Learn It Now English Premier language software will help you learn a new language in three ways: (1) On your computer, (2) In your car, (3) on your ipod. We handle a wide range of commodities and package designs. My husband and I bought the Dutch DVD for our 1 1/2 year old daughter because we wanted her to learn a second language. My father in law and his family are all Dutch. Parents of bilingual children: Speak in your native language with your multilingual children! Here are reasons why plus tips on how to do it! New series of childrens language videos available immediately as digital downloads. Download entire video for only $2.95 and burn your own copy to DVD! Furk.net is your personal secure storage that fetches media files and lets you stream them immediately You can use it to stream video or listen to your music from PC. ![]() Successful Speech Therapy Strategies for Working with Toddlers with Apraxia and Other Speech- Language Difficulties. I have received many questions about therapy techniques for toddlers with apraxia. Before I give you ideas that are specific to treating children with apraxia, I want to first outline what I believe to be the best treatment approach for all children who are experiencing difficulties learning language. These strategies can also be used at home by parents, who I believe are a child’s first and best teachers. Before I talk about my treatment philosophies, let me send out a disclaimer for all of you who are working with SLPs or other early interventionists who may be taking a different approach with your child. There may be very valid reasons she (or he) has chosen to use other specific strategies with your child. There may be reasons that the approach I take may not be the best for your child or your family, (although I can’t think of any). Ask your therapist to have a frank discussion with you about her (or his) decision- making process in choosing techniques. Most therapists welcome this kind of discussion and are happy to talk about it with you, over and over if necessary to make you feel comfortable and empowered as an important member of the team for your child. For children who are non- verbal or minimally verbal (less than 1. I believe that establishing communication and improving both receptive and expressive language skills are the primary focus for treatment. Specific speech sound practice and/or oral motor exercises need to be workedintoplayas a very FUN part of therapy, and are absolutely necessary for kids with apraxia. However, I do not feel that this should be the main focus for children who are non- verbal, even when they are non- verbal because of apraxia, and especially for those who are non- communicative. By non- communicative, I mean children who lack interaction skills. These kids do not come to you to get the things they need. They do not point or use other gestures to make you understand what they want. He or she does not initiate social games with you. Many of them appear self- absorbed. They focus on their specific likes to the exclusion of more meaningful interaction. If this is your child, it is absolutelyessential that you target social interaction and being “connected” to others FIRST, or at least WHILE, you are working on expressive language. If your child isn’t social, talking is not his main problem. Start with ideas on this site from the “Social Games” article, “Teaching Your Toddler to Listen and Obey”, and “Help! My Child Won’t Imitate Words” before, or at least WHILE, you use the strategies listed here. If your child is social, but is not yet using gestures consistently to indicate wants and needs, and/or is not initiating interaction with you, this should also be a focus. Children who are social responders, but not social initiators, can be taught to do this. I might use another adult or older sibling to help model these kinds of things. For example, an older sibling can initiate jumping off the couch into my arms by climbing onto the couch and holding out his hands for me to begin the routine. Or I might take the child’s hand and place it on Mommy’s to help pull Mommy over to the counter to get a drink. I might sit behind the child and help him lean into take Mommy’s hands to initiate Peek- A- Boo or Row Row Your Boat. I model pointing constantly with a child who can’t do this yet. Point to pictures in books, choices in play, clothing items, body parts, everything. I make it a big gesture. I work on pointing by making sure kids reach for things. If he’s not reaching, I hold toys he wants just in front of him to make him lean in. Sometimes I ask Mom to help him reach with hand- over- hand assistance. In play with toys and in books I also have kids pat, tickle, feed, and any other action I can think of to have them touch specific items. If this doesn’t work, I rely on a couple of oldie but goodie OT tricks. Have her practice touching a dot on a cup with her index finger with hand- over- hand assistance. When she perfects this and can do it on her own, pull the cup back just as she is about to touch it. Or practice stuffing a scarf through a hole with your finger. If this doesn’t work, talk to an OT! Don’t get me wrong. A toddler with apraxia. However, in this kind of case, in my opinion, apraxia is not the main reason he’s not talking or communicating. More importantly, if he’s not following directions or doing other kinds of things to indicate