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The Reluctant Talker
Getting Your Toddler to Open Up
By Mindy Hudon, M.S., CCC-SLP
Society makes us believe that we need to be physical with boys and soft and gentle with girls. So we have a tendency to wrestle with boys while we sit quietly and talk to girls. If a child is more active, they may not spend as much time focusing on their language development. At about 18 to 24 months, a toddler can go through a motor development stage while their language appears stagnant.
What to do:
Take this opportunity to encourage language while expanding motor skills. As your toddler is running and jumping around the backyard say, "You're a fast runner. Look how high you can jump. Let's jump, jump, jump." Kicking a ball with your child is a great way to have them active in the talking process. Get ready to roll the ball to your toddler and say, "Tell Daddy, 'Roll the ball.'" This activity will get your toddler eager to talk because he wants to kick the ball. Using toy/play is a great way to reinforce talking.
Second, Third or Fourth Child Syndrome
