Teach Me To Talk with Laura and Friends

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S, CCC-SLP for a rare opportunity as she talks with a mom and the SLP working with her 2 1/2 year old who is yet talking.  This child has had a complex history due to a rare genetic mutation, BUT his mom has devoted herself to helping him learn to communicate. Listen to this great show, not only for ideas you can try with your own late talker, but for inspiration! Mom and SLP both are using ideas from my books Building Verbal Imitation in Toddlers and Teach Me To Talk: The Therapy Manual during speech therapy and at home. Check it out for yourself to get recommendations for strategies that WORK to address both expressive and receptive language goals for toddlers.

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP of www.teachmetotalk.com as she answers the following question from a frustrated mom: “Hi Laura. Your videos and books have been a great help for our son. I have a question about sign language. We have been working with my son on signing for about 4 months and progress has been slow. He understands some signs but will not do them by himself. When I say a word and show him the sign he holds his hands out for me to do the sign with his hands. He will not do a sign without my help. He will even push my hands together for more and then hold his hands out but will not push his own hands together. Hoping you might have a suggestion for this. My son is 2 1/2 and is Autistic. He does not use any words yet. Thanks.” I have 5 or 6 different reasons he's not signing yet and then even more options for her. Listen for my advice! Read the written version of this question and reply.    

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP of www.teachmetotalk.com as she answers a mom's question about her late talking toddler since the arrival of a new baby... "I hope you can help me! We bought your dvd for our daughter who will be 3 in April. Before our second daughter was born (in August), she would name everything we pointed to. She would tell us the color of things animal sounds, etc. Since the new baby, she refuses to answer these questions. We know she knows them because she will be in the room alone and say "What's this? A horse! Nay!" And occasionally she will answer them for us. But hardly ever. She also prefers to say "Thirsty" instead of "I am thirsty." which she CAN say. Same thing for "I want...." She prefers to say "Muffins" instead of "I want muffins" but she occasionally says the whole thing. When we ask her to say it, she gets upset. A while ago, she would scream "THIRSTY - AHHHH!" and we would try to get her to not scream. She stopped saying it altogether, so we are trying to avoid that again. Can you help us? Our insurance does not cover speech therapy and the person who came to us with early intervention didn't believe she could speak at all. We are trying just to repeat what we want her to say but give her what she wants but we're getting nowhere. Same thing with the labeling questions. We followed your DVD and she follows everything perfectly, it's just these other things. Thanks so much for your time!" Tune in for my ideas! It may not be what you think!!   

In this episode pediatric Laura Mize, M.S, CCC-SLP of teachmetotalk.com answers a variety of questions from SLPs and parents. We'll talk about how I write goals for toddlers and young preschoolers for speech therapy, what it means when a toddler is fatigued during therapy (it may not be what you think!), and why DISTRACTION is one of the most powerful tools you can use when working with our little friends. If we have time, we'll even tackle a mom's questions about handling her toddler's language regression since the arrival of a new baby. All that and maybe even a little more on this week's show!! 

I love Valentine's Day, don't you?? Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP as she discusses cute ideas to use during therapy with toddlers for Valentine's Day. All ideas are listed here in this post. In the post you'll also find links to FREE Therapy Tip of the Week videos with even more ideas! Hope you enjoy these ideas with your little sweethearts!   

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP of teachmetotalk.com as she answers questions from 2 different therapists today. A developmental therapist writes of witnessing the onset of autism in a little client she's working with and how difficult it's been to watch him decline. She needs ideas for how to proceed with treatment since he's been formally diagnosed. The second question is from an SLP who is working with a set of spunky twins who are using lots of jargon. We'll talk about the various reasons kids use jargon and more importantly, provide some specific recommendations and strategies for therapy and for their parents. I hope you'll join me! 

