Learning how to teach kids with speech delays is essential for parents and teachers. These children often face communication challenges. However, with the right techniques, they can improve their speech skills.
Like other developmental milestones, the age at which children start talking and develop language skills can differ. Understanding the basics of speech and language development can help parents determine whether there’s a need for concern.
First, start with simple and engaging activities. Use clear instructions, repeat words often, and offer positive feedback. Encourage kids to express themselves, even if progress feels slow. Every little step counts!
In this article, we’ll share expert-recommended tips on how to teach kids with speech delays. We will also share home-based activities designed to support children with speech delays. These proven techniques are easy to follow and deliver amazing results.
Whether you’re a parent or a teacher, you’ll find these strategies helpful on how to teach kids with speech delays. Let’s work together to help kids communicate confidently and effectively.
Firstly, About Child Development
Babies are naturally equipped to learn! The first three years of life are critical for developing speech and language. During this period, a child thrives in a stimulating environment, which supports better brain development and learning.
Even when children aren’t speaking yet, it doesn’t mean they can’t understand how the world works. This is the ideal time to introduce concepts! Parents might find it challenging, as babies communicate their needs—like hunger or tiredness—primarily by crying.
This is perfectly normal because crying is their first form of communication. However, as children grow, they should begin to use gestures and words instead of crying. If crying remains their primary communication method, it could indicate a speech delay.
Understanding the Difference Between a Delay and a Disorder
A speech delay refers to a gap between a child’s chronological age and speech and language abilities compared to peers of the same age. Children with speech delays typically show slower progress in developing language skills. They may also find it harder to learn new skills than other children their age.
Studies suggest that children with speech or language delays follow the same developmental milestones but at a slower pace.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) defines a disorder as a significant impairment in acquiring and using language across all forms, including speech and sign language. This impairment affects all five domains of language: phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
While some late talkers eventually catch up, approximately 25% continue to face language challenges. These children are often diagnosed with language impairment during their preschool or early elementary years.
How Are Speech and Language Different?
Speech refers to the verbal aspect of communication, including articulation—how we produce sounds and form words.
Language, on the other hand, involves exchanging information. It includes understanding others and expressing oneself through verbal, nonverbal, or written forms of communication.
What Are Speech and Language Delays?
Speech and language delays are distinct issues, but they often overlap. For instance:
- A child with a speech delay might use words and phrases that may be difficult to understand.
- A child with a language delay might articulate words clearly but only combine two words to communicate.
What Are the Signs of a Speech or Language Delay?
If a baby isn’t responding to sounds or vocalizing, a doctor should evaluate them immediately. However, it’s often challenging for parents to distinguish between a child who is slightly delayed in reaching speech or language milestones and one who may have a more significant issue.
Here are some signs to look out for. Contact your doctor if your child:
- By 12 months: Don’t use gestures like pointing or waving goodbye.
- By 18 months: Relies on gestures more than vocalizations to communicate.
- By 18 months: Struggles to imitate sounds.
- Has difficulty understanding simple verbal commands.
- By 2 years: Only mimics speech or actions and doesn’t say words or phrases independently.
- By 2 years: Repeats a few sounds or words without using language to express more than basic needs.
- By 2 years: Cannot follow simple instructions.
- By 2 years: Has an unusual tone of voice, such as sounding raspy or nasal.
Additionally, seek medical advice if your child’s speech is harder to comprehend than expected for their age:
- By 2 years old, parents and primary caregivers should understand roughly half of what the child says.
- By 3 years old, about 75% of their speech should be clear to caregivers.
- By 4 years old, most people, even those unfamiliar with the child, should understand their speech.
What Causes Speech or Language Delays?
Speech delays may be caused by:
- Oral impairments, such as tongue or palate issues.
- A short frenulum (the fold under the tongue) restricts tongue movement.
Many children with speech delays experience oral-motor difficulties. These occur when the brain areas that control speech are impaired, making it hard to coordinate the lips, jaw, and tongue for sound production. Such children might also face related challenges, like feeding difficulties.
Hearing issues can also contribute to speech problems. If a child has speech concerns, a hearing test by an audiologist is essential. Hearing difficulties can impact a child’s ability to produce, understand, and imitate language.
Chronic ear infections can also influence hearing. However, as long as hearing in one ear is normal, speech and language development usually proceed as expected.
How to Teach Kids with Speech Delays
Now that we understand what speech delay is, let’s look at various speech therapy tips and activities you can use on how to teach kids with speech delays. And also to enhance your child’s speech and language development. Always remember, as a parent, you are your child’s first and most important teacher.
Applying these strategies not only initiates your child’s progress but also provides insights into what concepts to teach first and how to approach them.
1. Incorporate Play Every Day
Children naturally learn through play. It is an enjoyable and effective way to introduce concepts like colors, animal names, or actions. Dedicate 30 minutes to an hour each day, free from distractions, to engage with your child.
Your undivided attention is the greatest tool for teaching them how to label objects and use them appropriately. While having many toys may seem beneficial, meaningful interaction with you is what truly helps them learn new things.
2. Prioritize Simplicity
Your child doesn’t need a vast collection of toys. Instead, focus on open-ended toys that encourage creativity, imagination, and social interaction. Spending time outdoors is even better! Outdoor activities stimulate multiple senses—children can see, touch, hear, and smell their surroundings. This fosters physical movement, imaginative thinking, and sensory exploration.
3. Engage with Books
Reading books is another valuable activity to improve speech delays. Books filled with vibrant pictures captivate your child while introducing new ideas. While reading, ask questions or leave out predictable words for your child to fill in, such as animal sounds.
