Speech & Language Resources

I noticed early on that he was not answering questions with the same detail that his siblings were at the same age. It was obvious that he got frustrated when you asked him questions that you assumed were easy. One day while at the park, a man asked my son his name. I watched as my son looked at the man and then walked away. Bewildered, I questioned my son later why he did not answer the man. After a long drawn out attempt on my part to derive an answer, I was able to discern that he was tired of saying his name only for people to not understand what it was he said. I was saddened by this. The problem didn’t have a name yet, but it was beginning to affect how he interacted with others and how he perceived himself. 

Children who struggle with language are quick to draw themselves in. They avoid answering questions and shy away from situations where they may be put on the spot. Consequently, they already know the anxious feeling that comes from not knowing an answer. It may be on the tip of their tongue, but for whatever reason, they just can’t get it out. Vocabulary that your toddler has already mastered may be a struggle for your first grader to process. 

Be patient. When you get frustrated, it only exasperates the problem. Your goal in working with your child on their vocabulary is to help them, not make them feel stupid (lack of a better word). You may think he or she should know something and when they don’t, explain it with a smile. The truth is, the more open your student can be with you about what he or she does or doesn’t know, the easier it will be to move forward.

Since that day in the park, we have come a long way. We did spend some time with a speech and language specialist who gave me great insight into activities that would help build his skills. My son also enjoyed spending time with someone else one on one who could teach him techniques that I wasn’t specialized in. I took to heart the activities that she shared with me and began doing my own research to find resources that could help him and me (I felt a little lost as well). Here are a few resources that helped us.