Advice for Parents of Language-Delayed Young Children

ADVICE FOR PARENTS OF LANGUAGE-DELAYED YOUNG CHILDREN

Imitate your child's babbling to develop verbal imitation and turn-taking behaviors.

Use Baby Talk Register.

Limit the length of your utterances to match the average length of your child's utterances + one word.
Use vocabulary which has concrete reality to the child, e.g., names of people, objects, actions, and locations. Use consistent labels.

Limit the use of

Accept, by a natural response, all of your child's attempts at communication, no matter how primitive.

pronouns.

Use your child's name as an attention-getter before delivering the message.
Infuse saliency into your utterances with variations in pitch and loudness to emphasize specific words and sounds.
Frequently repeat messages.
Accompany messages with gestures, facial expressions, and body language.
Provide the words to code what you think your child is trying to say.
Accept, by a natural response, all of your child's attempts at communication, no matter how primitive.
Read to your child. Include nursery rhymes.