If you don’t have time to read the whole blog: You might feel so lost and overwhelmed when you are looking for resources to help your late talker. But when you start to feel discouraged, know that you are the secret sauce to more success for your child. In fact, in a few research reviews discussed here, it was implied by data that late talkers did better when parents were trained by SLPs to do the therapy, than when SLPs did the therapy by themselves. Pretty encouraging, right!? Another cool review talked about how there was progress when SLPs did therapy by themselves, but way more progress was made based on how much families did at home with their training. You can help your late talker learn to talk; you just need a guide! Here are 3 things to look for in your SLP “guide.”

Your Child Can’t Talk, Is It Your Fault?

You can know it isn’t true but you can still worry about it and that worry or “mom guilt” can make you feel like you are fighting for answers with one hand behind your back. It can make it hard to connect with people that could help you, because your worried they judge you for being that parent. Whether it’s a stranger at the store or a negative conversation at the next family gathering, it can make you feel unqualified to help your late talker. Not very encouraging and when you are down on yourself, it can be harder to show your child what confidence communicating can look like.

"You can know it isn’t your fault your child is a late talker.

But, you can still worry about it."

You know your Child is a Late Talker, but how can you REALLY help?

You’ve been told to “read to them more” and “watch less TV.” You might even have read a book or be given little worksheets to take home and work on. You’ve popped bubbles with the best of them, but it still doesn’t feel like “enough.” Maybe you’ve seen your child’s speech therapy sessions and thought “I could DO that, If someone taught me.” You’ve probably watched videos, read blogs, and tried some activities at home and gotten some traction there, but you wonder if there is more. The good stuff seems hard to find.

You are the Secret Sauce to Speech Therapy Success

When you are discouraged, there’s some research that will encourage you. There’s two awesome little “research reviews” (Here & Here), that reviewed several research studies each, and they show evidence to suggest that parents are the secret sauce to speaking success for their late talkers. In one review, it stated that the data “implied” that late talkers learned MORE when parents were trained by SLPs to do the therapy, than when SLPs did the therapy by themselves. Pretty encouraging, right!? Another cool review talked about how there was progress when SLPs did therapy by themselves, but way more progress was made based on how much families did at home with their training. Parent did more of the guided program? Their Late Talker made more progress! One key component to the parents’ and children’s success, was the types of training the parents had.

"Parents are the Secret Sauce for more Late Talker Success, if they have the tools they need."

Good parents deserve good guides.

Those research studies had this “math” in common: good parent + SLP guide = MORE growth for late talkers.  The parents that saw the most progress completed more of the SLP guided programs.  The studies showed more progress where training included things like technique demonstrations, workshops, lectures, coaching and feedback. You are a good parent, but you don’t have language development expertise in your back pocket for when your little language learner is a late talker. So how do you find a guide that will equip you? What 3 things should you look for?

• An SLP that knows Late Talkers
• An SLP that coaches you like its their job (it is).
• Values your role as equal to or greater than their own.

You can learn 4 Simple Strategies to grow your child's language.

Here is How.

Take a look at the course I am offering for the next 10 weeks and see if it looks like a good fit for you and your child’s needs. The course guides you during easy weekly lessons, with demonstrations, workbooks, mini lectures, and encouragement to keep you learning and using your new speech therapy skills to get your late talker exploring the world of words with more confidence. The course is built to build you up, because I have worked with hundreds of parents of late talkers, and I KNOW that good things happen when you give a good parent the speech therapy tools they need. Prepare to be encouraged and watch you and your child’s communication grow.

 Show me the 4 Simple Strategies Class!

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In Indiana? Do you want to thrive during one on one speech therapy coaching sessions? Let me guide you as you teach your child to talk using speech therapy at home Check Ms. Amanda out at www.illuminatecommunicate.com  to schedule a free screening! (Just mention this blog post!)

This blog post does not constitute medical advice. It’s always the recommendation of Illuminate Communicate, LLC and it’s writers to seek out a licensed speech & language professional if you have concerns about your child’s speech and language development. A speech language pathologist has specific training and experience working with speech and language, that even your pediatrician may not have. You can find a Speech Language Pathologist in your state by searching ASHA’s PROFIND LINK, contacting your local school, or early intervention program for your family’s best fit.