Say It With Me: How To Help Children With Speech and Language Delays
by Patricia Ybarra, Speech-Language Pathologist and Research Director Pearson Clinical Assessments
As a speech-language pathologist (SLP), I work with children to overcome language and speech challenges, and I’ve been fortunate enough to watch many of them make important developmental advances. I know how crucial it is to work together with families and caregivers to understand those challenges and address them in a way that best benefits the child and their family. So, I was delighted to have the opportunity to share my experience on the latest episode of Pearson’s new podcast, “Building Bridges: Strengthening the Educator-Caregiver Relationship”.
We started the conversation by defining developmental expectations in language and speech. Language skills involve being able to listen to and understand others and to express oneself, while speech skills involve producing all sounds in words. There are many different manifestations of delays in both of these areas, and they can occur for various reasons, such as the child experiencing hearing loss or physical issues.
The wide variety of causes and different developmental paces that children experience makes it vital for SLPs and other diagnostic staff to conduct well-rounded assessments and work with caregivers to understand what they’re seeing and hearing at home.
How to engage caregivers about potential delays
Discussing a developmental delay can be a very sensitive conversation, so it’s important that educators connect with families in a way that considers the caregivers’ needs. For example:
- Choosing their preferred communication method, whether that’s email, phone, or in person.
- Broaching the subject at a specified time when the caregiver is available to talk uninterrupted, not at pick-up or drop-off time.
- Focusing on what the child needs, such as being able to greet their friends or say what snack they want, rather than what they can’t do.
In the episode, we also addressed what educators should do if they encounter resistance from caregivers. By remaining empathetic and staying focused on the child’s well-being, these tough conversations can lead to meaningful intervention.
Key resources for educators and families
There are many resources available for addressing speech and language delays — as long as you know where to look. During the episode, I shared resources for understanding developmental milestones for speech and language, as well as information about where to locate early intervention services in your state or territory.
Beyond these formal resources, we also talked about what caregivers can do to extend the work of SLPs and other professionals who are working with their child. There is so much that caregivers can do beyond the classroom to help build language and speech skills. Examples we covered include:
- “Thinking out loud” in daily tasks so children hear lots of language every day.
- Engaging in fun activities together such as sharing books, naming things, taking turns blowing bubbles, and singing.
- Ensuring at least 10 minutes of face-to-face interaction time each day and limiting screen time when seeking to develop language skills.
The nature of each child’s delay determines what the most appropriate intervention and activities should be, but these steps can be helpful starting points for educators to share with caregivers.
Podcast takeaways — celebrating every milestone
The host and I shared success stories from our own experiences — me as a professional, and she as the parent of a child who experienced a speech delay. We both agreed there are numerous milestones that are wonderful to see and celebrate with young children, even if they don’t follow an idealized “script”.
With collaboration from early childhood educators, diagnostic and support staff, and caregivers and families, children can improve speech and language skills and be able to share their needs and express themselves. If you’d like to learn more about how this comes together, listen to the full episode of “Building Bridges: Strengthening the Educator-Caregiver Relationship”. For additional tools that can support you in helping children with speech and language delays, explore our Speech and Language resources.
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