My New Speech Assistants

I just had to share this fun story. Have you noticed how your kids pick up on everything, even the stuff you don't want them to hear? I think my kids may become speech pathologists whether they want to or not just because they're surrounded by it all the time. Actually I don't think that the outcome of this story was necessarily intentional but it's pretty great.

Apparently, Grace and her friend JJ (my friend and business partner Amy's son so they see each other all the time and are like siblings) have helped a little boy at their school. There is a boy in JJ's class who has selective mutism. He did not say a word for the entire first semester of school. Grace and JJ invited him to play "Doggies" with them, which apparently means that one person is the owner and the other kids are the dogs. JJ would give a command and Grace and this little boy were expected to respond. After a little while the little boy began to speak. The kids report that at first they would have to give him pretend doggie bones as a reward but that he no longer needs a reward. The game has also changed to something called "Parking Lot" which requires more talking and he has done just fine there too. It has even extended into the classroom where he has also begun speaking more.

What the kids don't know is that they have provided for this little boy what no speech therapist could have done for him. And their technique was great--JJ gave the request and Grace provided the peer model--it was perfect and they didn't even know it! Way to go little ones!