Encouraging Verbal Expression in Children with Down Syndrome

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Children with Down syndrome often struggle with verbal expression. They also usually understand much more than they can say. Using visual tools such as sign language and pictures can help increase expressive language. At 3, he will benefit from individual speech-language therapy so that a trained speech-language pathologist (SLP) can working directly with him while teaching his mother and other family members strategies for helping him communicate. In addition to signs and pictures, therapy techniques such as "touch cues" and "pacing activities" as well as printed word recognition can help with speech production. A trained SLP can also help implement these methods.

Many families are reluctant to introduce signing because they are afraid it will keep their child from talking. This is never the case. As the child learns to speak more efficiently the signs will drop out. I recommend the Signing Time DVD series (www.signingtime.com) as an easy and enjoyable way for the child and his family to learn new signs. For printed word recognition programs developed for young children with Down syndrome, I recommend either the "Love and Learning" program (https://www.loveandlearning.com/home.shtml ) or Patricia Oelwein's book, "Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome." Even preschool-aged children with Down syndrome are often successful with early sight word recognition.

With the right interventions and a loving supportive family your nephew will make slow but steady progress in his speech and language skills for many years.

Melinda Chalfonte-Evans, PhD, CCC-SLP, is a Speech Pathologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in the Division of Speech Pathology.

She specializes in early language development and has worked extensively with individuals with Down syndrome. She is actively involved in both clinical activities and research related to Down syndrome and her work has been published and presented at local, regional, national and international conferences. In 2004, she was awarded the Professional of the Year by the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati. Prior to joining the Division of Speech Pathology, Dr. Chalfonte-Evans served as the Director of Treatment for the Jane and Richard Thomas Center for Down Syndrome.