Birth to 2 Years - General Speech and Language Ideas

Expressive Language
Choices. Giving your child choices will allow them to use pointing or vocalization to express their wants and needs. You will be fostering confidence in your child by allowing them to express their choice.   This is one of the building blocks for further exploration of expressive language.


Take a step back. When you know what your child is requesting from you, give them a few seconds before you immediately meet their needs. This will give them the opportunity to vocalize, point, or attempt to say a word. If speech is not immediately imitated, try pronouncing your words with clear speech; speak with controlled enthusiasm and try not to speak too quickly.   All of these will serve your baby well, allowing him to hear phonetic combinations. He will learn to imitate in the future and begin to create his own combinations.

Social Language
It’s in his eyes.   Always make eye contact and help him see what you are seeing, by pointing to things when naming an item. Eye contact helps children know and understand that eye contact is very important and appropriate when engaged in conversation. Children learn a significant amount of information when looking at your eyes, facial expressions, and body language. This helps them learn to also move their own mouth/hands for communication.

Your turn, my turn. Play games and interact in a turn taking manner. You can take a turn tapping on the drum and then give your child time to imitate and take a turn.

Vocabulary
Label and wait.   When your baby makes an attempt to say a word, give them praise with a happy voice and repeat the adult model of that word clearly, so that you can help them shape their sounds closer to yours. If your baby says "ka" for cookie, say "Yes, cookie! Here is a cookie. I love cookies”. Then make sure you eat a cookie! As the renowned researcher Patricia Kuhl says, “Babies are little scientists”. Your baby is truly an explorer. It is more fun to explore new words when playing with a new toy or in new environments that are not too busy and hectic. Pick a quiet place baby is talking in which your child can learn (backyard, store that is not over crowded, grandparents home).

Receptive Language
Children, in general, are eager learners, willing to follow commands.   Start simple requests that include one aspect.   A simple “kiss” or “hug” is one way to begin. Then gradually increase to 2 units, “arms up” and “touch your nose”.
Read books in which your child can create an association between the pictures and words.   Read sentences with excitement or follow the tone of the book (happy, sad, silly).   Ask simple questions that can be answered verbally or by pointing to the pictures. This is a no pressure situation. Ask, and if they do not respond after about 10 seconds, then start modeling the correct answer in a mild mannered tone of voice.
Make sure that communication is fun and playful.   If you run out of ideas think “imagination”.

Overall
Make sure to always engage your child.  Label your home with words and let them see written words early in life.  The more they see the words as you label them the more they will develop the associations and phonetic abilities as you teach them how to read and use their voice to communicate.  Speaking, reading, playing, and comprehending your word all play a major role in learning.  Researchers such as Kuhl, Meltzoff, and Gopnik have been stating this for years.  We need to see infants as who they are, little people with BIG brains that can learn a whole lot, but only if you stimulate them. 

BornGeniuses.com will soon be providing families with the tools to help parents learn about specific ways that they can stimulate their babies and young children.  It is never to late to learn about learning.

t.a.s.o. Feeding & Nutrition

A healthier baby using natural foods. You do the processing!

Buying jarred/canned foods are costly and barely contain the nutrients of fresh foods. A well proven fact. It is also a fact that buying jarred foods is easy, but at the expense of your child.

Blend and process a wide variety of foods for baby that include colorful arrays of fruit and veggies. Always choose organic or locally grown produce that is ripe. Also look for sales since it is more pricey. The National Cancer Institute states on many occasions throughout it website that exposure to pesticides and other toxins added to conventional fruits and veggies can lead to cancer with constant exposure. Organic produce helps to reduce your exposure to these toxins and may eliminate them depending on the type of produce that you have selected here is a list of produce to avoid and to look for at your grocery.

Now make time for baby and family! Do your best, always!

Yucky! PART 1 OF 8

PART 1 OF 8
Picky eating involves a multiple difficulties and behaviors. I have included some tips helping out your little loved ones.

Dos

Make sure you provide small portions that will allow kids to make requests for more. Gradually increase portion size as kids get to preschool and kindergarten but expecting a little one to eat as many broccoli florets as you would be overwhelming. By reducing the amount of food on the plate (approximately 1/3 to 1/4 the size of your own plate) you increase appetite. When children request more food they become empowered and develop positive control over their mealtime and nutritional intake.

Feeding

If your baby/toddler is very limited in the variety of foods he/she will eat, then it is time to see consult with a feeding/swallowing specialist. Your pediatrician can provide a referral, you can contact Taso at Right Start, or call your local Early Intervention Program for a referral. LINK below.

DHS: Office Locator

Source: www.dhs.state.il.us

- provides medical, social and educational services

Feeding

Toddler's may be picky one day and they may gorge the next WHY? Growth during toddler years slows a bit compared to babies. Babies can grow up to 3 inches every 3 months while toddlers grow that much in a year. What to do...Stay calm...kids would rather graze all day than eat 3 full meals....offer 5 mini meals instead, using healthy foods. If they don't eat, don't panic or force feed. Try again at the next meal.

June 10 at 10:28pm · Comment · Like

Kids will be Kids but Parents...remember you are part teacher.

visit us @ : www.rightstartpediatrics.com

As a therapist, I always have to make sure the child's behavior is appropriate for the activity so that he/she can focus and attend in order for progress to be attained.

We are all born with a clean slate and are innocent. It is easier to incorrectly raise a child than it is to provide a child with the constant discipline and daily routines that help shape a child's life.

Some children are more inclined to have behavior issues, e.g., sensory integration concerns and/or delayed speech. These little guys may need more effort, time and guidance than most children.

As parents, your sacrifice to your child/ren and family dynamics will determine how well they learn their boundaries, structure, rules and routines.

WebMD.com suggests that:

10 signs your child needs a different parenting approach:

1. They resort to crying or yelling when they want something.
2. They throw themselves on floor and won't get up.
3. They constantly throw tantrums or even hit you when you punish them.
4. They ignore you when you ask a question.
5. They are rude to other adults and even to other children.
6. They refuse to share toys or treats with other children.
7. They are show-offs and are constantly trying to one-up their peers to be the center of attention.
8. They always want whatever everyone else has. Once they have it, they want something new.
9. They keep a messy room and never help out around the house despite your pleas for them to do so.
10. They refuse to go to bed.

Ways to help change your parenting and your child's behavior:

1. Reward good behavior and punish bad behavior.
2. If your children yell when they want something, don't give it to them and take away something they like.
3. If they won't get off the floor during a tantrum, pick them up and put them in their room until they calm down and apologize.
4. If they ignore you when you tell them to do something, punish them immediately. Put them in a corner and don't let them out until they apologize.
5. If they won't share, take away the toy or treat.
6. Don't buy them whatever they want. Make them earn things.
7. If they keep a messy room, don't let them out until it's clean.
8. Enforce bedtimes. Continually put them back into their beds. After a while, they'll stop getting out. You must show there is no other option.
9. Compliment your children profusely and give them rewards when they do the right thing.