.
☐   Begins to recognize some written words by sight.
☐   Reads a few simple books from memory.
☐   Able to print own name.

Use care when reviewing the above speech-language milestones, and applying them to your child. Remember that normal development varies quite a bit, and it is hard to tell when your child will get to each stage.

You know your child. And it is normal to compare your child to other children. If you suspect that her speech-language development is behind for her age, then there is no harm in consulting with a certified Speech-Language Pathologist. Sometimes just a short conversation can clear up any worries. Trust your instincts.

Here are some clear indications that a child would benefit from a speech and language evaluation. If any of the following apply to your situation, then I recommend contacting a Speech-Language Pathologist.

1. If your 12 month old does not respond to his name.
2. If your 30 month old has not begun combining two words together.
3. If adults regularly have trouble understanding your 3 year old.
4. If your 4 year old does not answer simple “wh” questions.
5. If your 3 – 4 year old grabs toys from other children instead of making verbal requests.
6. If your 4 year old repeats sounds or parts of words.
7. If your 5 year old has trouble following directions.
8. If your 5 year old can not make a rhyme.
9. If your 6 year old is not making all of her speech sounds clearly.
10. If your child’s teacher has expressed concerns about his speech or language skills.