I learn a lot from the Moms and Dads that I work with. Yesterday, I was talking with a Mom whose child I have been working with for about three months. When I first began working with her two year-old, his behavior was difficult during our sessions. When asked to comply by sitting in his seat, or attempting a verbalization, he often turned his head away and screamed when he didn’t want to do it. Together, Mom and I followed a plan of ignoring this behavior and helping him be successful at communicating whether through signs or sounds. Gradually, the screaming has subsided and we have a significantly happier fellow playing with us.
I have shared with Moms that when I was working at the public school special education preschool, when I started with children with speech and language delays, they often displayed behaviors reflecting their frustration in not being able to communicate–tantrums, screaming, noncompliance etc. But, as they gradually realized that they could be understood, as I would vocalize what they wanted or needed, they seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and many of the negative behaviors subsided.
This current Mom made an astute point. She said when your child is delayed in language you do anything to try to understand what they want—many times speaking for them, offering many options to get them to stop screaming or an unwanted behavior. But when they start to communicate, “parents have to switch, and stop giving in to that.” Now they need to model a sound, phrase or sign that their child can imitate and wait for a response. Often this involves ignoring the former inappropriate behavior which takes some time to extinguish. In this case, Mom and I are a united front in turning our heads and stopping play as we ignore and give consequences for negative behavior. This Mom is great at sharing our therapy successes with her husband and cluing him him in on how to respond to his son to best encourage his language and maintain consistency while interacting with him.
When I requested that two of my sons’ families meet somewhere so I could see the grandchildren all together, the plan was made to meet in the North Carolina Mountains, near Grandfather Mountain. Since it was my first visit, as we were winding up and down switchback roads, my stomach told me I wasn’t coming out anytime soon.
Nestled in a bark cabin in the woods, we had plenty of playtime with the kids but ventured out for kid-friendly outings too.
My oldest grandson knows that he is my “shopping buddy” and when we go in a store he needs to put his hands in his pockets. They are much safer that way. Since this area is rich with artisans and shops filled with pottery, glass, woven goods and paintings, it is a rich lesson for preschoolers. Exploring Linville and Blowing 
Rock, we saw funky clocks made out of metal, frogs that spouted water out of their mouths, old metal advertising plates with Harley Davidson motorcycles, moving garden sculptures of cats going fishing and even a four paned window with a cow painted on it.
Of course I’ll admit that when we sat down in the park to listen to the Blue Grass band, the kids preferred the slides, playhouses and jungle gyms, but at least I felt like I had given them a little culture.
Many times while working with preschoolers, I run into difficult or defiant behavior. I have to spend time with a child to sort out what is frustration because they can’t talk, and set a plan to help that child feel more in control of his communication, and less frustrated, while reinforcing his good efforts. Recently with a 2½ year-old who had just begun therapy, I began by reinforcing any vocalizations other than screaming.
Sometimes it means teaching them some simple signs to make their needs known, or single words that they can approximate to help family members or caregivers understand them: “help,” “more,” “want,” “me” or “all done.” Language empowers kids as they realize that they can make their wants and needs understood.
During my recent visit with a 2 ½ year-old, it was apparent that he had a melt-down (spoke in ultra-whiney voice leading to a cry) whenever he didn’t like something like having to go to bed, change activities, wash his hands after the bathroom etc. I usually tell kids they have to “use your words, talk like a big boy, or no whining,” to let them know what needs to be done before I respond. That didn’t seem to be working because he was already upset. So I said, “Take a deep breath,” and modeled it for him. This distracted him, broke the behavior pattern and calmed him down. Then I modeled what I wanted him to say and how I wanted him to say it, in a calm relaxed voice, “Sherry, I want my hands dry.” He repeated it with only a mildly shaky voice and we were good to go! Later throughout the afternoon we practiced taking a deep breath and talking like a big boy.
Modeling the language and manner of delivery is helpful to kids. When they are upset, their level of language diminishes—just like adults. When we are stressed or upset, we get flustered and don’t express ourselves as well either. You need to help kids by modeling and reinforcing their appropriate responses.
What phrases have worked with your students or children when their behavior gets challenging?
Today I arrived at the home of one of my students who is on the autism spectrum. We enjoy playing games, playing pretend and reading books for learning.
He took me right to a big cardboard box on the floor that was laid sideways with both ends open. He announced that it was a tunnel. I got out my Fisher Price little people and vehicles, let him chose a figure (Papa) while I took the Mama and we started our play and conversation. The goal was to have him engage in conversation using his Papa figure while I talked back with mine, moving him from what could be perseverative behavior or talking (in relation to the tunnel) to flexible language. Therefore I set up different play scenarios, one at a time, to encourage flexibility.
After a chat, he ran his car with Papa through the tunnel and I put out a slide for a playground. He turned Papa over on his tummy and started to count to 10 and we were playing hide and seek. I got so excited! When it was my turn to hunt for Papa, I modeled different places to look–”Is he under the slide?” “Is he behind the bike?” Then I added a prop or two for his turn to see if he would generalize and use them for hiding places too. I continued to model, pull back and let him respond, add a prop or two and expand the play.
As we continue to play, I see progress in his ability to follow my models for play and occasionally add a novel action. These are little successes as my friend learns to play pretend.
I use my Fairfield Public Library regularly for great books to use for therapy. Recently the children’s librarian introduced me to “Little Learners Circle Time Totes.”
