Stimulating your child's language does not have to require lots of extra time being set aside out of what is generally a busy family schedule.

Children learn best when they experience things in a natural context. They learn by observing and hearing the same things over and over again.

As a general rule, your communication interactions with your child should be one step above where they are at. For example, if your child is using 1 word sentences, you use 2 word sentences as much as possible. This is called the "one step up" rule.

The reward of communication should be in the interaction. Parents of children with Down Syndrome are constantly reading about the importance of praise. Sometimes we do this to excess which interrupts the flow of communication. Also, try to keep your praise specific so that your child knows what behaviour is being praised. For example: "good listening" or "good looking at me when saying goodbye"

Practical Suggestions

Try looking at a book together. For younger children, point to the picture and name what you see, eg. dog/house/car. After a few times of doing this, try putting your finger on the picture and see if your child will name the object. For older children, choose a simple story and after reading it a few times, leave the last few words of the sentence out and see if s/he will fill it in.

Reward anything your child says by responding positively. For example if s/he says "ca", you could say "yes! big car".

Leave space for your child to communicate. Make a statement and wait for a response. Try counting to 10 to yourself. If adults "overtalk" or fill in every available silence, your child will have less opportunity to communicate.

If other people ask your child a question, give him a chance to respond. If he knows you will always answer for him, he will always wait for you to do it.

Give your child choices. This helps your child understand there is power in language (i.e. we get what we ask for). Choices can be used in almost all daily activities:

• during dressing – "pink shirt or red shirt?"
• at mealtimes – "juice or water?"
• when choosing a DVD– "Barney or Dora?"
• at story time – "Barbie or Thomas?"

Create opportunities for language:

• Stop the DVD too soon so s/he has to ask to see more
• Put a favourite toy in a jar with a lid so that s/he has to ask for help to get it open
• Put a favourite toy on a high shelf so s/he must ask for it
• "Forget" to give him something he needs to complete a task so that it has to be asked for. E.g. crayons during an art activity

Most of all, HAVE FUN, we all learn better that way!

Tracey de Bufanos : Voices for Galway