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Expert Q&A

	By Mindy Hudon Speech and Language Pathologist

What can I do to help my twins' language develop?

As parents of twins, it is our role to help reduce their risk by providing a language-rich environment. Parents have a critical role in their twins' speech and language development.

There are many things that you can do on a daily basis to encourage your twins' language development. First, you are in the best situation to help your twins. Because there are two children involved, you have a ready-made language group, and your twins always have a great communication partner! Also, they have an invested speech coach – you!

As a parent, you're the most important guide to language enrichment. What you say and how you say it will directly impact your twins' development of speech sounds and sentence length. Here are some suggestions:

• You can never talk enough when you are with your twins. Talk about what you're doing and why you're doing it. Also, talk about everything your twins are doing. If you're pouring a glass of milk say, "Mommy is pouring some milk for you. You are thirsty. Here is your milk." When your twins are drinking the milk say, "Mmm, that milk tastes good. The milk is cold. Oh, you are drinking the cold milk." When you're talking to two children like this all day, you may find yourself sounding like a broken record. Rest assured, your efforts will pay off in the long run. Talking to each of your twins is one of the best ways to encourage language.
• Avoid using "baby talk." If your twins say a word that is pronounced incorrectly, repeat it back to them the correct way, emphasizing the sounds in the words. Don't expect them to repeat it correctly back to you at that moment. However, praise any attempts they make to say the word. Your job is to provide them with the correct pronunciation of words. If you repeat baby talk, that's what your twins will use. Remember, even though baby talk may sound cute now, it won't when they're 3 or 4 years old.
• Encourage your twins to talk! If your twins shake an empty cup at you and grunt, hold back the urge to take the cup and fill it. Instead, ask questions to encourage words, "What do you want? Tell Mommy, use your words." In the early stages of language development, it is important to praise any verbal attempts. If your twins say "oo," reinforce their attempt and say "juice." Expand on the word and say "I want juice." If your twins are using words and short sentences, then it is important they use words rather than gestures or grunts to communicate their needs. "Tell Mommy, 'I want juice.'" In the busy life of a parent of multiples, grabbing the cup and filling it is much easier than encouraging language. However, by taking the extra time to encourage language, you're helping your twins learn to be effective communicators and to learn that words are often more important than actions.
• Take time to sit down on the floor with your twins and play with their toys. Children love to play, and it's a great way to build vocabulary, expand language and teach social communication skills like turn-taking, facial expressions, emotions and greetings. Make the toys come alive! For example, a stuffed teddy bear can walk, sleep, eat, ask for help, feel sad or happy and say "hi" and "bye." It is amazing what a teddy can do! Your twins will love the interaction time with you, and you can encourage so much wonderful language by just using puzzles, stuffed animals or even a ball.

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