Unzip the blue canvas tote and you are treated to a theme party of books and DVD’s. I chose the “Beach” theme and was delighted with its contents:
Books included:
The the Beach by Ashman
I Wonder Why the Sea is Salty by Ganeri
Sea, Sand, Me! by Hubble
Sally Goes to the Beach by Huneck
Beach Day! by Lakin
Find it at the Beach by Phillips
Into the A, B Sea by Rose
All You Need for a Beach by Schertle
Shells! Shells! Shells! by Wallace
Additional materials included a Kipper DVD on Water Play, Dora Summer Explorer, some songs and finger plays about the beach. As a therapist, teacher or parent, it is wonderful to have quality materials preselected for you to save time.
Check out your local library and see what they have available. If you live in Connecticut, you have reciprocal privileges at other libraries in the state so take advantage of that.
Yesterday when I was interviewed for Channel 12 News about what to do when your 2 year-old isn’t talking, I talked about the process to go through to get your child evaluated, but also mentioned what to do to stimulate language.
Here are some tips:
- Label objects, people, movements in your child’s environment that they are experiencing. “I hear the dog barking,” or “the tree has green leaves.”
- Pause after naming things like “juice,” “cup,” “train,” and see if your child attempts to imitate you.
- Talk about what your child is doing, feeling, hearing or thinking as they play and experience the day. “The sand must be scratchy on your leg,” or “That truck is going fast.”
- Don’t ask a lot of questions because that can actually inhibit language since it puts a child on the spot. Let them talk and express themselves, even if we don’t understand them!
- Use language enriching toys that move, have people, invite creative play and have props for many settings (eating, sitting, traveling, sleeping etc.) Yesterday, I used this Fisher Price Li’ Movers Motorized Train to give people rides, buys tickets, make a phone call or visit the farm.
Blue Orange Games, known for their “hot games for a cool planet,” continue to invent clever games for kids that are friendly to our environment. Their latest member of the family, “ChickyBoom,” calls on fine motor skill and balance, requiring slow, precise movements to remove a chick, bale of hay or wagon wheel delicately placed along the chick’s perch. Take turns plucking pieces off the balance beam without letting it topple. After the perch is dumped, collect your pieces and call upon your math skills to count up the numbers on each one to see who has the highest number to declare victory.
This simple game of balance, math and strategy can be used effectively as a reinforcer for articulation and language therapy. I have written in a previous blog of the merits of good board games for teaching social language to children on the autism spectrum, and this is another such game that is simple enough with quick turns, but can be used to teach social skills as well as concepts such as high/low, same/different, heavy/ light and center.
I’ve used it to reinforce articulation learning by practicing sounds and taking a turn, or teach language skills like irregular past tense verbs as we “took” off a piece, “saw” where we put it, “put” it in our pile, “got” the block in the center, or declared that the chick “fell.”
Kids love the impish looking chicks and try to pluck them off first.
See my full review of “ChickyBoom.”
If you follow my blog you know that I contantly talk about having little people available for your child’s pretend play.
Once again, I visited a home of boys where the train set was devoid of people. This well-meaning mom of two boys had a variety to stimulating toys around. When I asked her, “Where are the people for the train set?” she opened the drawer below the track and there they were. I said, “Let them out of the drawer!”
Wooden train sets are common toys for boys, whether they are Thomas the Train or some variation of it. They provide a lot of fun for kids but don’t always encourage a lot of talking, especially if there are no people to have little conversations, buy tickets, build or repair the railroad or work in the forest.
So if you have a train set, check for the people, or else you might have a quiet play time.
After the long winter, let’s take speech therapy outside! Preschoolers love to explore outside and sailing a stick or leaf down the slide, or a ride on the swing can stimulate a lot of language.
Hold back on your actions for a second, waiting for your child to say something before you reward their communicating with letting a stick slide down or giving another push on the slide. Take a walk and go exploring, naming many of the same objects (bridge, stream, berries, etc) that can be repeated with future walks. One little boy I had been working with enjoyed the walks around the block. I tirelessly kept naming things we saw until one day we threw rocks in the stream from the bridge and he said his first word, “Rock!” I almost jumped into the stream to retrieve the rock as a reminder of that great moment.
Bugs and other animals are of particular interest to kids so collect some, watch them and name what they are doing. You never know where you will find them. My son and daughter-in-law were enjoying their new grill until they found straw and twigs hanging out of it. Over time, a mother wren built her nest and the babies hatched. I am happy to say that they have flown the grill and Andrew can return to grilling dinner!
Target offers many house brand toys for creative play that are affordable and fun. I thought I would try out the Circo 70 piece Train Set after much success with the Circo Frog Tent.
I wasn’t disappointed and either were my 3 year-old toy testers! We had lots of fun sending the three trains and two trucks down the ample track. We added a little pink Playdoh as “dirt” to flatten with the roller, then set out the forest of trees and added the caution gates as well as the many traffic signs. The wooden men hung out near the train, went to the “Office” for tickets or rode on top of the train with the aide of some Playdoh! One parent was so impressed with the 70 piece construction set for $25.99 since she said the Thomas trains are over $10 each. For added props to encourage creative play and language development, the 120 piece Circo Train Set ($39.99) had a helicopter and landing pad, airplane with a runway, five buildings and a mountain to drive through.
Circo wooden train from Target
Let me know some lower priced toys that deliver the creativity with your kids. What have you found that’s fun?
