Another one from the archives (sorry guys, the holidays are keeping me busy!), but I thought this post might be helpful to other parents who are looking to buy toys that are not only fun but can also aid in your child’s fine motor development. It’s crazy to think that a year ago when I wrote this, my daughter was in therapy and we were concerned about her gross and fine motor development; now, you would never know there had ever been an issue—what a difference a year makes!

As a result of her bilateral hip dysplasia, my little one has been in physical therapy every other week for the past few months. While we largely focus on her gross motor development, our therapist  spends some time working on fine motor skills as well. The therapy has done wonders for O’s muscle tone and mobility, and I have learned so much about how to help my daughter pick up new skills and ways to encourage her development. Our therapist, Kristy Jones, PT, has recommended some toys to help promote fine motor skills, and I figured I would share them for any moms doing a little holiday shopping.

Large knob puzzles, like the Melissa and Doug Large Shapes Jumbo Knob Puzzle, are great for beginners because they are easy for little ones to pick up with all of their fingers. Kristy suggests looking for puzzles that aren’t too busy, so it’s easier to match the puzzle pieces with their correct spots. Similarly, smaller knob puzzles are great as well but for a different reason. “The ones with the smaller knobs are good for development of the pincer grasp and require more precision to put the pieces in,” says Kristy.

A Shape Sorter should also be in every kid’s toy box. The Fisher-Price Growing Baby Elephant Shape Sorter is perfect and inexpensive. Start with the circle blocks, then the square ones, working your way up to the stars. At first, your little one may just pat the blocks in as you hold them over the right openings, but they’ll quickly get the hang of it on their own.

Large, soft blocks are great for little ones learning to stack. The B. One Two Squeeze™ Soft 123 Blocks from Target are perfect. The non-slippery texture makes them easy to grasp, pick up, and stack.

The Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack stacking rings have been around for forever and with good reason. They help babies learn hand-eye coordination, they’re easy to pick up and they’re SUPER FUN to crawl around the house with in your hands—just ask my daughter.

Crayons might seem a bit advanced for your little one, especially if everything is still finding its way to his mouth, but as soon as he’s not tasting his way around, try out the Crayola Triangular Crayons. The shape helps tiny hands get a grip and, bonus, they won’t roll off the high chair tray!

Finally, hammer toys (for lack of a better term) help babies and toddlers develop their hand-eye coordination, not to mention their aim! The B. Whacky Ball hammer toy will provide endless entertainment—and eventually your little one will start whacking the crap out of those balls. (Sorry, no matter how I wrote it, it kind of came out dirty, so I just gave up.)

Happy Shopping!!

Here is part two of last week’s post by guest blogger and practicing speech pathologist, Shannon. Enjoy!

As a speech pathologist, parents often ask me two questions. The first question is, “Is my child’s speech normal?”  I covered normal and abnormal speech development in last week’s post, which you can see here. The second question I am always asked is, “How can I teach my child to talk?” This post will provide tips on how to facilitate speech and language development for your child.

As a parent, you play a key role in helping your child learn the English language. There are many simple activities that you can do to encourage communication. These activities are effective, rewarding, and are used by speech pathologists in early intervention.

What can I do to facilitate speech and language development for my child? 

1. Talk to your child and narrate your activities.  One of my favorite activities is going to the grocery store.  I tell my son everything that I am getting, and he imitates the foods he can say. 
2. Simplify your speech.  Don’t speak in long, complex sentences when trying to facilitate language for a young toddler.  Words that are harder to pronounce can be shortened or simplified to encourage communication.  For example, I taught my son to say “wawa” for water and “baba” for bottle. 
3. Start with small, simple words, such as animal sounds (moo, neigh, baa) or words that have duplicated syllables.  There is a reason that “mama” and “dada” are often a child’s first “words.”  Duplicated syllables are very easy for a child to pronounce. Words like “baba,” “wawa,” “nana” for banana, and “ni-ni” for night-night are examples of good words to try.
4. If your child does say a word for the first time, praise her for it, and try to introduce that word into your activities throughout the day.  For example, when my child learned to say “hop,” I made every stuffed animal hop, and I modeled “hop” for him until that word was set in his vocabulary.  This strategy is often more effective than asking your child to say words on command. Asking your child to say a word on command, particularly if she just learned it, can put more pressure on her than just modeling it for her and seeing if she repeats it.
5. Use baby signs.  There is numerous research to show the effectiveness of baby sign language.  Signs are effective because you can teach a child sign by using the hand-over-hand approach. With this approach, you take your child’s hands and do the targeted sign with her hands. As soon as you and your child do the sign, give your child the desired item.  For example, if you are working on the sign for “more,” give your child the desired toy or food as soon as you sign “more” with him.  The instant gratification will teach your child the function of communication and will make her want to keep signing. Easy signs for a child to learn include the signs for more, all done, eat, drink, help, go, and stop.  There are several websites, books, and DVDs available that teach baby sign language. A reliable website is https://www.babysigns.com/. 
6. Give your child what he is asking for within reason.  Children need to understand the importance and function of communication.  They are communicating with you to ask for something.  If your child says “wawa,” give her a sip of water because that gives her a reward and shows her that she is being understood.  She will then want to say this word again and again because she is getting what she is asking for.
7. Expand your child’s speech.  If your child says, “Elmo jump,” you can say, “Elmo is jumping.”
8. Read to your child. I can’t reinforce this enough: reading to your child provides him with so many benefits, one of which is facilitating speech and language development.

