BY ALBIONA RAKIPI, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist

A child’s first words are a milestone anxiously awaited by parents and caregivers. When that early expressive language is delayed or lacks clarity, the parents are generally quick to take action. What is just as important to monitor, however, is the child’s receptive language.

At the KCC we define receptive language as the ability to attend, process, recognize, comprehend, retain and integrate spoken language. Understanding language is much more complex than most people realize and can be a big hurdle for young children.

Here are some important points to consider when it comes to children’s receptive language.

• Children often appear to understand language in their home setting because it is familiar to them and rooted in repetitious and predictable routines. When they’re removed from the comfort and context of home, they have a difficult time understanding language.
• Children who struggle to understand language will rely heavily on visual support and their context. Often, we see this manifested as extreme attachment to a parent or caretaker who can predict the child’s wants and needs better than anyone and likely use body language to communicate with them. An example of this is extending your hand when asking ‘give me the ball.’ Kids who have trouble following simple directions without the use of visual cues, such as pointing or gesturing, may have challenges with receptive language.
• They answer simple “wh” questions (who, what, where etc.) with inaccurate responses. If you ask a child, where do you eat breakfast? and they respond by saying cereal, they demonstrated partial understanding of the question, though did not process where vs when.
• They struggle to understand a variety of language. When I am working with a child, a parent will sometimes explain, if you say it like this, he’ll understand. Children need to understand a variety of language, such as give me the ball and hand me the ball. Understanding directions only if they are stated in a specific way is not functional.

Language is complex and layered. When children struggle to gain receptive language skills, their overall communication skills and other areas of learning will likely be challenged. Speech-language pathologists can intervene by helping them gain the tools they need. We can work together to help our kiddos thrive and succeed to become effective communicators.

BY DIANE NANCARROW, MA, CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist 

If you’re hearing “I’m bored!” from your kids on a regular basis, here’s an answer that sounds the same but is so much more fun: board games! Time at home with kids is a great opportunity to dust off those old games and remember the benefits of playing them as a family.

Between smartphones, tablets, gaming systems and other devices, kids end up playing many games by themselves. And let’s face it: pressing buttons on a device is a lot easier than laying out a board, passing out money, moving your token, etc.

While many electronic games engage children in new and exciting ways, and some even involve physical movement, board games also provide important learning opportunities. Since they are rarely completed in a few short minutes, they encourage sustained attention. Players must wait for others to complete their turns while planning their own moves.

When you play with your children, you help prepare them to play with others. They will have the chance to respond to real people, watch facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and the timing of their opponents. No matter if there are good losers or bad winners, all responses can be teaching moments.

SOME EXTRA BENEFITS:

• Scrabble’s wooden tiles give wonderful tactile pleasure.
• Trouble’s plastic dome forces a child to look and listen to the dice as they change.
• Chutes and Ladders teaches one-to-one correspondence as kids move their markers and count the boxes.
• Candy Land teaches colors.
• Monopoly encourages cooperation when choosing who gets which iconic token.
• Parcheesi, Checkers, Sorry, and Aggravation support turn-taking, strategy building, and patience (there is no prompt that provides a cue, clue, or suggestion how to win).

Board games appeal to our senses and are great to touch, see, and hear. There is hope in flicking the spinner and power in moving your token. The best part about playing board games is the pleasure of playing with another person. Sometimes, winning isn’t the goal. You are making memories with your children. Being together is the best part!

TIPS FROM KCC STAFF

In this “new normal” due to the pandemic, many children are taking part in online telehealth sessions. We have compiled a few tips to help make your child’s speech and occupational therapy sessions run a little smoother.

A good tip to remember at the start: Your child will take their lead from you. Make telehealth seem like a fun new adventure and they are likely to get on board.

Before the session begins:

• Designate an area for your child’s telehealth session away from the hubbub of the rest of the house.
• For tabletop tasks, make sure your child is seated and that their chair has arms.
• If your child is distracted by background noise, have them connect to the computer’s audio via headphones.
• Remind your child 10 minutes before the appointment so they can shift gears and get ready to learn.
• Be prepared with supplies. If your child is working on handwriting, you may need paper, writing utensils, and scissors. In speech sessions, you may need to provide reinforcement or motivating items.

During the session:

• Depending on the child’s age and abilities, you may need to be directly involved in their sessions. Be sure that you or another adult is nearby in case your child needs help.
• To maximize participation, talk with the therapist ahead of time about how to best use your child’s favorite toys and activities as reinforcement. Then make sure to have them close at hand for when they’re needed.
• Let your child answer without help and work as independently as possible. The therapist will let you know when it’s time to get involved.
• This is a great opportunity for therapists to give you real-time suggestions while your child is in their home setting. For occupational therapy, work on tasks like brushing teeth and dressing. For speech and language, practice making requests for the child’s favorite items.

After the session:

• Ask questions! It helps to know why your child is doing an activity. This will also help you come up with ideas of activities to do at home that will reinforce what your child is learning in therapy.
• Most importantly, be flexible and adaptive. Stay in close communication with your child’s therapist to keep your child’s progress on track. We’re all in this together!