Communication Program Partners (Partners of Communication) by Dr. James McDonald, written by Barbara Mitchell, a young mother with SD
4 -. Language Learning
A good way to understand how a child learns to talk is to imagine we are in another country learning a new language. I've done this and how difficult it is. All talk a lot and very fast, I could not keep up. Unless you have a translator, we are completely lost and can not communicate. That's probably how they feel about children with Down syndrome with the rest of us.
One of our jobs as potatoes is "translate" the gestures and sounds of our children simple words they can say. We can also think of this as a training "second language." Children have their own ways of communicating, we need to teach them how to use our way.
The gestures and sounds of children do usually refer to people, places, toys, food and pets that are meaningful to them. As a translator, we can give one or two words that can attempt to say, at the appropriate time. We can do this all day, communicating with our child should be a habit for us. Children learn to talk about having a lot of pleasant social interactions throughout the day, not only in speech therapy with a professional.
remember driving to preschool for my child each day and we had a long conversation. He might could only say a few words at the time, but turned it in a very long interaction. We took turns and we said car, truck, house, tree, bike, everything we saw. He liked to make the sound of the motorcycles, trucks, fire engines and police sirens etc. He learned to speak more words when other things became important to: McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Taco bell, wendys, the library, walmart, etc. While I will match and wait, and keep the interaction, the saying still more and more. Now explain why you have to stop at those places, and what you want from there.
Instead of thinking we are the translators of the nonverbal communication of our child, we think we are "living dictionary" always putting new words to the experiences of our son. "Say what you see is something to remember when you have to say. This sure is something that will interest you or your child will not get your attention, and end up talking to yourself!
A third idea that helps is to think you're a "buddy story" creating stories with your child while playing or while doing the daily chores. My son loved playing in the bathtub. We spent many hours talking about bubbles, boats and other toys that he liked playing in the water. We also liked to pretend that he was the whale Shamu at Sea World, making whale sounds, but their interaction with us was continuous!
remember we played hide and seek with her stuffed animals, played at the shoe store or food, so I could find in the closet or kitchen. Intended you were in "Mary Poppins" and acted scenes and sang. His words were not perfect, but we had fun. Had much practice "playing with words."
It was so good telling stories, now trying to do at school. The teacher says she likes going to the school office to tell the secretary you need to talk to his mom to pick it up. Touching the head or the stomach, and says he feels good. Sometimes I almost believe him:)
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