When we are trying to encourage children to talk and take a turn in our social engagement often we find ourselves filling in the silence that is evident throughout the child’s play. One important therapy technique that you can adopt throughout your day to day routine is wait time.
First, what does wait time indicate and why is it important? It may be intuitive as you’re reading this but, like most things, it is easier said than done because silence is…awkward. However, that silence is important because it
1) Signals to your child that it is their turn to respond and
2) Gives them time to process what you just said/did.
This cue to respond is magnified if you provide an expectant look or gesture (e.g. eyebrows raised).
When we think of responding, although we always want words, responding can be demonstrated in a variety of ways:
- Looking to you
- Looking to the desired object or action
- Vocalizations (e.g. “ahhh”)
- Verbal approximations (e.g. saying “ahpo” instead of apple)
- Pointing or some other gestures (e.g. signing more)
Be sure to show your child that you’re excited and praise him (her) for even trying
In the early communication stages we usually accept all communication. Slowly we start to work towards words or other forms of communication (whatever our goal is) but first we need the groundwork to build to that. That might mean accepting incomplete words or even just vocalizations initially then taking those and shaping them into words.
It can be difficult to give your child time to respond a good trick that I use everyday, is to count in your head. I tell parents give your child a good 5-10 seconds. Even longer if you know that processing is something your child has difficulty with. This gives them the opportunity to respond. It should look something like this:
P (parent): Look Bunny!
C (child):…
P: [provide 5-10 sec pause]
C: [looks to bunny and points] hmmmmm
P: Yes! Bunny! [Parent makes sure child can see their face *you can try bringing the toy to your face*]
Give this a try at home throughout your day to day routines to give your child more communication opportunities.
If you or a loved one is in need of Speech Therapy please call today at 586-323-2957 to schedule your FREE 30 minute screening!
Written by: Sarah Coulter, Speech Therapist
