When A Child Says a Word Without Knowing the Meaning: Help Teaching Words in Context Speech Therapy

Kelli Meyer M.Ed, CCC-SLP Licensed and Certified Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist

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What do you do when a child says one word but does not know what it means

1ST! Ensure your child has met and mastered ALL age-appropriate speech/language developmental milestones (pre-linguistic skills) that come BEFORE talking! Listed below!
----Many times children are MISSING a skills or have developed SPLINTER skills (able to do it SOME times with prompting - this is NOT a mastery level! Help your child GET READY to talk by implementing treatment / therapy ideas for each skills below, because just like you can't learn long division before you can add, subtract and multiply numbers... we can't help make our child talk before they are developmentally READY to talk and have reached pre-linguistic milestones!)

Also, working on easier skills help MOTIVATE your child to participate in FUN and ENGAGING therapy activities with you! See ideas below and check out these skills!

*Skills listed are from Laura Mize's Teach Me To Talk Chart

Skill #1… Reacts to events in the environment
Skill #2… Responds to people when they talk to or play with him or her
Skill #3… Takes turns with you during interactions (   • TODDLER SPEECH THERAPY AT HOME TIPS/A...  ) Eye Contact (   • HOW TO HELP A NONVERBAL CHILD TALK: A...  )
Skill #4… Develops a longer attention span (   • HOW TO GET A CHILD TO LOOK AT YOU, IN...  )
Skill #5… Shifts and shares joint attention with others (   • HOW TO INCREASE A CHILD'S ATTENTION S...  )
Skill #6… Plays with a variety of toys appropriately (   • HOW TO PLAY WITH A CHILD USING SPEECH...  )
Skill #7… Understands early words and follows simple directions (   • HOW TO GET A CHILD TO LISTEN & FOLLOW...  )
Skill #8… Vocalizes or makes sounds purposefully (   • HOW TO GET A CHILD TO TALK! At Home S...  )
Skill #9… Imitates actions, gestures, sounds, and words (   • HOW TO GET A CHILD TO IMITATE WORDS: ...  )
Skill #10… Uses early gestures like waving and pointing (   • TEACHING FUNCTIONAL WORDS & SIGNS THR...  ) (   • HOW TO TEACH A CHILD TO POINT: At Hom...  )
Skill #11… Initiates interaction with others to get needs met or to play (   • TODDLER SPEECH THERAPY AT HOME TIPS/A...  )

Help with Verbal Routines (Fill in the blank to encourage motor planning!)
   • HELP A CHILD TALK BY USING VERBAL ROU...  

When a child uses words without meaning/context:

TIPS FROM THIS VIDEO:

#1: Take a step BACK! Check out the 11 pre-linguistic skills above and make sure that they are READY to be using words! Fill in the blanks if you child has not mastered each skill!
#2: Teach GESTURES/SIGNS (for FUNCTIONAL language    • TEACHING FUNCTIONAL WORDS & SIGNS THR...  ) and model the word at the same time! Use games to facilitate (peek-a-boo; ring around the rosey; happy and you know it)
#2+: Give opportunities for you child to use the word FUNCTIONALLY and APPROPRIATELY in CONTEXT (example: "no" during "yes/no" opportunities) **DRAW ATTENTION to it's meaning by FOLLOWING THROUGH with what the child SAYS (if they say NO, throw it away/eat the goldfish/ give it to the dog, etc - when asked, "WANT GOLDFISH?!") THEN model the CORRECT word and let them nod their head or use sign to demonstrate understanding!
Raise motivation during these trials by using your child's favorite toy/snack/stuffed animal/character, etc!
#3: BACK UP to ONOMATOPEAS (   • HOW TO GET A CHILD TO TALK! At Home S...  , USE hand cues and a verbal routine (   • HELP A CHILD TALK BY USING VERBAL ROU...  ) to help with ORAL MOTOR PLANNING of the articulators and to offer more time for your child to plan out/attempt the vowel, sound and/or word that you are MODELING and prompting using hand cues!

Need a FREE speech hand cues resource? Check out: https://speedyslp.com/speech-resources/

After watching this video, If you are concerned about Echolalia, here is a video that further explains echolalic tendencies (   • HOW TO TREAT ECHOLALIA: At Home Speec...  )

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