Question
My child is three years old and can only say a few simple words like ‘mom’, ‘dad’, and ‘hit’. They understand what they want but don’t speak, and they don’t call for help when they need to go to the bathroom. They often soil their pants. The child had a brain CT scan last year, and there were no issues. What should I do about language expression difficulties in young children?
Answer
To eliminate the child’s tension and fear, expose them to beautiful sounds, fluent expressions, and appropriate content such as children’s stories and nursery rhymes. After becoming familiar with them, let the child repeat them along with you for repeated practice. Avoid blaming and be patient in communicating with the child. When parents talk to their children, they should speak as slowly as possible and use simple sentences and vocabulary. Use a calm, gentle, and kind tone so that the child feels no pressure. Talk to the child more often, speak at a slightly slower pace, ask questions while speaking, and guide the child to answer. If the child is unwilling to answer at first, do not force them. You can continue talking, allowing the child to naturally answer questions without noticing their stammering flaws. Avoid constantly criticizing the child’s shortcomings when they are speaking.