I've been silent long enough...

I'm baaaacckkk!!!

So it's been almost 6 months since my last post, but i've decided to pick up this project up again. Who knows how frequently i will post or how long i will keep it up this time, but we'll give it a go.

I want to pick up where i left off with a post from early April: http://talktips.blogspot.com/2008/04/communication-isnt-just-talking.html

Basically I explained the "how" (gestures, sounds, words) and "why" (refuse, request, comment) children communicate. Then I described the different types of communicators (discoverers, communicators, first word users, combiners).

So go back to that post if you want and read the specifics.

If you want help in deciding which stage your child is currently here is a more thorough description of each. Each stage is listed with the expressive skills first and then the receptive skills. Think about which item describes your child. It may be "always", "often", "rarely" or "never" true of how your child understands and communicates. When you've gone through the descriptions look at the highest stage for both expresion and understanding where you have listed at least 3 "always" or "often". Your child may not be in the same level of understanding as he is in expression. That's okay!

Discoverer:
expression-
-cries or fusses when he is sleepy, hungry or uncomfortable
-has different cries for different needs
-makes sounds when spoken to or smiled at
-makes vowel sounds "ah", "uh", "eh"
-makes consonant sounds "buh", "guh", "ma"
-imitates some sounds he hears
-imitates simple actions--banging on the high chair
-babbles
-closes his eyes or turns away when he doesn't want something
-reaches towards items of interest
understanding-
-looks at you when you talk or sing to him
-recognizes familiar voices
-turns his head toward sounds he hears
-recognizes a few gestures--"up" or "no"

Communicator:
expression-
-takes me by the hand towards an object he wants
-draws my attention (by giving, showing or pointing) to items of interest
-imitates actions such as clapping
-uses a few gestures, shaking head for no or waving goodbye
-makes sounds that resemble words
-imitates sounds
-uses jargon (strings of sounds together that sound like speech)
understanding-
-understands familiar words in routine situations ("bye bye" or "up")
-understands names of familiar objects
-responds to simple questions ("where is your teddy bear") by moving to the object, looking at it, or pointing to it
-can follow simple commands ("wave bye bye")
-understands the meaning of "no"

First Word Users
expression-
-uses at least 3 words (or signs or points to pictures) to communicate
-uses more gestures or sounds than he used to
-imitates sounds (animal sounds) and words
-uses between 10 to 25 words or signs
understanding-
-points to familiar body parts and objects
-follows simple instructions even without your gestures
-can answer yes-or-no questions
-responds to questions like "where's the cup?"
-understands the names of many familiar objects, people and animals

Combiner
expression-
-combines 2 words or signs together, as in "want juice" or "no bed"
-uses at least 50 words
-asks questions using a rising tone ("mommy sleep?")
-asks questions that start with "what" and "where", like "what's that?"
-combines 3 words together, "want more juice" or "me no hat"
-refers to himself by name
understanding-
-can answer questions like "what do you wear on your feet?"
-understands questions that start with "who", "who is at the door?"
-understands the concepts: in, on, under, big, little
-can sort objects by category: animals vs food
-listens to simple stories

**This information comes from the book "It Takes Two to Talk" by Jan Pepper & Elaine Weitzman (The Hanen Program).