How Parents Play A Critical Role In Reducing Children’s Long-Term Communication Difficulties
Growing up, I struggled to communicate effectively at school.
I found it hard to understand social dynamics and interactions. ‘Banter’ was an alien language to me. It sounded like people insulting each other, then laughing about it! My own attempts at small talk were disastrous — I’d end up offending people instead of connecting.
As I got older, I realized my difficulties with speech, language, and communication — important tools we all need to thrive in the 21st century — continued to plague me as an adult.
That’s why I was so excited to have Mary Hartshorne as a guest on my Born To Speak podcast to discuss how early childhood speech development can have a positive impact on our communication skills as adults.
Mary is the Director of Impact at ICAN, an organization dedicated to helping children develop speech and language skills, and she knows how crucial communication can be for early childhood brain development.
She explained to me that language is essential for building relationships, learning, and navigating life. Not only is it how children express their needs and thoughts, but it also helps them relate to and understand others. Yet 1.4 million children — around 2 or 3 in every classroom — have long-term communication difficulties, and many parents greatly underestimate the importance of language skills.
If you’re a parent wondering how you can best prepare your child for the future, here’s her advice on supporting communication development:
There’s a huge difference between talking with children and talking to children.