Supporting Communication at Home: Strategies from Our Allied Health Team
- claire2876
- 12 hours ago
- 2 min read
We had a fantastic inservice today with our dedicated Allied Health Assistant team and our passionate speech pathologist Chris! The session focused on integrating language development strategies into everyday therapy activities, especially during play-based and book-sharing sessions. It was a great opportunity to collaborate, share ideas, and ensure consistency in how we support communication across all our sessions.
We’re excited to share some of the tips we discussed—so you can try them at home with your child too!
Language Strategies You Can Use at Home
Whether you’re building Lego towers, solving puzzles, or reading a bedtime story, every moment can be a chance to support language growth. Here are some of our top tips:
Use Simple, Repetitive Language
Children learn through repetition. Try using the same short phrases while playing—for example:
“Up, up, up!” when stacking Lego blocks.
“Push!” or “Go!” when sliding cars or pieces together.
“Open the book,” “Turn the page,” or “Let’s see!”
Follow Their Lead
Watch what your child is interested in and join in. If they’re focused on building a tower, narrate what they’re doing:
“You’re building a tall tower!”
“Blue block… now red block!”
This keeps communication natural and connected to their interests.
Use “Wait Time”
After asking a question or making a comment, pause for 5–10 seconds. This gives your child time to process and respond. Try:
“What’s that?” (pause)
“Your turn…” (pause)
Model, Don’t Quiz
Instead of asking too many questions, model the words or sentences you want to teach:
Instead of “What’s this?” say “That’s a dog!”
Instead of “What color is it?” say “It’s a red car!”
This helps build vocabulary without pressure.
Expand on What They Say
If your child says one word, add a little more:
Child: “Car” → You: “Yes, a fast car!”
Child: “Go” → You: “Go fast!”
This helps them hear the next level of language.
Language Fun with Books and Lego
Books and Lego are two of our favourite tools for supporting language. Here’s how you can make the most of them:
With Lego:
Name the colours and shapes: “This is a yellow square.”
Talk about actions: “You’re building. Now you’re stacking.”
Give choices: “Do you want the blue block or the red block?”
With Books:
Point to pictures and name objects: “Look, a cat!”
Use sound effects and voices to make it fun.
Encourage them to turn the pages and point to things.
Talk about what’s happening in the pictures: “She’s jumping in the puddles!”
Consistency Is Key
The more often your child hears and uses language in a natural way, the more they’ll grow. Whether it’s during therapy, at home, or while out and about—every little moment adds up.
A big thank you to Chris for leading today’s session and to our incredible AHA team for always seeking ways to provide the best support for our clients. We love working as a team to help our clients thrive!
If you’d like more support or ideas for communication at home, feel free to chat with your therapist or AHA at your next session.
