Skip to main content

Five exercises experts swear by to help with speech delays in toddlers

There is nothing more exciting for a parent than watching as their child reaches new milestones in their development, and nothing more worrying than when they feel their child might be falling behind. Although language skills develop at different times for all children if you suspect your child isn’t on track developmentally, there are expert-recommended exercises for speech delays in toddlers.

Although speech delays in toddlers can often be something your child grows out of, it doesn’t make it any less worrying if you are the parent. Luckily, there are ways you can help your toddler if you feel they are falling behind their peers. Here are five exercises experts swear by to help with speech delays in toddlers that you can do at home.

Related Videos
toddler-speech-delay1

According to Nemours Kids Health, your child might have a speech delay if by the age of 2 years, they are only imitating sounds and noises and not speaking spontaneously, only says certain sounds and words and can’t communicate with you verbally, can’t follow simple directions, and have a raspy or nasally voice. If you suspect your child has a speech delay it’s important to speak with your doctor, but there are some exercises you can do at home to help your child.

Exercises for speech delays in toddlers

Read to them

One way to help your toddler with a speech delay is to read to them every day, as often as you can. Children learn to speak and make sounds often through imitation and interaction. Read age-appropriate books with your child and allow them to practice ‘reading’ along with you.

Speak with them

You can also help improve your toddler’s speech delay by practicing speaking with them, according to Reid Health. They suggest practicing working on sounds or words your toddler may be struggling with, and even making a game out of it to make it more fun. As your child begins to master different sounds, you can then help them incorporate their new skills into learning words that have that same sound.

Encourage singing

Did you know that your toddler might be able to sing a song before they can speak a full sentence? Singing is actually a great way to help a toddler who is experiencing a speech delay because singing can help enhance a toddler’s vocabulary. According to a recent study, “informal musical experience at home contributes to the development of grammar.”

Model self-talk

Stamurai suggests using self-talk as a way to help improve a toddler’s speech delay. This basically means that when you’re with your child, you are always talking about what you’re doing and naming the different objects or items around you. If you’re at the grocery store, you can name each item and talk about it as you put it in the cart, or if you’re at home and playing with toys, talk about the toy and how you’re playing with it. Again, repetition is key to helping toddlers develop their language skills.

Use drinking straws

Reid Health also suggests using drinking straws to help your toddler develop the muscles in their mouth that can assist in their language skills. They can use the straws to drink with or simply blow air out to help strengthen those muscles. They suggest getting a ping pong ball or something similar to make a game out of it, seeing if your toddler can blow through the straw and move the ball through a makeshift goal.

Can a toddler outgrow a speech delay?

It is possible that a toddler might outgrow their speech delay. Speech Buddies suggests there are three factors that can help determine if a toddler will outgrow a speech challenge; the age of the child, the severity of the child’s speech challenge, and a child’s and/or their family history of a speech challenge. The Hanen Center also notes that the majority of children who experience a speech delay that only involves speaking and not comprehension or use of language have a 70 to 80% chance of outgrowing their language delay. If you’re concerned about your toddler’s language development, it’s always best to consult with a medical professional to see if speech therapy is needed or if they think your child will outgrow the speech delay.

toddler-speech-delay2

How can I help my 2-year-old with speech therapy at home?

Parents can help their 2-year-olds at home by encouraging them to use their words. Pediatric speech therapist Alyssa Gusenoff explained to Verywell Family that anticipating what a child wants or needs isn’t encouraging them to speak. Instead, she suggests waiting for them to ask for what they want so they can practice speaking. She also suggests offering choices to a child, such as asking  “Would you like milk or juice?” instead of “What would you like to drink?” This gives the child the word they need to say instead of relying on them to come up with the word.

Other experts suggest minimizing background noise and distractions and not having a television on while working with your child. It can be hard for a child to concentrate when there are distractions, so having an area where they can focus is conducive to a better learning environment.

Gusenoff also recommends lots of repetition when speaking to your child, including repeating how they incorrectly pronounce something. She says that many children don’t understand that they’re mispronouncing words until they hear them spoken back to them. She also notes that parents need to know their toddlers’ limitations, and if it doesn’t seem that their child is benefitting from help at home, it might be time for professional guidance and intervention.

Can a child have a speech delay and not be autistic?

Although speech delays are common in children diagnosed with autism, many children without autism also experience them. According to Verywell Health, children with autism spectrum disorder often face social communication challenges as well as speech delays, whereas other children not on the spectrum may experience speech delays but are still motivated by those social cues from other people.

Every child is different and every child reaches milestones at different stages of development. If you’re worried your toddler may have a speech delay, you should consult with your pediatrician who will determine if your child needs to see a speech therapist or if it’s nothing to worry about.

Editors' Recommendations

The best Facebook groups for parents of toddlers
Facebook groups for toddler parenting advice
Woman with coffee and laptop

Raising a toddler isn't always a walk in the park, so getting parenting advice from your extended "village" can make you feel less isolated and give you new ideas on how to approach parenting those complicated little kids. Facebook groups are the perfect place to connect with thousands of other parents to use as a sounding board for advice on issues like potty training in a way that one opinion on Google or from the pediatrician can't provide.

Whether you're looking for new activities, searching for language development advice, or wanting help on an issue specific to your child, these Facebook groups for toddlers are worth clicking the "Join" button.

Read more
Is public or private preschool right for your child?
Find out what kind of preschool will best fit your child's needs
Preschool teacher talking with students at a table

If your child is ready for preschool, you'll have to decide if public school vs. private school is right for them. Which one you choose depends on a number of factors, including cost, schedule, parenting style, and location. We'll take you through which questions to ask yourself when making this decision for your little one and yourself.

Public preschool
Public preschool is a popular option for parents as a go-to choice that is in town, near where they live. Kids are able to continue there as they grow to attend kindergarten and beyond at the same school. This not only gives them a sense of routine -- getting to know the building, playground, drop-off and pickup system, staff, and cafeteria, but it also helps them make and keep friends they'll have year after year.

Read more
Show your young child you love them with these Valentine’s Day toddler activities
Valentine's Day with kids can be fun - and these preschooler-approved activities prove it
Child making a paper heart with scissors

Valentine's Day is the holiday to celebrate love, but it doesn't just have to be romantic love (like how kids join in with giving Valentine's cards at school). If you're spending Valentine's Day with kids, you may want to include them in the celebration. Engaging your little one in Valentine's Day toddler activities is a way to show them love and even build skills and self-esteem. Seriously — art, cooking, and physical activity are all on the table when you're spending Valentine's Day with kids.
Like with any holiday, you can make it your own. Here are toddler and preschool Valentine's Day activities your young children will embrace — and so will you.

Valentine's Day crafts for toddlers and preschoolers
Heart crafts
Make a garland, mobile, wreath, or card out of paper hearts, or adapt just about any craft to include the color red or pink. There are endless Valentine's Day crafts out there for any age that will let you have quality family time around the table.

Read more