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP as she provides ideas for a mom who complained that her child can't sit still to work with her on developing language and has difficulty maintaining attention during therapy sessions.  From Laura... Here's the truth... MANY late talking toddlers can't (not WON'T) sit still. We'll BRIEFLY talk about why that is and then move on to ideas that WORK for our friends who need to move, move, move. Here's a list of things I do with my busiest little friends: Do what they like! Decrease demands overall so that a child doesn't feel "forced." Participation is your ONLY goal. This can dramatically help!! Don't sit... MOVE! Target language during gross motor movement or outside playground activities such as sliding, jumping on a trampoline, swinging, etc... Try social games where moving is a part of the game - Ring Around the Rosies, Row Row Your Boat, Ride a Little Horsie - verbal routines during those games to target receptive and expressive language. Introduce play that involves moving - improvise a basketball game even without a hoop, bowling, launcher toys, and relay games Work on Structured Teaching Tasks - TEACCH method Over time begin to alternate activities move - sit - move - sit Modify a child's space so that movement is less of an option. Beware....belting them into a high chair is usually NOT a good option!  Don't try strategies for older children like "if/then." Many times our little friend DON'T understand that promise. Reinforce sitting.  

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP of www.teachmetotalk.com as she answers similar questions from an SLP Assistant and from a mom about helping verbal toddlers expand vocabulary when they appear to be "stuck." Laura will discuss how she approaches children in this situation, the steps she uses to uncover why a child isn't making much progress, and then provides suggestions for moving forward in each scenario. 

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP from www.teachmetotalk.com as she answers this mom's question: "hi laura, i m mum doing speech therapy, kind of stuck teaching matching objects receptively that is written in ur teach me to talk the therapy manual in which u hav given details abt matching object to object, object to picture and picture to picture but how it is done in a structured way. i m having difficulty that how it is done easily with animals or any other object. thanks plz guide me. can u plz write the way to do it." I just love to help moms like this!!  In this show I'll outline the process I use during speech therapy for helping a toddler learn to match.  I hope you'll join me!!     

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.,S., CCC-SLP from www.teachmetotalk.com as she discusses 6 ways to pull yourself out of your professional rut. While this advice is specifically for speech-language pathologists and other professionals who work in pediatrics or early intervention, the recommendations are good for helping anyone, anytime they feel stuck. 

In this week’s teachmetotalk podcast I'm continuing my series on what works to help toddlers learn to talk. Join me, pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP, founder of teachmetotalk.com, as I highlight strategies that are highly effective in helping late talking toddlers begin to communicate. Let’s get back to the basics of talking about what really, really works! In some ways, it’s much simpler than you think! Here's the post I referenced for this show: What Works... Strategies to Help Toddlers Learn to Talk Products I recommended: Building Verbal Imitation in Toddlers Teach Me To Talk the DVD Steps to Building Verbal Imitation in Toddlers on DVD

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP, founder of teachmetotalk.com, and she highlights strategies that are highly effective in helping late talking toddlers begin to communicate. In some ways, it's much simpler than you think! The post this show is based on is here: What Works...Strategies that Help Toddlers Learn to Talk  To find out more about the products Laura mentioned in this show, click here. 

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP, founder of www.teachmetotalk.com as she answers this question from an SLP: "I read all your materials and I am very familiar with your approach to therapy . I have a question with 1 child. He is 2 years old and understands everything but is not speaking. He is not apraxia and nothing major is going on. I've tried all your techniques especially verbal routines. Does it come to a point when it's personality based child doesn't feel need to talk or is babied by parents and doesn't want to talk?" Do you already know what I'm going to say? If you're a long time listener, probably so! Here's the article I referenced in the show:  Can't vs. Won't  

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP founder of www.teachmetotalk.com as she discusses the process she uses when a there's little to no positive change in speech therapy with a toddler. Click here for the written summary for these guidelines. For more ideas for helping toddlers learn to talk, check out Laura's complete product line for parents and professionals at teachmetotalk.com!

Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP, founder of www.teachmetotalk.com as she talks with an SLP who is having difficulty talking with a child's parents about the extent of his issues and more importantly, providing treatment ideas that WILL work for this overly frustrated 2 year old!