Books not only teach problem-solving but also enhance cognitive and imaginative skills. Reading together also strengthens the bond between you and your child. Initially, they may find it hard to sit still, but with time, they will develop better focus and enjoy the experience.
4. Teach Emotions and Feelings
Helping your child understand and manage emotions is crucial for their development. As children begin communicating, they may become frustrated due to their inability to express themselves.
Research shows that during overwhelming moments, children process emotions using the right side of their brain, which explains frequent crying.
Teaching emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, or fear helps them identify and cope with these feelings. For instance, reassure them during a scary situation, like a doctor’s visit, by saying, “It’s okay to feel scared, but this is important for your health.” This guidance fosters emotional regulation and supports their mental health.
5. Introduce Colors
Between 18–29 months, children typically start recognizing colors, though some may learn earlier or later.
Begin with basic colors like red, blue, yellow, and green before expanding to others. Repetition is essential for mastery.
Activities to teach colors include:
- Coloring books
- Singing songs like the “Rainbow Song”
- Playing with colorful blocks or balls
- Grouping objects by color
- Using playdough in various shades
6. Teach Basic Sign Language
Teaching sign language offers a way for your child to communicate their needs and feelings while learning to speak. Basic signs like “more,” “help,” or “give” can empower them to express themselves without frustration.
Contrary to common myths, sign language doesn’t hinder speech development—it promotes early communication and strengthens your bond with your child.
7. Create Opportunities by Limiting Access
Speech therapists often recommend placing desirable items in view but out of reach. This encourages children to communicate their needs to access these items.
Store toys or snacks in visible but inaccessible locations, such as clear bins or shelves, prompting your child to request them. This technique develops functional communication skills.
8. Sing Songs Together
Singing songs and nursery rhymes is a fun and effective speech therapy activity. Toddlers enjoy moving and dancing to music, which uplifts their mood and stimulates speech development. Songs are also a fantastic way to introduce new concepts and enhance memory skills.
9. Make Daily Routines a Learning Opportunity
Everyday activities like bathing, eating, or dressing provide excellent chances to teach new concepts. These routines happen frequently, making them ideal for consistent practice. Regular repetition helps children retain and generalize new words or ideas.
10. Use Self-Talk
Self-talk is a powerful speech therapy tool where you describe your actions in real time. For example, while playing with a ball, narrate: “This is a ball. It is round and blue. I’m bouncing it.” Keep your sentences short and straightforward, matching or slightly exceeding your child’s speech level.
For instance, if your child uses single words, stick to one- or two-word phrases like “Car. Push. Push car.” As they progress, include more complex phrases while continuing to repeat keywords, as repetition is essential for learning.
What Can Parents Do to Help?
Parents play a vital role in supporting children with speech or language challenges. Here are some practical tips:
- Prioritize communication: Engage in regular conversations, sing songs, and encourage your child to mimic sounds and gestures.
- Introduce books early: Start reading to your baby using age-appropriate materials like board books or picture books. Name the pictures to build vocabulary.
- Use everyday activities: Narrate your daily tasks to teach new words. For instance, name groceries while shopping, explain cooking steps or point out objects at home. Keep your language simple and clear, avoiding “baby talk.”
The key to managing speech and language delays is early detection and intervention. If you notice any concerns about your child’s development, reach out to your doctor for guidance.
How Are Speech or Language Delays Identified?
If you suspect your child has a speech or language issue, it’s crucial to consult a speech-language pathologist (SLP) as soon as possible. You can either find an SLP yourself or request a referral from your healthcare provider.
An SLP, also known as a speech therapist, will assess your child’s abilities in speech and language. This evaluation involves standardized testing and a review of developmental milestones related to speech and language.
The evaluation will also include checks for:
- Your child’s understanding of language (receptive language)
- What your child can express verbally (expressive language)
- Clarity of speech and how sounds are formed
- Oral-motor skills, such as how the tongue, mouth, and palate function together for speaking, eating, and swallowing
After analyzing the results, the SLP may recommend speech therapy to address any identified issues.
How Does Speech Therapy Support Your Child?
Speech therapy aims to enhance your child’s communication skills. The therapist will work directly with your child while teaching you strategies to practice at home to aid progress.
When to Consider Professional Assistance
Now that you’re familiar with various methods to teach your child essential concepts and speech therapy activities, you might want additional guidance. If you notice your child isn’t progressing at a typical developmental pace, seeking professional help is a wise decision.
A speech-language therapist can evaluate your child to identify specific speech or language challenges. Early diagnosis leads to early intervention—and better outcomes!
At sites like Better Speech, they provide online speech therapy services that are convenient, personalized, and designed to meet your child’s unique needs. They have affordable and effective services.
In the United States, approximately 8% of young children face challenges with communication. A speech and language delay occurs when a child’s development in these areas is slower than expected. There are many reasons why a child may experience speech delays.
If you notice your child struggling with communication, it’s essential to consult a professional, such as a speech-language therapist, for guidance.
Know This
The journey on how to teach kids with speech delays needs patience and love. The right techniques on how to teach kids with speech delays make learning enjoyable and effective. Start with simple words and use plenty of repetition. Celebrate every effort and progress, no matter how small.
Remember, communication is a journey. With support, kids with speech delays can grow their confidence and language skills. Use games, songs, and interactive activities to make learning fun.
We hope these tips inspire you to take action. Share this article with others who support kids with speech delays or those who want to know how to teach kids with speech delays. Together, we can help every child find their voice!