Speech and language disorders can affect any child, if left untreated, it can negatively impact their ability to communicate and interact with others. It can be misleading and confusing for parents to navigate information on-line.
If you think your child may have an articulation disorder, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The latest research shows articulations disorder affects almost 75% of school age children. Unfortunately, this can have a negative impact on a child, they often don’t interact in conversations, classroom discussions, it can even affect how peers and teachers perceive them
There are several activities and ideas that can help your child communicate more effective.
Straws
Straws can be a great tool for learning proper mouth position and strengthening muscles for clear speech. It can be a twisty or regular straw, just have your child drink something pretty thick, such as a milkshake, through the straw.
Bubbles
Blowing bubbles through a wand is a great exercise to help train the muscles around a child’s mouth for proper articulation.
Take a Walk
While taking a walk in the park, around the block, even in the grocery store, you and your child look for items with your target sound. Make a game out of it by seeing who can spot the most things. For instance, if you are working on the “r” sound, look for a “red car”, “rabbit”, or “tree”.
Play “I Spy”
This is a great game! Take turns describing an object you see. Without saying the object out loud, try and find an item with the target sound and describe. Have your child ask questions to guess the object.
Plan And Prepare Meals
Have your child help you plan and prepare a meal. Let them participate by naming each food. Ask if it is a vegetable or fruit, and what comes next? Have them get involved by naming the cooking process, slicing or chopping.
Take A Road Trip
Even if it is just for a picnic lunch at the park, ask your child what you need to pack. Make a game out of it by describing a function of what you need to pack.
For instance, What are we going to do out of a, “cup”? What are we going to eat with, “fork”? As you are driving, help your child identify landmarks or street signs. Not only is it a fun activity, it will improve their articulation and communication skills.
It isn’t always easy to navigate the trek from the moment of concern to your child getting the appropriate help they need. From the first step to the journey of success, First Words Speech Therapy is here for you. We can guide you through the process, share available resources, from initial screening to developing a comprehensive plan.
Contact us for a free phone consultation at 407-810-2773
