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by Keri Spielvogle, MCD, CCC-SLP, Edited by Mary Lowery, MS, CCC-SLP
Have you ever worked with a child who was reluctant to talk? This is not
uncommon for children in speech therapy who are in a new environment, with
an unfamiliar person, or self-conscious of their speech/language
abilities.
This might pose a challenge for a speech-language pathologist trying to
elicit a speech or language sample from the child. Finding topics and
activities that are of interest to the child can be an easy way to
encourage the child to talk. (It might be helpful to ask the parents for a
list of the child's interests.)
Below are some ideas for eliciting spontaneous speech from a child.
Books
Some children love to read, especially the younger ones. Avoid reading the
text to the child. Elicit spontaneous speech by letting the child tell you
what is happening on the page. Even if the child quickly goes through a
book, talk about the book with the child when you are finished. Try to
relate the book to the child's life. For example, in a book about a
terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, you could ask the child about a
bad day she/he recently experienced. Encourage language development by
incorporating different parts of speech, such as adjectives, adverbs,
irregular verbs, etc.
Movies/Movie Clips
Children who are visual learners sometimes respond well to movies or clips
from movies. Online cartoon clips are easy to access. Ask the child to
explain what happened in the clip, what might happen next, what his/her
favorite part was, etc. Watch the clips without sound and have the child
narrate what is happening. (Be sure to pre-watch any video to make sure it
is appropriate for the child.)
Sports
Many children enjoy watching and playing sports. Incorporating a child's
favorite sport or team into therapy can be a great way to encourage speech
and practice speech and language goals. Play clips from a game and have
the child play the role of sports commentator, or print out the team's
roster or schedule to talk about the child's favorite players or the
team's wins and loses.
Family pictures
Ask the parents to bring in family pictures, including those of siblings
and pets. Look at the pictures with the child, allowing him/her to narrate
the events in the pictures and describe his/her family members.
Games
Playing games with children often elicits spontaneous speech. There are
many different games to choose from, including electronic games, barrier
games, board games, and card games. Have the child explain the rules of
the game, or play games that require the child to talk, such as "Simon
Says" (with the child playing Simon) or "Go Fish."
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