my child doesn't connect

My child does not seem to understand what I say to him and appears to be in a world of his own

Initially it is important that you have your child’s hearing assessed. If all is fine in this area of development, assessment by a speech pathologist will ascertain your child’s stage of language development and provide you with strategies to engage with your child and help him to understand words.

HINT

The Hanen* principle of OWL: Observe, Wait and Listen will help you establish joint attention with your child which is the first step to language learning.

HINT

• Follow your child’s lead
• Make more comments and ask fewer questions
• Emphasize key words (be sure to include some action words as well as the names of things)
• Have fun with your child!

A speech pathologist can help you with these strategies.