https://www.giantleaps.nz en-nz GIANT LEAPS Speech Company 30 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/828095 Parents play a critical role in a child's language development. Studies have shown that children who are read to and spoken with a great deal during early childhood will have larger vocabularies and better grammar than those who aren't. Here are some simple ways to nurture your baby's language development. 017, 23 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/828095 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/828098 Babies, toddlers and children all go through various stages when it come to learning language. Here is a list of things you can look for with your own child(ren). Please remember that these are averages. However, if you have any concern with regards to your child’s language development please contact a Speech-Language Therapist . We know that the best intervention is EARLY INTERVENTION and a parent will never regret seeking the advice of a speech therapist too early! 017, 23 Apr 2019 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/828098 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/825161 Our “wait and see” approach to the speech and language development of young children in New Zealand is nothing short of alarming! What we are seeing is the average age of referral to see a Speech Therapist becoming later and later. Instead of a child being referred for an assessment at age three or four years when their difficulties have become apparent, they are coming to us at age five and six years – sometimes even later! If a child’s speech and language skills are delayed at age six, then they were most definitely delayed at age five and four and three! The concerning thing is that the parent has decided, or even worse been advised, to “wait and see!” 013, 25 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/825161 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/825160 In order for a child to develop speech, he/she needs to be motivated or tempted to use words or sounds. Opportunities need to be set up where the child wants to vocalize. Speech Therapists use communication temptations to help teach a child to recognize that when he/she uses his/her voice, it causes something to happen. you can do this too! Here are some ideas… 013, 25 Mar 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/825160 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/817747 Do you have concerns that your child might not be meeting developmental milestones? Do you look around at other children of a similar age and worry that your child is much further behind? Here are my top 5 signs that indicate that you might need a speech and language evaluation. 009, 24 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/817747 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/817745 We strongly recommend that you seek the help of a speech-language professional if your child is not achieving the following milestones: 009, 24 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/817745 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/817746 It’s really exciting when children start to combine words into little sentences. This usually happens when they are about 30 months old, but it may happen later for children with language delays. There are many things you can do to help your child learn to use sentences. Whether your child is developing typically or has a language delay, you can talk to your child in a way that encourages his sentence development: 009, 24 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/817746 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/817655 I am sharing with you four of my favourite strategies I share with parents and caregivers to help enhance their child’s speech and language skills. These strategies can be implemented anywhere! Try them while you help to dress your toddler, prepare meals, during play time at home, in the car or even at a fun place like at the park. The more you use these language elicitation strategies, the more your child should learn to understand and use words. So, please go ahead and try these techniques today. Have fun and don’t forget to praise your child for all of their attempts at speech and language, especially if they attempt or say something new! 008, 22 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/817655 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/817275 As a parent it can be hard to know what is "normal" communication development. Just like walking, toilet training, learning to read and every other developmental milestone, there is a wide range of what is considered to be “normal". It's more complicated than just giving you a number, nut i generally suggest to parents that by age two years their child should have a vocabulary of about 50 words and be beginning to link words together into 2-word phrases. 008, 18 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/817275 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/816695 Expressive and receptive language are frequently occurring terms when discussing a child’s language development. But what do they mean? 007, 11 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/816695 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/816694 Hearing your child talk for the first time is a very special milestone moment for most parents – especially the moment they first say “mummy” or “daddy”! For most children this seems to happen effortlessly. This isn’t always the case though. Some children take a bit longer to pick up language skills. Whether your child is an early talker or a later talker, these 10 tips will help you to support their language skills at home. One important thing before I start on this list though! For some children, following these tips will not be enough. If you are concerned that your toddler is not developing early language, get them referred to a speech and language therapist as soon as you can. The best intervention is early intervention. The earlier a child gets the help and support they need, the better the outcome will be. 007, 11 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/816694 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/816598 Pediatric speech-language therapists have their own ways for describing the 'types of talk' that benefit children. Two of the most simple language facilitation techniques are self talk and parallel talk. These two strategies are pretty straightforward: talk about what you are doing as your child watches (self talk), and talk about what your child is doing or seeing (parallel talk). These strategies tend to come pretty easily to most parents, although many certainly feel a bit silly talking a blue streak to a little one who doesn't yet always talk back. But it gets easier as you go! (It helps if you already engage in "self-talk" on a regular basis with no one around.) 006, 9 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/816598 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/816597 Speech Language Therapists use a technique called “scaffolding” – which essentially means to increase or support language development by adding to what the child can say naturally. This helps the child to build upon his language in a naturally occurring context, without pressure. 006, 9 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/816597 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/816599 As a pediatric speech-language therapist, I often use indirect language facilitation strategies to help grow a child's language. This time I m referring to expansion and extension - some indirect language facilitation strategies that parents can put in their language-boosting tool box. These strategies are built around a child's utterance (what the child says) and they do not require a response from the child. 