Search Results for: blog child speech and language development

Signs of Dyslexia Start Before a Child Learns to Read

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A study done in Italy found that signs that a child has dyslexia appear long before the child starts to learn how to read. Typically, in the United States, dyslexia is not considered until young children begin to learn to write and read. The Italian study found a new way to help with dyslexia. However, the treatment may not work with children who communicate in English. Dyslexia is a type of learning disability. A person who is dyslexic will have problems reading because his or her brain does not properly recognize and process certain symbols. Those symbols include letters of … Continue reading →

Epilepsy and Learning

Did you know that approximately 50% of persons with epilepsy also have ADD, ADHD or another learning disorder? Neurologists have determined that when a person with epilepsy they have electrical discharges which cause the seizure activity disrupts the connections between nerve cells. This disruption causes abnormal brain activity. Even when a person’s seizures are well controlled the disorder can cause learning and developmental issues. The severities of the impairments vary depending on how much of the brain is affected by the abnormal brain activity. Abnormal brain activity can cause cognitive impairments, executive function impairments and motor skill impairments. When a … Continue reading →

Speech Development

Our second foster placement was a toddler. She didn’t talk much when she arrived at 21-months old. I was very concerned for her because I was used to toddlers who were vociferous. After four months living with us and working with ECI, she was much more verbal and had added a lot of words. I was concerned about Jessie’s language development early, but ECI wouldn’t work with her until she was two. She didn’t seem to make a lot of progress between ages two, when the speech therapist started working with her, and age three when she aged out of … Continue reading →

Baby Language

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With my first child, I never worried too much about “teaching” her how to talk. However, I did come up with one technique that seemed to work when she was a toddler. If she would mis-pronounce a word, I would simply say it back to her correctly. If she was having difficulty saying something, I would tell her to look at my mouth. When she was watching my mouth, I would enunciate slowly as she watched. It almost always did the trick. She would be able to say the word correctly from then on. Now, I have a boy and … Continue reading →

Language Development in Toddlers

Two-year olds are generally talkers, though most of the time we do not even know what they’re saying. However, their words mean something to them. The toddler’s mind is ahead of their mouth literally. Their new motor skills are not coordinated with each other. In the mind of the toddler, all the words are right, but when they try to convert the thought to speech, gibberish comes out. Don’t worry if sometimes they sound like they are saying complete sentences in a foreign language. Most toddlers will gradually get better at forming their words in due time. To assess a … Continue reading →

“Is Something Wrong with My Child?” Expert Advice from Dr. Ellenmorris Tiegerman

Readers: The following is an interview with Dr. Ellenmorris Tiegerman, Founder and Executive Director of the School for Language and Communication Development. She is an expert in the field of early childhood development, and her insight and wisdom is tremendously valuable. Hello, Dr. Tiegerman. Introduce yourself, and tell us a little about the school you founded. Hi, everyone. I am the Founder and Executive Director of the School for Language and Communication Development (SLCD) which provides educational services for children 18 months to 21 years with language and autism spectrum disorders. I started this program in 1985 when I was … Continue reading →

More about Reading and First Grade Students

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Previously I gave some insight into the first grade classroom. I discussed listening, speech, books and print and writing. All of these are very important to the development of a child’s reading skills. Students in the first grade should be able to quickly name the letters and sounds of the alphabet. They should be using these skills when carrying out their writing and spelling. The teacher should instruct the students on appropriate times to use uppercase and lowercase letters. Segmentation, blending, phoneme addition and deletion, and phoneme substitution should all be carried out in the first grade classroom. The teacher … Continue reading →

“Why is My Child Clumsy?” The Symptoms of Dyspraxia

I’ve gotten rather used to driving my huge 12-passenger van around town. The size of my family requires it. However, I remember a while back when my sister loaned me her average-sized car. As I drove it down the highway, I felt like my rear end was scraping on the ground. It definitely required some getting used to. Everything was in a different location and I felt strange sitting in it. A child with dyspraxia feels this way in his own body. Although eventually I became acclimated to the smaller car, the child with dyspraxia continues to do things as … Continue reading →

12 Signs That Your Child Is Trying to Tell You Something

Children who are non-verbal or have language difficulties exhibit many behaviors in an effort to try to communicate. Sometimes these attempts to “tell you something” can be misunderstood. It might seem like your son or daughter is just being evasive, annoying, or naughty. But it’s important to recognize that children who have difficulty with speech struggle with a whole lot of frustration. When my son Kyle was a preschooler, his tantrums were incredibly severe because he could not adequately communicate his desires. I’m sure he sometimes felt like a tourist in a foreign country, getting a whole lot of blank … Continue reading →

Baby Sign Language: Good or Bad?

Do you sign with your baby? Popular books like BabyWise by Ezzo tout signing with your baby as the answer to teaching your baby manners. At around five months, you’re supposed to start teaching your baby signs for thirsty, hungry, please and thank you. Other proponents note that babies definitely are able to think more than they can communicate. Teaching sign makes communicating basic needs much less frustrating. (Have you ever had your child repeatedly say a completely unintelligible word to their utter frustration because you can’t understand?) If only all babies signed, we could see what’s inside their heads … Continue reading →