11 SKILLS ALL CHILDREN NEED BEORE TALKING: At Home Speech Therapy Pre-Linguistic Skills for Toddlers

Kelli Meyer M.Ed, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL Licensed and Certified Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist
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Hey guys! It's Kelli, Welcome back to my channel! I hope these videos are helpful for working with your little ones at home! Leave a comment below with your questions, comments or video suggestions!
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There are 11 Pre-linguistic Language Skills that children need to develop prior to learning to communicate. It is important that children learn and use these communicative exchange skills PRIOR to talking so that a RECEPTIVE language delay does not occur. If a child starts talking without learning and using these skills prior, often we see pragmatic delays and expressive language skills (what a child can say) that are higher than receptive language (what a child understands) and it is harder to go back and teach meaning to words that are already spoken.
All of these skills are typically developed by 12 months of age; however, most late talking toddlers are missing at LEAST one of these 11 skills, which will impact language development.
I recommend taking note of which skills your child has mastered (demonstrates 90% of the time) and which ones need to be targeted. ALL skills can be targeted at home by a parent / caregiver when provided with the correct strategies and techniques!
Be sure to watch the entire video for detailed description of each skill, why it's important and ideas for how to target each!
11 Pre-Linguistic Skills:
1. Reacts to environmental stimuli (typically develops around 4 months)
2. Responding to people: showing interest and interaction with people rather than objects (typically develops around 6 months)
// • HOW TO TEACH A TODDLER...
3. Takes turns: trades objects, holds objects and gives them back, vocal play back and forth, etc
4. Develops a longer attention span - attention span is important because a child needs to "stay and play" in order to allow for learning opportunities and new skills to be taught over time
// • HOW TO INCREASE A CHIL...
5. Shifts and shares JOINT attention: a child is able to shift their attention from a person to the object and back, having a shared experience with a communication partner
// • HOW TO ENGAGE & INTERA...
6. Plays with toys in a variety of ways: teaches object permanence, object functions, combining toys (2 non-related toys - required prior to a child being able to combine 2 words) and cause / effect
// • HOW TO PLAY WITH A CHI...
// • THE BEST TOYS FOR SPEE...
7. Understands simple directions and follows instructions: important that a child is able to demonstrate understanding of words and make correlations between the word and the meaning
// • HOW TO GET A CHILD TO ...
8. Vocalizes purposefully*: understands that words / sounds have meanings and uses sounds / gestures and/or words to gain attention
// • TEACHING FUNCTIONAL WO...
9. Imitates actions (gross motor - running, jumping; fine motor- clapping, waving, pointing, blowing kiss) and gestures / facial expressions to demonstrate body awareness and motor coordination
// • HOW TO GET A CHILD TO ...
10. Uses gestures to communicate: demonstrates understanding of symbolic meaning of words
• BUILDING COMMUNICATION...
11. Initiates* interactions with others: cause / effect; interactions; uses words, gestures, signs to get needs met or make requests
// • HOW TO HELP A NONVERBA...
Chart of Skills by Laura Mize:
teachmetotalk.com/wp-content/...
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🔸LANGUAGE PLAYLIST: • Early Language Develop...
🟢 AUTISM RESOURCE VIDS: • Autism Resource Videos
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16 gestures: www.interveningearly.org/down...
// Please LIKE, share and leave a comment on this video if it was helpful for you! :)

[@rosemondejoseph8264]

Kelly , I just recently found you and I love your content! I’m taken notes and will apply these to my 2 year old son . I just want to let know that your doing the lords work! Stay blessed! ❤

[@whitney9665]

Wow, 16 gestures by 16 months! My son is just about 14 months and is lacking the skills 7-11, but the amount of gestures is the one that concerns me most! I would love a list of common gestures or a video on how to teach them. Are you mostly referring to sign language?

[@jmwjrsmom]

I absolutely love your videos. They are so so helpful!! Thank you so much!

[@TheSpeechScoop]

Yay! Thank you!! So happy they help!!

[@mspena1833]

Love it girl ! So informative and beautiful as always 💕😘. My clients and their families thank you . Thank you so much for giving back.

[@TheSpeechScoop]

Aw thank you!!

[@snowdriftwood]

So helpful! Thanks!

[@TheSpeechScoop]

[@user-jo2cz1dt7i]

You are wonderful!

[@TheSpeechScoop]

🫶🏽🫶🏽

[@embp1193]

Thanks for explaining so clearly! I can send this video to my clients parents!

[@TheSpeechScoop]

Yay! So thrilled you thought so! It’s good to have it all in one place!!

[@brankamandic3811]

Thank you 🥰

[@TheSpeechScoop]

[@sueknowski6650]

Thank you so much for all the practical information. Your such an angel 😇 for sharing your knowledge and quite literally, changing the future world , by giving our parents/ caregivers the tools to have our children grow up to be happy and functional adults. They are our future, and with early interventions, it will be a bright and productive future. Thanks again, and God Bless.

[@TheSpeechScoop]

This is so nice! thank you so much for the encouragement to keep going!

[@nittgeesalomon9873]

Informative and beautiful thank you I keep trying with my daughter she have 5 years old I follow you everyday ❤

[@TheSpeechScoop]

❤

[@ciaprice3329]

I really love your channel I learn so much from you

[@TheSpeechScoop]

❤❤

[@ExtraReagan]

I really enjoyed this video! Really great tips!

[@TheSpeechScoop]

[@TheSpeechScoop]

For reference - this is the LARGEST play set - this is a BIG set - for older children. This set or small sets would be perfect for toddlers! :)

[@asustablet9367]

You're amazing. Wish we have SLP like you here in the Philippines.

[@TheSpeechScoop]

❤️ hang in there!!

