The therapists at Suffolk Center for Speech Pathology have mastered the art of engaging children with motivational and fun treatment. But it's important that some form of treatment continues at home, and here are some tips to make your at-home treatment fun, engaging and successful...
First and foremost, talk with your child. Talk a lot. What does your child enjoy? Does he/she have a favorite show? Ask them questions about the show. Make sure they are open-ended questions that can't simply be answered with a "yes" or "no". Open-ended questions prompt your child to think about who, what, why, how, where and when. This is a good at-home practice in the treatment of memory & auditory processing. But, be engaging as can be. Can't stand SpongeBob's yelpy voice, or the show in general. Well, start acting like you do. A child can sometimes sense when a parent is truly interested in what they have to say, and displaying an authentic interest in their words will inspire them to actually process your question and their response. Engaging conversations daily are a wonderful practice that will help the child succeed in overcoming their troubles with processing and speaking (coupled with the quality therapy offered at Suffolk Center for Speech Pathology).
Secondly, sing. Not just to them...sing with them. Nursery rhymes are a great start. Teach them how to sing your favorite nursery rhyme. This will help your child develop a fluency which is important during development; not just in the treatment of stuttering. Singing a nursery rhyme with your son or daughter each night before bed is a great at-home practice and is simple, fun, and engaging for your child.
Thirdly, read with your child. Reading time is a great opportunity to teach your child new vocabulary, even if they haven't mastered the skill of reading novels yet. If they do know how to read, then read with them! Children love making their parents proud when it comes to learning how to read. Always praise their efforts. Positive reward can truly motivate your child to be successful in speech therapy. Go to the library with your child, trot on over to the children's section, and let him/her pick a book. Don't read them your favorite book, read with them their new favorite book. If it's their favorite book, they'll be engaged, and reading (even right before bed) will help your child better their auditory and memory processing. We can't stress how important it is in speech therapy to read with your child. We suggest reading a particular book over and over again until your child can read it on their own (if plausible). This will help them understand syntax (we don't recommend teaching them what the word means, but we do recommend teaching them how sentences flow in regards to subjects, adjectives and verbs). It's important for educational purposes regardless, but it's also a wonderful at-home practice to help your child succeed in their speech therapy.
Fourthly, play games. Not just any old game. Shoots and ladders, although the best game ever, isn't what I'm referring to. Play word games, such as scrabble, boggle, hangman etc. Maybe even make up your own word game. This is a great opportunity to teach your child new vocabulary and focus on his/her speech. They'll come to therapy with a new word every week! This is both educational and motivating. Most children have an innate desire to learn (especially new words) to impress their elders. If you see this in your child, take advantage of it!
These are four simple ways you can help your child succeed in their speech therapy. Adding these into your daily routine might seem difficult at first, but you'll get the hang of it.
