Semantic Pragmatic Disorder Support Group
How to Help Children with Spoken Language Difficulties
Quick Tips for Successful Communication
- Get the child's attention. Encourage both listening and watching to help understanding.
- Stress key words and use slightly exaggerated intonation.
- Use gestures or simple signs.
- Use short, clear sentences.
- Talk about objects and activities of interest.
- Talk about actions as they are happening.
- Give the child time to respond.
- Encourage all spontaneous utterances where appropriate and help the child to feel an equal partner in conversation.
- Do not ask too many questions - balance your talking with comment and description.
- Expand and extend the child's utterances.
- Model accurate pronunciation.
- Don't try to correct everything at once. Choose a sound, or a concept, to focus on for a week or two.
- No one enjoys being corrected all the time. We learn best when we feel fairly relaxed, confident and are enjoying the task.
- Praise the child when his/her speech is clear, or new words are attempted, or longer sentences are tried.
When you receive a diagnosis
If you have recently learned that your child is developmentally delayed or has a disability (which may or may not be completely defined), this message may be for you. It is written from the personal perspective of a parent who has shared this experience and all that goes with it.
When parents learn about any difficulty or problem in their child's development, this information comes as a tremendous blow. The day my child was diagnosed as having a disability, I was devastated—and so confused that I recall little else about those first days other than the heartbreak. Another parent described this event as a "black sack" being pulled down over her head, blocking her ability to hear, see, and think in normal ways. Another parent described the trauma as "having a knife stuck" in her heart. Perhaps these descriptions seem a bit dramatic, yet it has been my experience that they may not sufficiently describe the many emotions that flood parents' minds and hearts when they receive any bad news about their child.
Causes for Concern
If you are reading this page because you think that there is something just not quite right with your child's language and communication skills, it is vital that you seek advice immediately. You as a parent have that inner voice that tells you that something is wrong. Listen to it! The sooner you seek help for your child the better the chances of your child making some very good progress after receiving the right therapy and education.
Below is a list of "warning signals" that might indicate your child has Autistic Spectrum/Semantic Pragmatic Language Communication type difficulties. They are purely for your information and should not be used to make a diagnosis. You should raise your concerns with a health professional immediately if you read this list and you feel your child fits many of these descriptions.
