6 Techniques for Speech Therapy at Home
We knew something was different about my niece since she turned two. Kasey had difficulty using simple sentences and understanding basic commands while my parents struggled to understand her. Kasey participated in speech therapy at home through early intervention services. It was around this time that I began to appreciate the challenges many parents face with their children who have language problems.
For many parents, figuring out what speech therapy at home will look like can be overwhelming. How can you ensure what you are doing will result in success?
If you’ve asked yourself this question, you’ve come to the right place! Let’s dive into some techniques to foster meaningful language learning opportunities, all in the comfort of your own home. First, we need to understand the needs of children with challenges in understanding and using language. Next, we will explore why speech therapy at home is beneficial. Finally, a few words about powerful techniques parents can easily use to great effect.
Understanding Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
Let’s make sure we are on the same page. About one out of 14 children will have difficulty with learning to understand and use language with no known cause. When speech therapists identify these children, they often receive a diagnosis of developmental language disorder (DLD). DLD impacts individuals throughout their lifespan and is currently incurable; however, speech therapy can help navigate the barriers associated with DLD. Each word in the term DLD adds a unique facet to its meaning.
Developmental means that the problem changes over time as children develop. For example, a four-year-old may learn to use the past tense at five, but this same child may still have challenges with answering questions from their Kindergarten teacher.
Language involves understanding and using aspects of language, such as grammar and vocabulary. This is different from issues associated with speech sounds or autism, although those conditions can also affect language. This does not mean that children with articulation problems or autism can’t have language challenges; it just means these are distinct conditions.
In the context of disorder, this means a deviation from what is normally expected.
Many factors can contribute to DLD, but no single cause has been identified. DLD can present through:
limited vocabulary
trouble explaining ideas and feelings
overuse of simple sentences or missing pieces of grammar
challenges in finding the right words
challenges in social interactions
reading and writing problems
difficulty with following directions
Many toddlers with DLD may create simple sentences for their age. They may make more grammar errors than their peers, such as omitting the past tense, ‘be’ or third person endings (e.g., he walk to the store; I talking you; mouse eat cheese). They may struggle to learn new words or use fewer words when they talk. These are a few of the challenges observed in toddlers with DLD. For more information on DLD, go to DLD and Me or the National Institute of Health’s website.
Why Choose Speech Therapy at Home?
Speech therapy at home has several key advantages over an office or school environment.
Comfort and Security: Children are familiar with their home environment and experience less social pressure. Home is where children are most comfortable. Parents can leverage this fact to encourage their children with DLD to speak more frequently.
Parental Involvement: Parents can actively participate and have greater opportunities to practice in meaningful ways. This involvement empowers parents with strategies and techniques, fostering a supportive learning environment. Speech therapists can help parents use everyday items and toys available at home for therapy activities, making it accessible option.
Real-life context in a natural setting: A home environment offers real-life opportunities where language skills matter most. Children can practice speech and language skills in their daily routines, which allows them to generalize these skills faster and more effectively.
Cost-Effective: Hosting therapy at home can be more cost-effective. It saves time and travel expenses associated with visiting a clinic.
Now that we've explored the benefits of home-based speech therapy, let's look at some effective techniques you can use.
Techniques for Speech Therapy at Home
While there are more speech therapy techniques than those presented here, these are easy ones parents can use at home during play.
1: Waiting
Although waiting sounds simple, it can be challenging when a child does not speak as quickly or as often as their peers. When an opportunity to communicate arises, resist the urge to fill the silence with talking. Instead, stop talking, watch your child expectantly and see what happens. Count silently to ten before stepping in to help.
2: Say Three Things, Ask One Thing (3:1)
When children play, parents naturally want to ask questions. However, asking too many questions during play is not how children play with each other. Play involves a back-and-forth of related comments with some questions. As a parent, make sure to make three comments for every time you ask a question. Consider the following example:
Child: Doggy lick.
Parent: The dog licked the farmer. Now he’s all wet!
Child: Ew!
Parent: That’s gross! What will the farmer do?
This parent provided their child with three related comments which built on their child and added value to their interaction during play.
3: Modeling
Modeling refers to demonstrating correct language use for a child to hear and copy. This includes giving clear and accurate examples of speech and language close to the level of a child. Make sure you are giving models that are just out-of-reach for your child’s current level of development. While this may sound intimidating, it is not as challenging as you might think. For example, if your child is using 2-3 words, model sentences that are 4-5 words. For example:
A child is watching their caregiver do the dishes.
Parent: Oh, I’m washing the pot. Let’s scrub, scrub, scrub! The water rinses off the soap. The towel dries the pot.
4: Imitating
Imitating is more than just making a child copy what their parent says. We can flip the script by making parents copy what their child says. This not only takes pressure off of a child to repeat their parents, but it gives a child feedback about what their parent liked about their utterance. This is a simple but powerful tool in your language toolkit. For instance:
Child: Turn on doodoo. Child points to tablet.
Parent: Turn on the doodoo. Parent looks at child with a smile, pointing at the tablet.
5: Expansions
Expansions involve adding information to a child’s utterance to model a grammatical sentence. Parents can use expansions when their child speaks in incomplete sentences. Take the following highlighted example:
Child: Daddy go.
Parent: Yep. Daddy went outside. He went to the store.
Child: Come home?
Parent: When will Daddy come home? Maybe 20 minutes.
6: Toy Talk
Parents act as a narrator and give a play-by-play of what is happening. This technique is great for public settings when commenting on what others are doing or during therapy at home with toys.
Parents can mix and match any of these techniques together. Just remember to do what’s right and easy for you to do consistently with your child.
Child is playing with dolls.
Parent: Oh! The barbie goes upstairs. She looks for her bag.
Child smiles and looks at parent. Parent smiles back.
Parent: The dog comes in the house. He has the bag!
Child: Dog bag!
Parent: That’s right! The dog has the bag!
These technique can benefit all children as they develop language. However, sometimes parents need help.
Seek Professional Help
As effective as speech therapy at home can be, there are times when professional intervention is necessary. We understand that navigating your child’s communication challenges can be overwhelming, and you may not be sure where to start. Precision Speech and Language Therapy is here to support you. We can help you navigate your child’s complex communication needs and guide them toward greater independence and success.
When it comes to your child’s communication skills, don’t wait. Take the next step. Contact us today to schedule a consultation, evaluation or therapy session. Let us work together to ensure your child achieves their full potential.
