hello

[zackiesmom]

My name is Nicole im from Missouri. I have a son who just turned 4 in December. He still can not speak besides papa, mom, and mom mom for grandma, kitty, go, no,(please, yes with help), but besides that he just ums and  points. He is goint to a pre-pre school to help with his speach is is goin ok no dramatic changes yet. He has thou learned a lot of sign language but wont do it for me or repeat what im trying to teach him, y is that. Can anyone help me on this subject? Im realy getting scared y isnt my healthy 4 year old not talking, is it something i did when he was a new born? or is it just a natural way of life that happens to everyone at this age?

[hakelasmom]

When your child has a motive to speak (food, toy, tickle) is the best time to teach.  Reward approximations, but raise your standards to challenge your child. 

I took a sign language class the same time we learned about my child's diagnosis of autism.  I didn't see the connection at the time, but now I realize that the visuals helped enforce the words.  (I practiced on him). 

Teachers and professionals have a lot of experience and training to offer.  They can work miracles.  Sadly they don't always enlist parents in the process and that is a shame.  Will you find a more willing student/apprentice than a desperate parent?  Will you find someone with enough time, energy and passion?  As I parent, all I can do is learn everything possible about speech develpment and try to work as a team with professionals.

Relax, have fun.  Playfully engage and talk to your child.  Scale back if it seems too much.  But keep the language and love flowing -- much of language is nonverbal.  It will do you both a world of good.  Good luck.

[zackiesmom]

Thank you for your much needed advise :)  I baught him a backyardagains memory match game and he also got a Dora and Diego ABC and 123 game for christmas. I'm thinking great this is perfect for me to help him learn at home, but i was shund again lol he knows his ABC's and 1-5 perfectly so he found the games boring and he wont play with me :( pre-pre school i guess is doing great for him in that way but again with the speach he just wont talk around me at least..

[goodasitgets]

Hi Nicole,

You have a great open door that your child has some s peech.  THe mechanisms are in place to build upon that foundation.  As the oter responder posted finding the things your c h ild is most motivated to request are the best teaching opportunities to begin with at home.  My child LOVED and still loves to be t ickled, so he would request by sign and vocalizations t
tickle over and over until I was tired out.  He was also most  motivated to sign and vocalize for milk, cookie, etc. 

I am also a fan of reinforcing a child's attempts at speech with reinforcers.  So if you want to encourage your child to work more with you at home, find something he really  loves and only give it to him for attempts at s ign or speech...try to get him to combine signing with speech if possible for now.  I used to use Crasins (dried cranberries) soy chocolate chips, Smarties, gummies, or pieces of cookie with  my son.  I asked him to say or do somethign and he was rewarded even for an attempt.  He might not have perfectly articuated but if he tried, I reinfoced his attempt.  

My son has Verbal Apraxia  in combination with Autism.  His receptive speech is great a nd he can read with sign but speech otuput is especially difficult.  I have to say the word then repeat the first sound for him to be able to start saying it himself...or he has to see the word in print.  FOr example if I wnat  him to say cup, I might say say cup, c.. or say ball, b... then he can retrieve it. 

Whatever the reason for your child's speech delay, I am a big believer in creating as many opportunities during the day to engage your child in communication opportunities. It helps to keep your home as free of distractions as  possible...I was a victim of having actually too many toys available all the time.  Also turn of the TV and even music at times in the day and do as much talking to your child as possible.  Do not overlook the value of exposing your 4 year old to the printed word in books or as you explain that this apple here on the table looks like apple in print.  I actually used to put printed labels on things in the house.  Add a graphic or photo of the object with the printed word.  We used to do the What is this? all around and my son had to sign appropriately the name of the object. 

Reading aloud to your child exposes them to more language still...if you have trouble getting him to sit still for a whole story get him to sit for as long as you can without forcing it and reward him for the time he did sit...he should sit for longer and  longer times for the reward at first and then as he learns the reading is rewarding in and of itself.