2 and a half year old baby still can't speak

Some babies cannot speak until they are two and a half years old. At this time, parents will become very worried, fearing that their babies will have some complications that affect their normal life. In fact, when this happens, it is best to go to the hospital for a detailed physical examination as soon as possible. This may be caused by language barriers, so you need to let your baby practice language.

(1) Setting goals: When setting goals for speech therapy, Vygotsky’s “closest developmental level” theory is the dominant principle, that is, the goals set should be slightly higher than the individual child’s developmental level, but still achievable for the child with help. For example, when a child can only say one word, you can use reduplication during treatment and then develop into two-word words; when a child can only say short phrases and not complete sentences, you can slightly expand the words during treatment and let the child imitate, so that he can establish a pattern and gradually transition to sentences.

(2) Treatment methods: Speech therapy should be conducted in meaningful contexts and accompanied by toys and games. There are two types of speech therapy methods. One is a therapist-centered approach that mainly uses three forms: practice, game-based training, and shaping:

① Practice: Give the child a task and tell him to respond, such as learning to say characters or words. This form is relatively monotonous and children often lack motivation.

② Practice through games: first give the children a game activity and ask them to learn the set language goals as required. When the goals are achieved, give the children interesting game activities to reinforce their responses to the goals.

③Shaping: It is to give children auditory stimulation and gradually induce them to produce a response that is close to the target.

All three modalities are structured by the therapist and are suitable for young children or children with severe language disorders. The other is a child-centered approach. The therapist will make the set goals a part of the game, talk to the children while they play, and intentionally guide the children. Once the children achieve the set goals, the therapist will immediately give feedback and communicate with them. During the interaction between therapists and children, they constantly use imitation, word formation, and expansion skills as demonstrations. This method is suitable for stubborn and shy children, as well as preschool children with certain language skills.

(3) Treatment strategy: For children who have not yet spoken and can only understand, treatment adopts pre-language stage intervention. The intervention includes paying attention to sounds and objects, playing with others, and playing turn-taking and imaginative games. The strategies used in the intervention were as follows:

① Using single words or reduplications as language stimulation and repeatedly applying them in the environment is called "auditory bombardment".

②Match objects and toys that children are interested in with words.

③ Encourage children to communicate through gestures and vocalizations, regardless of their poor pronunciation.

④ Communicate with children using the simplest language.

⑤Correct negative communication behaviors such as crying, getting angry, and throwing objects.

⑥ Create scenarios that encourage children to communicate with others and respond quickly.