Research Paper on:
Infants, Language Therapy, and Speech

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
actively addressed by qualified therapists. Many therapists work with infants and toddlers who have the risk for communication problems, hoping to create skills that can be further strengthened as the  child grows. Such problems as cleft palates, autism, downs syndrome, and other health conditions can serve to be benefited from such therapy, giving the infant, and/or toddler, a chance to  learn communications skills. In the following paper we examine what techniques are used for teaching infants and toddlers better language and speech skills. Speech and Language Therapy for  Infants It should be understood that the techniques used for infants, as well as toddlers, is very different from those techniques used on older children. Infants rarely have any verbal  skills and their form of communication involves many more complex as well as subtle approaches that must be met by therapists. In light of this techniques such as using pictures  and cards are virtually useless in teaching infants communication skills in terms of speech and language preparation. For example, one institution of learning, the Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center, presents  the following suggestions for helping an infant, or child from birth to aged 2, develop speech and language skills: * Encourage your child to combine vowel-like and consonant-vowel sounds, such  as "ma" and "da." * Maintain eye contact to reinforce attempts to make sound. * Respond to sounds by imitating them using different speech patterns and emphasis.  * Acknowledge attempts to communicate by expanding on the single word and using it in a phrase. * Imitate your childs laughter and facial expressions. * Teach your  child to imitate your actions, such as throwing kisses or clapping your hands (Anonymous Activities to Encourage Speech-Language Development, 2001; activities.html). It is also that one talk to the