“Uh uh uh!” your child says as she reaches toward the counter. Instantly, you know what she wants. You reply with… “Banana!” Your little girl smiles in confirmation and moves her little hand toward you as you hold the banana and begin to peel. Again you say, “Banana!” She begins to bounce in anticipation. You respond… “I… want…. the…. (longer pause to build anticipation) banana.” She copies you… “Nuh nuh.” Her first attempt for the word banana.   I love this strategy! The official terminology is linguistic mapping, but most of us speech-language pathologists who work with late talking tod ..read more

I love wind up toys! How about you? (Scroll down for links to my favorite wind up toys.) Besides the sheer “fun” factor, there are at least 5 very important skills you can observe when presenting a wind up toy to a toddler. Listen to this show to hear my take on why this toy should be in every pediatric SLP’s arsenal, particularly during the initial assessment when we’re getting to know a child, and as a way to “spot check” developmental progress as therapy continues. Here are the skills you’re looking for as you play together with a wind up toy:  Joint Attention Joint attention means ho ..read more

At teachmetotalk.com I get so many questions from parents who want to know if their child should be evaluated by a speech-language pathologist or another developmental professional. Here's a list I compiled several years ago and have recently updated for red flags in a baby's development that warrant a discussion with your child's pediatrician about his or her development. Usually you'll always want to follow up with a referral for early intervention or preschool therapy services. It's critical that babies and toddlers with any kind of developmental lag get the help they need and the earlier ..read more

Podcast #380 Teaching Final Sounds and Speech Diagnoses Review ASHA course # 0380, Provider Code AAYF Many times when we’re working with toddlers with speech intelligibility issues, we don’t know where to begin – or we start working on the wrong things and are met with little progress and lots of frustration! There are 6 developmentally-appropriate patterns to target to improve speech intelligibility in very young children. In this show, I’ll teach you the last pattern, final consonant sounds, to prioritize when working with toddlers. I’ll give you tips for explaining to parents why this patte ..read more

7 Principles for Designing Successful Speech Therapy Sessions for Toddlers ASHA course # 0375, Provider Code AAYF As a therapist or parent, do you struggle when you try to work with a late talking toddler? I can help! Watch this podcast for 7 key principles for teaching parents to achieve success with therapy strategies at home with late talking toddlers, particularly for those toddlers with speech intelligibility issues.  This show is part 3 in our summer podcast series. Watch podcasts #373 and #374 to catch up! Let’s face it… anytime we’re trying to direct a toddler’s attention and focu ..read more

Guidelines for Determining  Developmental Readiness for Articulation Therapy in Toddlers How do you know when a toddler, especially a late talking toddler, is ready to work on articulation skills in speech therapy? Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP of teachmetotalk.com as she discusses 7 guidelines for determining developmental readiness for articulation therapy for toddlers. To treat or not to treat… now you’ll know! Therapists – get CE credit for this one hour course for only $5! See details at teachmetotalk.com. Learn how to recognize, prioritize, and ..read more

All little kids can be hard to understand when they are learning to talk. How do you know when a toddler falls outside what’s “normal” and may need professional assistance? Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP of teachmetotalk.com in this one hour audio and video podcast as she discusses what research tells us is a significant speech intelligibility problem which will likely require intervention to improve for toddlers and young preschoolers. Learn how to recognize, prioritize, and treat speech intelligibility issues in toddlers in an 8 part podcast series this ..read more

How can you teach a child to talk when he won’t imitate what you say? The short answer is, you can’t! You have to start somewhere else! We do that by meeting a toddler where he is- that always means making our expectations or goals easier so that a toddler can be more successful. In this one hour audio and video podcast, join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP of teachmetotalk.com as she shares the 5 best ways for teaching nonverbal toddlers to imitate.   ASHA CEUs and Other CE Credit A Course Handout will be provided with the purchase of credit. ASHA CEUs for ..read more

Not sure if your child has a language delay? In this audio and video podcast, join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP of teachmetotalk.com as we discuss 12 red flags in infants and toddlers that indicate problems with the development of communication skills. CE credit including ASHA CEUs will be available for this course! Details coming soon! (If you’re an email subscriber, you’ll get details first! Listen below or on iTunes #371 Red Flags for Communication Development in Toddlers…What to Do – search Teach Me To Talk or Laura Mize and you should find it! Podcast li ..read more

Not sure if your child has a language delay? In this podcast, join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP of teachmetotalk.com as we discuss 12 red flags in infants and toddlers that indicate problems with the development of communication skills. For the full list, download the pdf: #370 Handout Red Flags for Delayed Communication Skills CE credit including ASHA CEUs will be available for this course! Details coming soon! (If you’re an email subscriber, you’ll get details first! Listen below or on iTunes #370 Red Flags for Communication Development in Infants and Toddl ..read more