​One of the most essential skills your child will ever learn is focused listening.
Listening is more than just hearing. Listening is a very intentional process that involves consciously extracting meaning from the sounds we hear.  In order for children to listen well, they must learn to focus their attention, block out distractions/competing noise and make a meaningful connection with the message being communicated. Here are a few ways to help build strong listening skills at home:

• Minimize background noise in the environment (e.g. fans, TV, music, washing machine) or move to a quieter location when conversing with your child.
• Get your child’s attention before expecting him/her to listen to instructions.  Call your child’s name and establish eye contact before giving directions or asking questions.
• Stand close and face your child.  Stand within arm’s length of your child, get down to the child’s eye level and communicate face to face.
• Speak in a clear voice.  Slow down your speech and enunciate words.
• Check for understanding.  Ensure that your child understands what is being said. Observe his/her facial expression or ask your child “what did you hear me say?”  
• Allow your child time to respond to your questions.  Be patient and positive.
• Read a book to your child daily. A simple 10-15 minute read-out-loud activity with your child is powerful. It teaches your child to adopt a physical listening posture and allows them to practice active listening to a story containing rich vocabulary.
• Cook together. Find a simple recipe, read each step of the recipe and follow the directions together.  
• Take a listening walk. Go outside with your child with the intention of discovering sounds in nature: e.g. “Shhhh, what do you hear? What is making that sound?”…. “I hear a bird singing, look it’s a kiskadee!”
• Play sound pattern games.  Clap your hands/ drum on a table in a variety of different rhythmic patterns and let your child repeat each pattern.
• Be encouraging.  Give praise generously. Be positive about your child’s learning and celebrate their progress, even very small steps forward.
• Model good listening as a parent. Be engaged when communicating with your child: remove distractions (e.g. cellphone), maintain eye contact, repeat /discuss the content of your child’s message.

 
If you are concerned with your child’s listening and speaking skills please consult your paediatrician. An assessment with an audiologist and speech language pathologist may be warranted.

For more information, please visit the Speech-Language-Audiology Association of Trinidad and Tobago on Facebook or our website www.slaatt.com. 
 
 
Sources:
Helping Kids with Learning Disabilities Build Listening Skills by Dr. Kari Miller, LA Special Education Examiner, March 11, 2011.
Listening: More than just hearing by Jan Pierce, M.ED. www.kcparent.com

So, you know in your heart that your child may have a speech and language delay or
disorder.  Some of your family supports you, and some think you are just over reacting.
An aunt says that you were just like your kid when you were little and that you grew out
of it on your own. The pediatrician didn’t pick up on anything wrong. What should you
do?

Remember that you are your child’s mother, father or primary care provider. You know
your child better than anyone else. You need to trust your gut instinct and take the leap
to go find help for your child. As a mother, you want your child to have the best chance
at succeeding in life, to do better and to go further than you have gone with your life. In
order for a child to reach his or her potential, that child may need support to help ensure
basic skills are developing as they should. A child may struggle for the rest of his or her
life in relationships and education if basic communication, speech and/or language skills
are not in place.

First, talk to your child’s day-care provider or teacher at school. Teachers spend 3-8
hours a day with your child 5 days a week. They know your child quite well. A good
teacher who is interested in the success of your child will share concerns regarding
speech and language development, academic and social struggles, as well as areas of
strength.

You can also talk to your doctor about your concerns. He or she can refer you to a
registered Speech-Language Pathologist, an Audiologist, Psychologist or
Developmental Pediatrician. Social Workers can provide support as well. If there are
any questions, go search out the answers. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Early intervention leads to the best success rates. No child is too young to receive and
benefit from therapy. There is no need to wait until the child has another birthday to see if he or she will
outgrow the problem. Let a professional suggest a plan of action based on results
from the screening or assessment.

A complete evaluation by a registered Speech-Language Pathologist will identify your
child’s weaknesses as well as his or her strengths. An individualized program will be
developed for your child, and long term goals with short term objectives will be set.
Through therapy in the office and follow-up exercises to be done in the home, progress
should be seen within 3-6 months. However, therapy may continue for at least a year or
more, until everyone is satisfied with the child’s development.

Just because your child may have a delay or a disorder, does not mean all hope is lost.  Many
children return to developing on track with support from a registered Speech-Language
Pathologist. All children will make improvements with therapy in the office and following
home programs, once the needed support is provided. Some children may need extra
support in the school setting. The teachers and remedial teacher can work with the
Speech-Language Pathologist to provide adjustments in homework and testing if
needed. Some children benefit most from the use of an aide in the classroom. More
and more children are succeeding in typical schools with the support of an aide.

As with many things in your child’s life, you become the advocate for your child to make
sure his or her voice is heard. To make sure his or her rights are protected. To make
sure that your child has the same opportunities as others to learn and excel. But brace
yourself, this will be a continuous job. It will feel at times like you are hitting wall after
wall. But realize that you are not alone. There are other parents facing similar
challenges who can offer advice, encouraging words or even just an understanding
look. There are professionals who can offer the knowledge and how toʼs to help. And
there are some parent support groups available that bring parents together in a safe
environment to laugh, share triumphs and tribulations and de-stress.
​
Go out there and fight for your child. You are your child’s protector and he or she needs
your voice and your actions. Your child needs you to make the first step and
acknowledge if a problem exists. Your child needs you to seek the help of a professional
and identify the problem. Your child needs your support through the therapy and daily
triumphs and struggles. Your child needs you to continue to love him or her regardless
of the outcome. Do the best for your child. Do what is right for your child. Love your
child.

