Sally Ward: Baby Talk

When I began to suspect that my first child had a speech delay, we were placed on a waiting list for services. During this wait, a friend of a friend recommended Sally Ward's Baby Talk, which I purchased and read from cover to cover immediately.

   

Coming from a background where developmental issues were not regarded as serious enough to require intervention - ie ‘just wait and see, he’ll be right’ - and where play was for children, not adults, this book convinced me that speech and language a) was critical, b) could be taught, c) was best taught in play, and d) required specific teaching strategies to maximise learning.

The book is divided into age groups (dividing each year of age into four quarters). Each age section contains information on language development at this age, general development, attention and listening, play, and age-appropriate toys are listed. Each section also discusses causes for concern.

The book also details the BabyTalk Program for each age group, in which the parent/caregiver creates a 30 minute timeslot each day to focus on play and speech alone with their child. This program was described in such detail that I felt confident in starting it with no previous knowledge in this field, and without professional support.

The book is NOT a viable alternative to professional speech therapy; but there are a lot of circumstances when a child is unable to start or continue therapy immediately, and for these situations, this book is extremely helpful.