What are some online resources for activities?

The American Speech Language Association Public Website
http://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/parent-stim-activities.htm

Baby Signs
https://www.babysigns.com/

icommunicate Speech & Communication Therapy
http://www.icommunicatetherapy.com/programme-options/child-information/normal-development/developmental-activites

I am thrilled to welcome our very first guest blogger, Shannon! As one of my best friends and an expert in speech development (she holds a Master’s in Speech Pathology and works with both adults and children), Shannon was always my go-to when I had questions about Olivia’s language skills and development. When I asked her if she would be willing to share some of her tips and information with my readers, she was more than happy to! Here is the first of her two-part post about speech and language development in toddlers.

As a practicing speech-language pathologist and mother of a 14-month-old boy, I am often asked about typical language development from friends and family members.  Speech and language development is more complex and abstract than physical development and, therefore, harder for parents to track.  For example, it is obvious to  parents if their child is or is not walking, but it is not so obvious if their child’s language is normal.  This post will answer some basic questions about speech and language development. My next post will provide suggestions to allow you to facilitate speech and language development for your child.

What is considered normal language development? Speech and language development varies widely from one child to the next.  On average, a child’s first word will come around 12 months of age but may come later if the child is more interested in motor skills than speech and language.  Children either walk or talk first, and it is very rare that these skills coincide.  It is too much for the brain to process walking and talking simultaneously at the beginning.  If a child begins walking early or right around 12 months, he might not say his first word until 13 or 14 months.  Once children say their first word, language development should progress rapidly. Your child should have at least 50 words by age 2.  If your child does not have 50 words by her 2^nd birthday, she is considered to have a language delay. Some children that are delayed in language will catch up independently.  Others may require formal speech-language intervention.

Why can’t I understand my child? It is often very difficult to understand a one-year-old’s speech. Many sounds in the English language do not develop until ages 2-5.  For example, /r/ and /th/ are sounds that develop later and should not be expected until at least age 4 or 5. Other later-developing sounds include /s/, /z/, and /l/.  It is very normal for a child who is learning to talk to simplify words and make sound substitutions or deletions.  For example, my son says “ight” for light and “doodie” for cookie. He is deleting the more difficult consonant (the /l/ in light) and substituting an easier consonant for a more difficult consonant (saying /d/ for /k/ in cookie).   If your child is 2 years old, an unfamiliar listener should be able to understand 50% of her speech.  An unfamiliar listener should be able to understand a 3-year-old child 75% of the time, and a 4-year-old should be understood greater than 90% of the time.

When should I be concerned?  A speech-language evaluation is recommended for the following issues:

1. If you are concerned about your child’s ability to understand language.  Receptive language is very important and is a key indicator to determine if a child will catch up or need speech-language intervention.  If your child is not talking and you are concerned about their ability to understand you, it is recommended that you talk to your pediatrician.
2. If your child is 18 months old and not yet talking.  Some children do not talk until after 18 months and catch up independently.  However, if your child is still not talking at 18 months of age, bring it up to your pediatrician to see if he needs a speech-language evaluation.
3. If your child is 12 months old and is not yet babbling.
4. If your child is age 2+ and is talking but is not forming phrases/sentences appropriately compared to her peers.
5. If your child is age 2+ and you feel that he is significantly less intelligible than his peers or if many people comment that they cannot understand your child.  If you are the only person that can understand your child, talk to your pediatrician about the need for a speech-language evaluation.
6. If there is any concern about social/pragmatic language.  Children must learn the social rules of language and how to interact with their peers appropriately. Learning the social rules of language develops over time.  Major red flags include lack of eye contact and inability to respond to and initiate greetings appropriately.
7. If your child is stuttering.  Stuttering can be a normal part of speech-language development, particularly between ages 2 and 4.  However, if stuttering becomes effortful, frequent, or if your child is aware of and/or upset by their stuttering, then a speech-language evaluation is recommended.

What are some online resources to help?

Resources for parents include: 

The American Speech Language Association Public Website
http://www.asha.org/public/

National Institutes of Health  http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/pages/speechandlanguage.aspx

Kids Health
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/not_talk.html