What are speech and language?
Speech and language are tools that humans use to communicate or share thoughts, ideas, and emotions. Language is the set of rules, shared by the individuals who are communicating, that allows them to exchange those thoughts, ideas, or emotions. Speech is talking, one way that a language can be expressed. Language may also be expressed through writing, signing, pictures or even gestures in the case of people who may have had a brain injury and may depend upon eye blinks or mouth movements to communicate.

While there are many languages in the world, each includes its own set of rules  and speech sounds or, in the case of sign language, word formation, sentence formation(syntax), word and sentence meaning (semantics, intonation and rhythm of speech(prosody) and effective use of language (pragmatics).

How do speech and language normally develop?
The most intensive period of speech and language development for humans is during the first three years of life.  This is a period when the brain is developing and maturing. These skills appear to develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others.

There is increasing evidence suggesting that there are “critical periods” for speech and language development in infants and young children. This means that the developing brain is best able to absorb a language, any language, during this period. The ability to learn a language will be more difficult, and perhaps less efficient or effective, if these critical periods are allowed to pass without early exposure to a language. The beginning signs of communication occur during the first few days of life when an infant learns that a cry will bring food, comfort, and companionship. The newborn also begins to recognize important sounds in his or her environment. The sound of a parent or voice can be one important sound. As they grow, infants begin to sort out the speech sounds or building blocks that compose the words of their language. Research has shown that by six months of age, most children recognize the basic sounds of their native language.

As the speech mechanism (jaw, lips, and tongue) and voice mature, an infant is able to make controlled sound. This begins in the first few months of life with “cooing,” a quiet, pleasant, repetitive vocalization. By six months of age, an infant usually babbles or produces repetitive syllables such as “ba, ba, ba” or “da, da, da.” Babbling soon turns into a type of nonsense speech (jargon) that often has the tone and cadence of human speech but does not contain real words. By the end of their first year, most children have mastered the ability to say a few simple words. Children are most likely unaware of the meaning of their first words, but soon learn the power of those words as others respond to them.
By eighteen months of age, most children can say eight to ten words. By age two, most are putting words together in crude sentences such as “more milk.” During this period, children rapidly learn that words symbolize or represent objects, actions, and thoughts. At this age they also engage in pretend play. At ages three, four, and five, a child’s vocabulary rapidly increases, and he or she begins to master the rules of language.

What are speech and language developmental milestones?
Children vary in their development of speech and language. There is, however, a natural progression or “timetable” for mastery of these skills for each language. The milestones are identifiable skills that can serve as a guide to normal development. Typically, simple skills need to be reached before the more complex skills can be learned. There is a general age and time when most children pass through these periods. These milestones help doctors and other health professionals determine when a child may need extra help to learn to speak or to use language.

How do you know if your child is reaching the milestones?     
Informally, parents often know their child is not speaking/communicating like other children the same age. If in any way concerned, parents should consult with their paediatrician for guidance.                  

What should I do if my child's speech or language appears to be delayed?

You should talk to your family doctor if you have any concerns about your child’s speech or language development. Your doctor may decide to refer you to a Speech-Language Pathologist/Therapist/Clinician, a health professional trained to evaluate and treat people who have speech, language, voice or swallowing disorders (including hearing impairment) that affect their ability to communicate. The Speech-Language Pathologist will talk to you about your child’s communication and general development. He or she will also evaluate your child with special speech and language tests. A hearing test may be included in the evaluation because a hearing problem can affect speech and language development.

Speech-language pathologists/therapist/clinicians assess, diagnose, treat, and help to prevent disorders related to speech, language, cognitive-communication, voice, swallowing, and fluency. They work with:

• people who cannot make speech sounds, or cannot make them clearly
• those with fluency problems, such as stuttering
• people with voice quality problems, such as inappropriate pitch or harsh voice
• people who have problems understanding and producing language
• those who wish to improve their communication skills by modifying an accent
• those with cognitive communication impairments, such as attention, memory, and problem solving disorders
• people who have problems eating and swallowing difficulties.

​Speech-Language Pathologists/Therapists/Clinicians develop an individualized plan of care, tailored to each patient's needs. For individuals with little or no speech capability, speech-language pathologists may select augmentative or alternative communication methods, including automated devices and sign language, and teach their use. They teach patients how to make sounds, improve their voices, or increase their oral or written language skills to communicate more effectively. They also teach individuals how to strengthen muscles or use compensatory strategies to swallow without choking or inhaling food or liquid.

Speech-Language Pathologists often work as part of a team, which may include teachers, Physicians, Audiologists, Psychologists, Social Workers, Rehabilitation Counselors and others. Speech-Language Pathologists in schools collaborate with teachers, special educators, interpreters, other school personnel, and parents to develop and implement individual or group programs, provide counseling, and support classroom activities.

There are currently 28 Speech-Language Pathologists/Therapists/Clinicians licensed to practice in Trinidad and Tobago, under the Council for Professions Related to Medicine. Many are members of the Speech-Language-Audiology Association of Trinidad and Tobago (SLAATT).

For more information, please visit the Speech-Language-Audiology Association of Trinidad and Tobago on Facebook or our website www.slaatt.com.