006, 9 Feb 2019 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/816599 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/803083 Silence isn’t golden for 400,000 Kiwis The important role of Speech-language Therapists is being highlighted with a week-long campaign, Giving Voice Aotearoa 2018, to raise awareness of communication disabilities nationwide. 400,000 Kiwis have a communication disability, including an inability to speak and be heard easily, processing spoken and written language, and reading and following signs. 037, 11 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/803083 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/799445 Speech Therapists are the specialists in identifying and advising if your child has a speech and language delay. Know the red flags - and seek advice if you need to. Given the vital importance of communication to a child’s social mobility and life chances, EARLY IDENTIFICTION AND INTERVENTION IS ESSENTIAL. 032, 11 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/799445 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/793997 Communication is at the heart of how we relate to one another. We all need contact and connection in order to live a fulfilling life. Through communication we enhance our own understanding of ourselves; we make social connections and we develop relationships; we receive and give information and knowledge; we influence and we are influenced – by nature we are social animals and we need communication to remain healthy and positive. 026, 25 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/793997 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/758538 First, it is important to note that children progress at different rates. That said, it is common for parents to miss the warning signs pointing to a speech and or language delay in their child. Parents, this is not your fault! It is our job as Speech-Language Therapists (SLT) to increase awareness and help you know what to look for. 039, 26 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/758538 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/739089 The “wait and see” approach to a child's speech & language development has achieved nothing expect contributed to the child lagging further behind in accessing the curriculum, reading, writing and forming essential peer relationships. We know that early and frequent assessment and intervention works! If you are concerned about your child's speech & language development, at at the very least I suggest you seek the advice or an assessment from a Speech + Language Therapist. The earlier a child is assessed, the greater and more successful the outcome is likely to be. 023, 4 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/739089 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/WHAT_IS_THE_DIFFERENCE_BETWEEN_SPEECH_26_LANGUAGE3f I want to take a moment to explain the difference between speech and language and also define communication because these terms are important for parents and educators to understand. 017, 27 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/WHAT_IS_THE_DIFFERENCE_BETWEEN_SPEECH_26_LANGUAGE3f https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/IT_IS_IMPORTNT_TO_ADDRESS_SPEECH_AND_LANGUAGE_DELAYS_EARLY_ON Is your child a late talker? Does your child have difficulty following directions or answering questions? Does your child have difficulty pronouncing certain speech sounds? Do you wonder whether your child might have delayed speech or language skills compared to other children his age? If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions it is best to contact a Speech-Language Therapist (SLT) for an assessment of your child’s speech and language skills. No age is too early to meet with an SLT for an assessment to decide if an intervention plan is needed. 017, 25 Apr 2017 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/IT_IS_IMPORTNT_TO_ADDRESS_SPEECH_AND_LANGUAGE_DELAYS_EARLY_ON https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/ENHANCE_YOUR_CHILD27S_COMMUNICATION As a parent it can be hard to know what is "normal" speech + language development. Language develops at different rates for different children. Here is some tips from a Speech Therapist on the many ways parents can enhance their child's communication development. 010, 7 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/ENHANCE_YOUR_CHILD27S_COMMUNICATION https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/THE_IMPORTANCE_OF_PUBLIC_SPEAKING_SKILLS_FOR_CHILDREN. Being able to communicate confidently in front of a group is a hugely valuable skill. The earlier children learn these skills - the earlier they normalize them. Being able to speak to an audience with out fear is a life skill the every child should learn, or be taught to achieve. 003, 17 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +1300 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/THE_IMPORTANCE_OF_PUBLIC_SPEAKING_SKILLS_FOR_CHILDREN. https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/DOES_MY_CHILD_NEED_SPEECH_THERAPY3f As a parent it can be hard to know what is "normal" development. Every child is unique and has an individual rate of speech and language development. Sometimes it is easy for parents to overlook the difficulties their child is having with speech.If you are concerned about any aspect of your child's speech, language or feeding development you can TALK TO US today! 020, 13 May 2016 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/DOES_MY_CHILD_NEED_SPEECH_THERAPY3f https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/DOES_THE_USE_OF_DUMMIES_AFFECT_SPEECH_2b_LANGUAGE_DEVELOPMENT3f As a Pediatric Speech Therapist I frequently get asked the questions, "would the use of a dummy have affected my child's speech development?" Dummies have been used with young children for many years. A dummy is an object “that a baby is given to suck so that the baby feels comforted and stays quiet” and is usually made of rubber or silicon. Despite their popularity and long history, the use of dummies is a controversial topic among professionals and parents/carers. 020, 13 May 2016 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/DOES_THE_USE_OF_DUMMIES_AFFECT_SPEECH_2b_LANGUAGE_DEVELOPMENT3f https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/SPEECH_2b_DRAMA_-_THE_MOST_IMPORTANT_EXTRA_CURRICULAR_ACTIVITY_YOU_CAN_INVOLVE_YOUR_CHILD_IN21 With an abundance of extra-curricular activities available to children today, parents are often faced with the difficult decision of which activities to get their child involved in. Read her about the benefits of Speech + Drama classes and why it is an activity that shouldn't be overlooked! 020, 9 May 2016 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/SPEECH_2b_DRAMA_-_THE_MOST_IMPORTANT_EXTRA_CURRICULAR_ACTIVITY_YOU_CAN_INVOLVE_YOUR_CHILD_IN21 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/WHY_IMPROVISATION_SKILLS_ARE_IMPORTANT_-_AND_BENEFICIAL_FOR_KIDS During Giant Leaps Speech + Drama Classes ALL children are taught and encouraged to participate in improvisations. As well as being FUN, the befits if Children improvising are much much more.... 020, 9 May 2016 00:00:00 +1200 https://www.giantleaps.nz/blog/WHY_IMPROVISATION_SKILLS_ARE_IMPORTANT_-_AND_BENEFICIAL_FOR_KIDS