This module provides a programme of activities and advice designed to assist the development of speech and language skills for children with Down syndrome from birth to five years. The advice and activities are based on knowledge of the processes affecting speech and language development in typically developing children, the identified difficulties of children with Down syndrome and current research findings from studies evaluating effective remedial strategies. It also includes checklists for evaluating and recording children's development of interactive communication skills, speech sounds, vocabulary, sentences and grammar. The programme will enable parents, teachers and therapists to help children with Down syndrome to learn to talk, to talk in sentences, and to develop their speech clarity and conversational skills. It starts with activities to develop the foundation skills in infancy that lead on to talking, including the use of gesture and sign to support comprehension, and with an emphasis on speech sound work from infancy. Building a spoken vocabulary to 400 words by 5 years of age is seen as a priority, in order to develop grammar and phonology, and a recommended vocabulary programme with record sheets is included. The ways in which reading activities should be used to support all aspects of speech and language learning during preschool years are mentioned but the detailed advice on teaching early reading is in the reading module. This module follows on from Speech and language development for individuals with Down syndrome - An overview [DSii-03-01] which should be read first, to provide the reader with an adequate understanding of speech and language development to be successful in using this programme.

Table of Contents:
Contents Introduction The skills and knowledge needed for talking The principles of the programme Improving everyday communication Targeting the specific profile of needs Working on speech, language and communication skills in parallel Recording progress and planning The DownsEd checklists Interactive communication Developing early communication skills - some hints for parents and carers of babies Games to encourage attention - listening and looking Joint attention - looking and listening together Developing intentional communication Signing Conversational skills Speech Speech sounds Teaching vocabulary Choosing vocabulary to teach Games for vocabulary learning Teaching first words Two words Three words together Grammar needs to be taught Syntax and grammar Overview Speech and language therapy References