08/06/2026
List of evidence-based practices for child-led strategies for young children with limited joint attention, listening comprehension and expressive language abilities secondary to DLD and/or ASD (strongly applicable to "GLP Learners").
1. Wait Time: Allow the child ample time to initiate communication and respond. This encourages them to take the lead in the conversation.
2. Follow the Child’s Lead: Engage in activities and topics that interest the child to increase their motivation to communicate.
3. Imitate the Child: Mirror the child’s actions and sounds. This encourages them to notice and replicate new words and structures.
4. Expand on the Child’s Utterances (*must be grammatically correct): When a child says something, expand it by adding a word or phrase. For example, if the child says "car," you might say "red car."
5. Comment: Rather than asking questions, make comments about what the child is doing. This reduces pressure and allows the child to respond naturally.
6. Parallel Talk: Describe what the child is doing as they do it. This provides them with a model of language related to their actions.
7. Self-Talk: Describe what you are doing as you do it. This exposes the child to new vocabulary and sentence structures in a natural context.
8. Offer Choices: Provide the child with choices rather than asking yes/no questions. This encourages them to use more language. For example, "Do you want the red ball or the blue ball?"
9. Use of Visual Supports: Incorporate visual aids to support understanding and expression. This can include pictures, gestures, and written words.
10. Recast: Correct and model the correct form of a child’s utterance without directly pointing out the mistake. For example, if the child says "I goed to the park," you can respond with "Yes, you went to the park."
11. Model: Provide clear and consistent models of appropriate language use without requiring the child to imitate. This allows them to learn through observation.
12. Play-Based Interventions: Use play as a context for language learning (when applicable).
· Interest-Based Selection: Choose toys and activities that align with the child’s interests to maximize engagement.
· Developmentally Appropriate: Ensure that the chosen activities are suitable for the child’s developmental level.
· Organized Space: Create a play area that is organized and free of distractions. This helps the child focus on the play activity.
· Accessible Materials: Arrange toys and materials so they are easily accessible to the child, encouraging them to explore and initiate play.
· Child-Led Play: Allow the child to choose the activity and lead the play. Follow their lead and show genuine interest in what they are doing.
· Observe and Join In: Observe the child’s play and join in without taking over. Match your actions and language to the child’s level.
* Model Language: Use clear and simple language to describe what you and the child are doing during play. For example, “You are building a tall tower.”
◦Expand Utterances: Expand on the child’s language by adding words or phrases. If the child says “car,” you might say, “Yes, a red car is driving fast.”
◦Recast: Correct and model the child’s language without direct correction. For instance, if the child says “doll sleep,” you can say, “The doll is sleeping.”
◦Use Questions and Comments: Use open-ended questions and comments to encourage the child to use more language. For example, “What do you think will happen next?”
***This information was compiled by Tatyana Elleseff in an SLP group I am in. It’s a wonderful list and things I do in speech therapy. These are techniques for any kiddo who is struggling with language. Hope it helps someone.
