What can i do to help my 3 year old with his speech problem?

Question

what else can i do to help him with his vocabulary and communication skills? he also attends preschool all day.

Answer 1

I feel there are normal speech differences in developing three-year-olds.  This will change over time.

Aside from organic problems, there are things we can all do for our children and for others to help improve good speech.

1.  Our average stress - layers of mental frictions - can greatly affect our body language, speech, tone, inflection, voice stress, etc. and this stress can be unintentionally transferred to children in this manner.  This can come from other places outside the home where that child may depend on or look to a significant other for support.  We need to be more aware of this and at least attempt to convey more ease and support when associating and/or communicating with that child.

2.  We unintentionally may use our adult pace and intensity in approaching our everyday lives that may also transfer greater stress upon the child.  Myself growing up with a speech impediment, I was affected by such high average stress and rushed pace.  it created high, internal muscle tension that created my stutter.  I imagine it could also create related problems.

3.  We need to talk in more relaxed, more articulate ways that at least attempt to be aware of and communicate what we say in more supportive ways, given the needs of the child.

4.  We need to model this to others in the household and even tell them of this need.

5.  No matter if the problem is organic, developmental, or stress related, we want to convey as much love, honor, humor (even silliness), ease of conversation, support, and goodness all the time.  This makes everything better.

Answer 2

i use to have speech classes when i was little, just always talk to him and maybe perhaps make him read story books along with u... dont worry he will speak fine eventually.

Answer 3

You didn't say what kind of speech problem he has.  Most speech therapist and doctors won't even consider him as having a speech problem until he is 6 1/2.

Answer 4

All public schools are suppose to help children who need it starting at age 3. They can NOT say he's too young, doesn't need it, whatever.

Schools have to do a FULL educational evaluation FIRST before they can determine if your child can get this help, which is thru special ed services.

Be aware, though, that just because a child has a disability does NOT automatically qualify him for special ed services.  After they do the evaluation, the school districts IEP team (and this includes YOU as an EQUAL member)

will use the results to determine if he qualifies for the special ed help.

This help is given thru special ed. It doesnt' matter if he's in preschool or not so what you do is write a letter to the districts special ed director ( call your superintendent's office to get the name of this person)

and request 'an initial full educational evaluation testing in all areas of suspected disabilities to determine if my child qualifes for special ed services as specified by IDEA law'.

You HAVE to use these exact words to make it legal or they will ignore you just as they are doing now.

Schools are corrupt all across the country about special ed and you have to really FIGHT the whole time a child is in school to get the help. Sorry to say but it's SO true.

You have proven this yourself by your message, the school has told you a lot of lies.

You will need help to fight this and get the help, so call your state dept of education's special ed department and ask for info for the  'federally funded parent advocacy agency'

All states have this. They will help you every step of the way and are very aware of the schools corruption.

Answer 5

talk to him (patiently if you can) have him repeat it even though this will make him fustrated and let him try it and say you did a good job in saying the word (even when mispronounced) he will gain confidence in his words dont let him  get away with pointing at anything for words make him say them give him a treat for doing a good job. since my daughter has had speech therapy since 3 years old (she's 18 she was born with a cleft lip and palate) one thing you can do is called kitty house exercises, this is movement of the toungue---in and out----side to side--- up and down and it will strengthen his mouth movements for better speech.

Hope this helps

Answer 6

Hello...I have raised boys and girls.It seems to me that boys just dont get the talking down as soon as girls..The grandson I am raising now has two older sisters. You cant shut them up. My little guy is about to be 4 and not everyone can understand what he is talking about..He is going to get speech therapy in school next year. I just talk to him alot and really listen to him when he talks so he feels that what he has to say is important. I have alphabet cards but he loses interest in those right away.He does like his leap Frog with the sounds...

I hope this helpsa little.

Answer 7

Is it a speech (production of words) or language problem( inability to use verbal language for communication)..It would be very beneficial to speak with a speech pathologist  and determine the problem (if it is a problem) and start from there...

Wishing you all the best!

