[blindkid] Speech Delay

[Marie]

I don't know anything about tongue placement or how to show a child proper tongue but expressive speech delay with good receptive abilities.

I cannot say enough about Dr. James MacDonald of Ohio State University and his methods. I have never met this man in person and have never paid him a fee of any kind (other than buying a couple of his books). Yet, he has given me the MOST help with helping Jack to express himself. Dr. MacDonald has a yahoo group and he personally answers specific questions about helping children with delays for a variety of reasons to develop speech.

You can learn a lot just by going to his website www.jamesdmacdonald.org.

The very first thing that Dr. MacDonald would encourage you to do is regularly practice back and forth turn-taking of any kind with Jonathon.

AND match his sounds...play with sounds back and forth like you would any toy. He makes a sound you copy. He makes a sound you copy and on and on until he has this playing down and he realizes his sounds are important to you. Then he makes a sound, you copy and add a little more.

The eventual goal is speech but you have to meet Jonathon where he is and expect a little bit more...
For example, let's say he signs drink. That's communication and that's awesome but you know he's got this down pat and you want him to talk so he signs drink and you respond (verbally) "drink" and you get him a drink--letting him know that you are meeting him where he is. Each time he says you model the sign and word correctly. If he makes any sound at all with the sign, like let's say he signs "drink" and says "du du". You repeat du du and say drink. Then the next time you hear du du from him repeat du du drink and get him a drink. This helps him to realize even basic sounds will get him stuff. 

I hope this helps!

Marie (mother of Jack born May 2005)
See glimpses of life with my determined son who is developing in his own way at his own time at http://allaccesspasstojack.blogspot.com 
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: "Meng, Debi" <Meng at sccompanies.com>
Sender: blindkid-bounces at nfbnet.org
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:46:35 
To: NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Reply-To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,
	\(for parents of blind children\)" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Subject: [blindkid] Speech Delay

 
Hi List mates,

Jonathan will soon be 5.  He is a micro-preemie with ROP, no vision in
the left eye, and light perception only in the right eye.   We are
thankful for the light perception :).

Jonathan also has global developmental delays, especially in the area of
speech.  He has fair receptive communication, but we have struggled with
the expressive speech for several years.   He does have a few signs, and
word approximations to help with his communication needs.     As he is
getting old, the communication is getting tougher and we are looking for
help.     Jonathan has a great TVI and she thinks he has trouble with
tongue placement but she is looking for suggestions on how to show him
where the tongue should be placed.    Our SLP has never worked with a
blind child before and also needs suggestions.   Her visual speech
methods obviously will not work with Jonathan. 

Do you have any suggestions or know of other resources that might be
available?

Debi (grandmother of Jonathan, born Aug 2005, ROP)


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