that he understands language, direct lots of your efforts to improving language comprehension. For those of you who can’t help yourself, work on the other issues in at least the same amount of time that you spend working on saying words. See the article, “Teach Your Toddler to Listen and Obey” for ideas on improving receptive language. The thing I do with all kids I see for therapy, and especially those with apraxia is absolutely, in the most fun way possible, REQUIRE them interact and respond. Children do not get to veg out in their own worlds, or direct all the play. This kind of language stimulation approach is generally not successful for children with apraxia. If it were, these children would already be talking, because most good parents talk to their children in this way already. If you are using this approach, or (gasp) you have a therapist using this approach, please read on for what I believe is a better way to do things. For children with limited social interaction skills or lower functioning cognitive skills, this “requiring a response” may not be achievable for a long time. For those kids we work on interacting during social games and participating with very basic cause/effect toys or foundational cognitive skills like object permanence. I also use Floortime techniques for at least part of the session to be sure we’re working on engaging at whatever level they can achieve. For more information on this technique, read anything by Dr. This approach is at the core of anything he’s written. Back to the premise of my treatment philosophy – I require the child to respond. Their attempts can be off- target. If they can’t talk, they can sign, or use any other mode (such as gestures or pictures) they can. But they absolutely, positively MUST communicate. I don’t give any kid who can initiate or respond a turn with any toy, a piece of any snack, or let them do anything else, until he at least tries to ask for it using the highest level of communication he can. I’m not mean about it. In fact, I could possibly the most fun adult many of my little clients know, but I am VERY insistent that they respond. Like I’ve posted on other sections (What Works / What Doesn’t Work), I play for most of my therapy sessions. For most toddlers I see over 1. I like to use a combination of things we sit down to do and alternate them with movement activities. For example, we might start the session with a favorite toy that I know a kid likes. Initially most children are generally pretty eager to attend and play when I first arrive. I try to make this as upbeat and as fun as possible. You do this with your tone of voice (very animated and bubbly) and your facial expressions. Act like you are having the time of your life! For parents, this is essential. Begin your own play sessions with toys you know that he or she likes. Then move on to new things or things that are difficult. Lavish your child with affection and attention during this special play time. Let her know how crazy you are about her by how totally focused you can be during play. Don’t answer the ringing phone. Don’t constantly look over her head to watch TV. Those things can wait. Pay attention so she will! BUT absolutely withhold or sabotage the activity by keeping the pieces of the toy until the child requests what he needs with words (if he’s verbal) or gestures/signs (if he’s not). Model what he should imitate if he’s not using spontaneous words or signs yet. Say the word or demonstrate the sign and wait. As I’ve stated before on this site, I always give choices. Ask, “Do you want trains or cars?” Wait for him to pick one, either with a word or sign. If he can talk or sign, model the choice 3 to 5 times before giving in and playing. Take his hands and help him sign if he can’t/won’t do it on his own. If he resists or becomes too upset, go ahead and play with what you think he wants. I think it’s too mean to hold out beyond this point. I want to keep the toddler engaged and wanting to play with me. I believe that it is counterproductive to have a toddler throw tantrum after tantrum in a session because he’s so upset. It should be the same during playtime with mom and dad too. When kids are this upset, they don’t learn. Or the lessons he is learning are ones I don’t like. He either feels like, “This woman is so horrible to me that I don’t ever want to play with her again.” Or equally non- constructive, “This tantrum thing is working for me. All I have to do is scream and pitch a fit to get my way.”When a toddler begins to exhibit these kinds of patterns, I do not use withholding or sabotage as my primary approaches. I still choose the activities so that I can make them fun and target language, but I do lots of modeling in an animated way with occasional withholding when he’s happy and can tolerate it. I use LOTS of praise and then immediately reward (with the toy or snack) when he’s participated in a positive way. By praise I don’t mean a 5 minute lecture with language that’s over his head before I give him what he wants. Don’t “lose” the kid with this mistake. I do lots of smiling, laughing, tickling, and saying, “Yay!” I try to project sheer and utter delight that they have done what I wanted them to do with my facial expressions and actions as I am giving him what he wants (the real reward).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
September 2017
Categories |