# Encouraging speech



## Viva (May 16, 2005)

Hi all, 
Feel like a bit of a paranoid Mum posting this one, but thought that here was as good as anywhere. Lola is now 22 months and is as bright as a button and very alert, her understanding seems to be great and I see developments all the time with her...but her speech seems to me rather slow in coming along. She has perhaps 20 words max and a few animal noises(!)   and can put two words together E.G. Hiyah Daddy, but it is all a bit sparodic, in that some words she seems to use for a while and then not again and she is gaining few new words. I'm sure that her speech will come along in good time and I will probably take her along to our Health Visitor drop in clinic after Easter sometime, but I was just wondering if anyone had any good tops for encouraging speech, she does seem frustrated sometimes through her lack of speech, she tends to shriek Mama and then wait for me to work out what it is she wants.
Any thoughts/suggestions gratefully recieved.
Love
Viva
X


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## superal (May 27, 2005)

Hi

What about picture cards? (alphabet picture cards!)

You know with pictures of an apple, boat, cat and so on.......you could make a game out of it, show her the card, say the name of the picture card & then ask her where the apple etc is .......I think you know the kind of thing I mean.

I would not worry to much though as all children develop at different stages, each child is unique!!

The fact that she is saying some words is good BUT if you are secretly worried then a trip to your health visitor as you've suggested would be a good idea.

Love
Andrea
xx


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## Boggy (Dec 13, 2006)

Hi there

saw your post, hope you don't mind an adoptive-mum-to-be chipping in!

I got a DVD called Chatter Matters which to be honest i haven't watched yet but it is supposed to give ideas about developing pre-5 communication. You only pay postage (49pence!). it's got some useful posters in it. There are other resources for older children too.

Here's where to find it:

http://www.btbetterworld.com/

Bx

/links


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## Old Timer (Jan 23, 2005)

Hi Viva

Will be interested in the replies to this as the littlie we are considering doesn't speak many words either.  His sw is not concerned, she just doesn't think he has worked out how to get the words out yet but it is all going round his head and getting him frustrated.

Boggy, sounds like a good dvd.

Ot x


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## keemjay (Jan 19, 2004)

hi Viva
just a thought about Lolas speech..my friend adopted her little girl at 17 months and she has been everso slow with her speech..she didnt settle particularly easily into her new home and on reflection my friend and her sw think that the stress of the move impacted on her speech ie she concentrated on coping with her enviroment rather than trying to talk. i'm not saying this is necesarily the case with Lola as it sounds like she's settled really well but just thought I'd mention it...

re what you can do to encourage it..how about signing? it can act as a tool to help speech develop rather than hindering it as you might think..the prog 'something special' uses signing if you havent already seen it
also  do you sing much..i sing along to everything, making up words for just about any task we're doing to ther tune of 'here we go round the mulberry bush' ie this is the way we sweep the floor/clean our teeth etc etc. the wiggles do good songs and i find i can adapt those too!!

will try and think of some more things....my tea is calling me

kj x


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## Laine (Mar 23, 2002)

Hi Viva,

Glad you posted this   as I have been having similar concerns about Cutie.

Cutie is also 22 months and says about 30 words and can only put 'in there' together, he also babbles, 'sings' to himself and points.   

I saw the HV yesterday and mentioned this to her.  She told me that all children develop speech at differing rates and he is doing ok for his age.  Indeed, she told me to be prepared for a sudden vocabulary explosion as he definetely understands everything being said; and it is alll in his head waiting for the right time to come out! 

We read/look at the 'Usborne' childrens books.  To encourage speech, I would recommend the Look and Say range, which includes subjects like bedtime, shopping, first words, colours, shapes etc.

HTH   

Laine xxx


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## keemjay (Jan 19, 2004)

been thinking while eating my pasta..i meant to also to say that it doesnt sound like too much to worry about at the moment..like Laine says they are all different and suddenly you wont be able to keep her quiet! Littlies friend over the road is also 22 months and sounds very similar to Lola and Cutie, probably says less actually....
if you want any pointers for signing just shout, i did a Makaton signing course for my old job..its notoriously difficult to get hold of stuff with the pics of the signs..they're very protective of their copyrights....

kj x


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## TraceyH (Apr 14, 2004)

Viva

I had the same concerns about our little one at that age.  He didn't speak very much but now at 2 1/2 his speech is very good and he is a real chatterbox an can sing full nursery rhymes.  Flash cards and books with objects in are great.  Listening to both children and adults speaking will also bring on her speech.  Try not to worry in a couple of months she will be chattering away I am sure.

Tracey x


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## Viva (May 16, 2005)

Thanks for all you responses.
Laine and Tracey, thanks for your reassurances, it's a fine line isn't it with trying not to be paranoid but also not being too laid back..I guess as adoptive mum's we tend to be even more keen to ensure that we're doing the very best for our little ones! 
Boggy, I've had a look at the DVD you mentioned and I'll definitely order that...a bargain at 49p!
KJ, I had wondered the same thing, if the timing of the move was delaying things a little. I also wonder if having a very talkative big brother doesn't help, I am hopeful that when Charlie is at school that Lola will really benefit from more one to one attention from me, so it's really great to get ideas from people about what I can be doing with her.
Andrea, thanks for your suggestion, I think getting some picture cards would be good, I try and do this looking at books asking her what things are and the answer to most things are Cat, Teddy and Hiyah!!! She says Hiyah to everything!!!
OT, hopefully we'll be swapping tips in the future!
Viva
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