Answer 8

All you have to do is first calm down and know that everything is going to be alright regardless.

Be patient!! Be calm!!

Have fun with him and make him say certain words...spell certain words. Get flash cards and just make him feel comfortable. Let him know that it's okay to mess up because he can always try again.

If he gets older and he still has this problem, seek help but regardless, if you take my advice...he'll be find.

Answer 9

Call the early Childhood Intervention program in your area. They may be able to provide him with speech therapy and assess him for a developmental delay.

Talk to your pediatrician about your concerns. Ask questions about autism and speech apraxia.

B vitamins make brain nuerotransmitters. Give your child a liquid B-12 supplement daily along with mercury free Omega-3.

Lovingly correct his speech.  Make him pronounce things correctly before you give them to him, ie toys, juic, cereal.

Answer 10

speech therapy and practice. my kids both needed speech therapy for years, now they are in high school and college doing very well. you have to practice reading outloud. the speech therapist will give you books and sentences to read over and over.

Answer 11

Yes, I agree with Jdeekdee's answer. You do have to be careful  

with the school. Look for a parent advocate. ALWAYS say this is what your child needs. Not "I want". All children are to have a FREE APPROPRIATE EDUCATION. Don' t think that your school sp. ed. director will help you. ALWAYS put what you need in writing. There are time lines. They have 15 days to respond to your letter. It can be very flustering because of the time lines. Get it looked at NOW, don't wait.

Answer 12

speech therapy?

Add: Don't worry too much. Boys start speaking later. I have two boys, 3 and 7, and they both didn't even try to speak before 3. The older one had to do speech therapy at 5 b\c his pronuciation was not very good, but he's doing fine now. He is very smart, he has no problems with expressing his thoughts, doing well at school. And when he started to speak at 3+, he imeediately was speaking with very long complicated sentenses, so the only problem was his pronunciation, not his mental abilities. The younger one is beginning to speak now, and he is exactly the same. I guess it's just their way of development, plus their temperaments. They are both very stubborn and independent and could care less about what other people want, which does not facilitate learning :) So don't worry too much. 3 years is not the end of the world, probably a month or 2 from now your son will start speaking on his own.

Answer 13

you can talk to him often..like ask him what happened in school today..or sing with him nursery ryhmes because ryhmes helps them in some way in speech..i just forgot in what way but rhymes help..or try another speech therapist..

Answer 14

I am a certified and licensed SLP. You don't describe your son's speech problem so I can't be sure why you have gotten 2 different sets of advice, except that a private SLP uses different guidelines than a state dept. of ed.  Public schools must use strict guidelines to determine which children need help. An SLP business may work with parents concerned about even very mild delays.

Many states have speech/ language services for children from birth to three. School districts have services ages 3 and up.

If I had a dollar for every child I've worked with where the parents were told 'Boys talk later', I'd be retired by now and living on my own private island. If you are concerned, please get your child help, even if you have to pay for it yourself.

Meanwhile, if you are working on vocabulary, the best thing you can do for your child yourself is to read picture books to him. Find a cozy corner, grab some cookies and juice, and name the pictures together. Ask him to say them. Talk to him about everything you are doing..."I'm cutting the carrots./ The soap makes bubbles./ The car goes fast."

You can expand his words and sentences. If he says, "appuh' for apple, you respond "Red apple. Eat apple. Juicy apple. etc"

Give him choices. "Do you want apple or orange for snack?"

The website ApraxiaKids has some other good activities too, even if that is not your son's concern.

Answer 15

Has his hearing been tested? Has he had a lot of ear infections which clog up the ear and make it difficult to hear all the speech sounds while it is clearing up?

I suggest you go to the library and get as many library books as they allow that he picks out and every night sit him on your lap or lie in bed together. T.V off, ignore the phone and read to him every night- right up close. Sometimes just tell the story from the picture books, make animal sounds, ask questions before you turn the page- have fun with it. If he is very active then start with one short one and tell him soon you will be ready for 2 books, then three etc. Make it a treat and he will start tuning into your voice and the careful pronunciation  you use.