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Speech and Language Resources

Adoptive Families articles

  • Talk to Me!

    If your child isn't chattering away, he's not alone—speech and language difficulties occur in about 10 percent of kids. The good news is that early recognition and intervention can make a big difference.

  • Learning to Listen

    A child who has trouble with speech and language may actually be overwhelmed by sound. Auditory training, though controversial, may help.

  • Clearing Hurdles to Learning

    For children with learning disabilities, early intervention can make the difference

  • Vision and Hearing Testing

    It makes sense to have your child's vision and hearing screened as soon as you come home.

  • Hearing and Vision Screenings for Newborns

    Advice from AF's adoption medicine expert.

  • Special Report: Your Child's Speech and Language

    Language is the gateway to learning. Here’s what you need to know to foster speech and language skills, and to get help when you suspect trouble.

  • A Labor to Listen

    If the sounds of the world are too much for your child, he may have an auditory processing problem. Learn how to figure it out and find help.

  • From Their Mouths to Our Ears

    It's never too early to assess our children's speech and language development -- and to seek support if needed.

Books

  • The Late Talker: What to Do If Your Child Isn't Talking Yet
    Marilyn Agin, Lisa Geng, and Malcolm Nicholl

    Agin, Geng and Nicholl present clearly defined language milestones through narrative sections accompanied by well-designed charts. An overview of speech disorders focuses particularly on those in which language acquisition and/or speech sound production are affected. The authors of this essential volume walk parents through all the steps, from finding the right doctor, therapist and method of therapy to dealing with schools and insurance companies, to understanding fears, both their child's and their own. A careful, thorough and realistic book, this will be a great resource for any parent dealing with these issues.

  • When the Brain Can’t Hear: Unraveling the Mystery of Auditory Processing Disorder
    Teri James Bellis, Ph.D.

    Dr. Teri James Bellis is an audiologist who herself developed APD following an automobile accident, so she clearly knows APD from the inside out. When the Brain Can’t Hear pretty much covers the map on APD, using a case study approach to elucidate the problem. She explains how the diagnosis is made, treatments, approaches to living with APD, and how to negotiate the education and healthcare systems. This book is not for the easily distracted reader. It is exhaustive in its scope and detail, and makes for an excellent reference volume, but is not really recommended for leisure reading.

  • Like Sound Through Water: A Mother's Journey Through Auditory Processing Disorder
    Karen J. Foli, Ph.D.

    This first- person account is an exhaustively detailed book. If you have been through a similar journey with your child, you’ll recognize more than a few of Foli’s feelings and experiences. In the last chapter, Foli describes different kinds of APD and discusses the cardinal symptoms that should prompt a parent to have a child evaluated. These, along with lists of resources and recommended reading, are the most valuable parts of the book.

  • Childhood Speech, Language & Listening Problems
    Patricia McAleer Hamaguchi

    Patricia Hamaguchi is a speech-language pathologist who has been helping children overcome speaking and listening-related problems for more than twenty years. She has revised her popular guide, which now contains even more information on, among other topics: how to distinguish between a problem that will probably be outgrown, from one that requires outside help; how to get help, what tests are likely to be done and how to understand the diagnosis; activities parents can do with their children at home to help them progress. Parents swear by this book, with many loyal readers of the first edition buying the second as well.

  • The New Language of Toys, Revised edition
    Joan E. Heller Miller, Sue Schwartz

    The New Language Of Toys is a how-to guide for parents, teachers, and care-givers about using everyday toys (both store-bought and home-made) to develop communication skills in children with disabilities and making playtime a fun, exciting and educational experience. The authors provide helpful milestone charts for the distinct developmental components of language, motor and cognitive skills. This is "must" reading for anyone with an interest in stimulating language skills in children with special needs.

  • Does My Child Have a Speech Problem?
    Katherine L. Martin

    Certified speech-language pathologist Martin has written an excellent book for parents concerned about their children's speech and language development. The book provides answers to the 50 most common questions about children's speech and includes strategies for parents as well as answers to each question. The text's six parts address stuttering and fluency issues, articulation issues, listening and auditory processing skills, and issues of the voice. A list of resources for parents and a thorough index make this an invaluable tool. Martin's writing style is clear and engaging, making this slim volume a quick, easy read.

  • Beyond Baby Talk: From Sounds to Sentences, A Parent's Complete Guide to Language Development
    Julie J. Masterson and Kenn Apel

    The first five years of a child's life are the most critical for speech and language development, with parents as the primary language role models. Masterson and Apel have compiled some of the best ways to help your child develop the all-important skill of communication. In this fun, easy, and engaging book you'll discover all of the essential steps and checkpoints from birth through age five, tips to help your child progress on schedule, and easy methods to: evaluate and monitor your child's language development; understand and deal with environmental impacts such as television and cultural styles; recognize the signs of language development problems; and more.

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