3 Listening Games to Promote Comprehension

by Holly F. Speech Therapy Techniques

 

kids playing a listening game

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Children receiving speech and language therapy to improve their expression (how they use or say words) may also have deficits in comprehension (understanding language). The two skills are essential to good communication and are always addressed and evaluated by a speech pathologist. Areas to work on in language comprehension include: following directions, comprehending concepts, answering questions, and listening for details. Good listening skills allow students to follow the teacher, respond appropriately to directions/demands and follow the details of a story-book. In therapy, be sure to modify the task so that a child does not get frustrated by the difficulty. If the child had a hard time following directions, try not to bombard or give several in a row. Break up long language into smaller pieces and provide support and encouragement throughout the task. Try these listening games and activities in speech therapy or at home to target and improve comprehension.

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Wondering How Autistic Kids Develop Language?

by Jacky G. News
Autistic Kids Stats

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Parents of autistic kids may sometimes express frustration that it is difficult to understand what’s going on inside their children’s minds. Some autistic kids are completely nonverbal, meaning that they don’t speak at all. While speech therapy techniques can help autistic kids, we still don’t know nearly as much about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as we should. Some people have suggested that one of the communication problems between autistic and neurotypical people is that autism has an entirely unique language all its own. This doesn’t seem too far-out when you consider that, if you’re not a computer programmer, you might have difficulty understanding the computer geek at the office holiday party who is talking a mile a minute about MySQL performance analysis with TCP/IP network traffic. (Still don’t believe me? Check out this New York Times article on Amanda Baggs, who is nonverbal, but has a “constant conversation with… (her) environment.”)

Speech therapy has definite benefits for children with autism. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can help a nonverbal child use an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Those who struggle with articulation may benefit from Speech Buddies. But we definitely need to know more about this disorder, and researchers have risen to the challenge.

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At-Home Speech Therapy Techniques for Boosting Receptive Language Skills

by Jacky G. Speech Therapy Techniques
At-Home Speech Therapy - Receptive Language

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“Jonas, did you clean your room yet?” “What?” “Did you clean your room yet?” “Huh?”

Sound familiar? Kids often challenge a parent’s patience by not listening or “pretending” to forget what you tell them. But sometimes, a child’s inability to follow directions might be more than simple forgetfulness. He may have trouble with his receptive language skills. A speech-language pathologist (SLP) can use speech therapy techniques to help a child with a very broad range of issues, including receptive language disorders. A speech therapist can also determine whether the child does indeed have a speech disorder or whether he’s just a little behind schedule with his language development. (Check out this guide from ASHA on the difference between the two issues.) As well, work with the speech therapist to implement at-home speech therapy techniques to boost your child’s receptive language skills. Using these at-home speech therapy tips can encourage your child’s development, whether or not he has a speech disorder.

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