[@jaychou5135]

Thank you so much, what a great information. My baby is 18month old, she has language delay and just like you said number 2, she is more interested in objects than people. She can interact with me or her dad but not with any strangers including other kids. What should I do?

[@sameeratabassum9930]

Hey Kelli. Thank you so much for making so many informative videos for working on speech and language. Your videos helped me alot to connect to my son through play and to teach him concepts. Keep up the good work 👍 I have a request.. Can you make a video to help an autistic child to react to environmental sound stimuli.

[@TheSpeechScoop]

Thank you for the comment and I am so happy to hear it's going great! I would recommend pairing a positive experience/stimuli with the environmental sounds, if that makes sense. For example, if I'm outside and I hear a truck go by, I don't necessarily look up because I know there's nothing there for me and it's just a truck; however, if I hear an ice cream truck going by, I DEF look up! Try to think of ways to pair something he might like with the environmental stimuli!

[@sm-zs3sf]

thank you for another great video!🤗🙏 could you please also explain how to motivate a 2 or 3 year old to accept brushing his teeth?

[@TheSpeechScoop]

I would start with a zvibe / nuk brush and have them play with it - and watch the "brush your teeth" sesame street video and also walk around with your toothbrush and brush your teeth as well, leave it out and also add peanut butter or nutella, whatever else your little one likes that you can puree!

[@sm-zs3sf]

@@TheSpeechScoop thank you so much 🙏

[@jmwjrsmom]

Do you have any advice for echoic adults that didn't have access to these things growing up and now the care home is helping him the best we can? Your videos have all been so helpful. Maybe any other channels you would recommend for helping non verbal echoic adults in similar cases?

[@TheSpeechScoop]

Hmmm great question!! I will try to find some adult resources and link them!

[@jmwjrsmom]

@@TheSpeechScoop thank you!! You have been so so helpful ❤️

[@shivanetha1]

I can’t see open ended toys you mentioned in your Amazon list. Can u send link here Thanks

[@TheSpeechScoop]

Thank you!! I forgot to add the link! It's on there now but here it is also! www.wiwiurka.com/?aff=121 Get 10% off with code "SPEECHSCOOP"

[@TheSpeechScoop]

Their KZbin: kzbin.infovideos @wiwiurka_toys

[@ana-kv7fs]

Hello I came across your videos cuz I am really desperated ...I have e 26 month old baby boy who doesn't speak he just says some animal verses ...what should I do

[@user-mi6ch8st7m]

Hello! What type of lisp would a child possibly have if they pronounce sounds like ch as sh (ie chewy as shewy, or child as shild). Thank you!

[@TheSpeechScoop]

This is called “deaffrication” & it’s a phonological process (pattern of errors) which typical in speech development & usually resolves around age 4!

[@user-mi6ch8st7m]

Thank you so much! What would you recommend doing to help a child who is 5 1/2 years old, and has not grown out of it?

[@sorchaoreilly2633]

Thank you! My goddaughtsr is 2y1m and Has excellent gross and even some fine motor skills, Will come running if she hears my voice specifically on the phone (even though we've never met we do have a good Bond) Certainly used to go "BA!" When she fell and sometimes reacts but also often doesn't, Takes interest in other people especially other children and will smile in response to how you speak to her. She even approached a white stranger and started babbling away to her because she hoped maybe it was me as she rarely sees any other white lady and has only seen me through the phone. She shows response when you say something to her including to simple instructions but often if you ask her for something she's using she will give you a look and gesture for a bottle in a way that seems to say "b**** go get your own". With encouragement she can manage to go and fetch a toy to show you. I'm not sure about her attention or joint attention. She has screen addiction issues. Functional play is very good. Has v few toys due to poverty. Role-plays with household objects. Loves to scribble now too. She understands simple instructions but absolutely will not give the phone to mummy when she grabs it. I'm thinking I should cut the call whenever she does that because he interaction with me on it maybe reinforces this as she does enjoy it. She will interrupt nonstop in voice messages but can respond in real life. Can initiate. Can respond but often ignores mummy. She is very chatty but this is all babbling still even though she was babbling right on time maybe even slightly early. She has a few words but rarely uses them spontaneously except for mama. Mostly she would just copy words or actions with encouragement. Mum reads to her and does the thing of repeatedly naming the object in an interaction. We can't afford speech therapy. Based on these, are there links you can share with ways that can help build those specific skills? Should we be concerned about anything underlying or might she catch up and it be more of a "smartphone generation" thing? Two of my older friends children were not speaking at two years and were much more quiet than her and are fine now

[@sorchaoreilly2633]

Not "for a bottle" idk why that's there

[@nicolleb.4831]

What if your child does all of these things but still prefers not to talk? My 3 year old does randomly talk and says 2 word sentences, but for the most part he does not speak in words. We try to make communication opportunities, but he climb up on everything, knows how to open locks, and can even get into the fridge and pour drinks. He’s our third child, and late talkers run in both my husband’s and my side of the family.

[@Prettydreamy91]

My baby is 2.5 years old.. not doing any of these 11 skills . ..what shld i do..pls help me😦

[@Pan_Zielony01]

My 23 months says around 40-50 words but not combine words just says mamma sit bye bye e.t.c and she is in 3 languages. Doing all 11 skills. When she will start talking?

[@TheSpeechScoop]

Is your child combining toys in play? Typically, we see that children need between 50-150 words in their vocabulary prior to combining words so just continuing to build the single word vocab list would be my recommendation and also encouraging play with 2 unrelated toys at once. For example, playing in the sand with a water bucket but also a ping pong ball, playing house with a doll but also feeding her with a regular spoon, filling a container with unrelated objects etc.

[@lisaharrington3241]

The toys you have behind you is expensive, not everyone can’t afford toys like that.