July 18, 2025
Hello friends, I hope you have been well! I am excited to be posting more frequently here on my blog, including techniques I have learned throughout my career as well as frequently asked questions from parents. This segment, called Favorite Language Strategy, will be a Friday post.
Here is today’s first q&a, feel free to contact me if you have any questions!
Parent: As a parent of a child with an expressive language delay, what words should I start with?
That is one of the most common questions I receive! There are a number of resources available that give recommendations.Through my own clinical experience, I have come up with a list of my own by gathering vocabulary lists from my caseload.
Parent: That’s amazing! Does it apply to all backgrounds or English speakers only?
Working with families from all over the world, regardless of language spoken, there are common words across languages.
Parent: Is there any special technique I should use with these words?
A child, when listening to his or her caregivers, will pick up key words spoken from conversations he or she hears. High frequency words heard, words attached to a child’s favorite people and objects, and words that are easier to produce typically come first.
Parent: What is an effective way to gauge their development?
To help capture and measure progress in my sessions with language delayed toddlers, I give parents a Word Map. I explain how language develops, when word combinations typically occur (35-50 words) and how to use words in a child’s inventory to make new word combinations (“go ball”). I have included a sample of words to target on my Word Map. Typically, a child will begin with Expressions and Nouns first. A child is learning to attach meaning to what they can see, which is typically the first word of “Dada” or a favorite object like “ball.”
Parent: Thank you so much, Vanessa!