HOW TO HELP CHILDREN, GIRLS, OR ADOLESCENTS TO LEARN TO SPEAK

This is a translation authorized by @zhother of the post CÓMO AYUDAR AL NIÑO, A LA NIÑA O AL ADOLESCENTE PARA QUE APRENDA A HABLAR

• A child, a girl or a teenager who has difficulty moving the arms and legs can sit with the body bent or turned to the side.

• Help him sit as straight as he can and keep his head up. The child, the girl or the adolescent will be able to make sounds or speak better if he keeps his head straight and erect.

• If the child, girl or adolescent has difficulty moving and talking, you can help him / her in the following way: teach him to use a sound or a movement for "yes" and another movement or sound to
  "do not". Teach him to do something that is easy for him. For example, the child, the girl, or the adolescent can say "yes" by blinking once or by raising the right hand and can say "no" by blinking twice or by raising the left hand. If you can communicate in this way and can express "yes" and "no," you can then find out what you want by asking questions.

• Let me see you when you talk to him. If you have difficulty moving your head, you should always put yourself in a way that sees you. In this way he or she and you can see the faces and movements. This will facilitate communication.

• I may not be able to make sounds when I need to call you. If so, find a way to let you know when you need it. For example, place a can with stones, bells or a bell, near the child, the girl or the teenager. If he needs to call you, he will hit the object and make a sound.

• A child, girl or adolescent who has difficulty moving their arms or legs, head or mouth, may also have difficulty drinking and eating.

• In this case, begin to train him / her to do exercises for the head and mouth.

• If the child you are training is small, you can do these exercises when you are on your stomach. The child, the girl or the adolescent must lie on his stomach and support himself with his arms and hands.

• You can also place a small cushion under the child's, girl's or teen's chest to help him or her stay in this position.

• Ask him to do the exercises represented in the graphs. You may have to help him keep his head up. Put your hands on either side of your head. Hold your head right Turn your head to Tilt your head to face forward. one and the other side. for one side and the other.

• Ask him to do the following exercises with his mouth. Hold your head with your hands Hold your right head Open your mouth and pull out your head keeping it up and up as much as tongue out
  right and make it open possible. Open your mouth and make him move his mouth. pull the tongue towards the tongue from side to side outside. and from top to bottom. Then close it. Then return to put the Then have him keep tongue inside his mouth his tongue and close it and close it. mouth.

• Ask the child, the girl or the teenager to hold the head as upright as possible, to bring the lips together and blow.

• You can hold a piece of paper in front of the child, the girl or the teenager to move it when blowing. You can also ask him to blow a candle to put it out or with a ring and soapy water to make soap bombs.

• At the beginning, hold the paper, candle or ring with soap near your mouth. When I can blow it, move it farther away from the child, the girl or the teenager so that it blows stronger.

• Ask the child, the girl or adolescent to hold her head as upright as possible, to close her mouth and to suck on a cigarette placed in a container with juice or other thick liquid that she likes.

• Put a straw or a piece of hollow cane inside a glass with water or tea. Let him try to drink the liquid by sucking through the straw or cane.

• You can also blow using a cigarette and make bubbles in a glass of water.

• If the child, girl or adolescent can do these exercises, ask him to make certain sounds.

• Listen to the sounds it emits. Smile and repeat these sounds. Let him know that you feel happy when he makes sounds.

• Ask him to give the sounds "da", "ma", "ba", "pa". Encourage him / her to repeat them in different ways. For example, making the following sound combinations "ma ma ma ma", "ma ma pa pa", "ma ba ba ma".

• Ask him to make the sounds "aaaa", "eeee" and "oooo".

• Let him see your face and with his mouth emit sounds. Then ask him to make the same movements with his mouth so he can make the sounds.

• Listen carefully to see if the child, the girl or the teenager is trying to say a few words.

• If you can make some sounds clearly, ask them to say a few words.

• Ask him to say the names of people or objects that are in the house or yard. Start with the names that are easiest for to pronounce.

• When you say a word, show him that this makes you happy. Then use the word in a sentence. For example, if it says "baby", you can say "Baby is sleeping".

• Start with two words you want me to say. When I can say these two words, choose two more. Make sure the child, girl or teenager who has already learned the words before beginning to teach new ones. Choose words that the child, the girl or the adolescent frequently hears. They should be short, and easy to say. They can be names of objects, greetings or words that are names of activities, such as "play", "go" or "come". The words should include the names of things that the child, the girl or the adolescent may want, for example, drinks or foods they like.

• Do this until you can speak and other people can understand you.

• Often, the people who are with the child, the girl or the adolescent will understand him / her more easily than those who do not know him / her.

• If you try unsuccessfully to say new words for a period of six months, suspend, at least for a time, the training. Keep talking to him. Let him use other ways of communication to express himself. Encourage him / her to continue making sounds and to say everything he / she can.