Has your child been diagnosed with developmental verbal apraxia? If so, your child will likely need lots of verbal practice. However, I want to caution you. Sometimes, when children have severe speech and language problems, we become so focused on getting them to practice certain speech sounds that we forget about just having incredible VOCAL FUN! Verbalizing is hard work for children, so our job as parents, therapists, and teachers is to find ways to make the practice less of a chore and more of a sheer delight that will provide confidence in kids and empower them to initiate practice on their own. That seems so simple in theory but may be difficult to put into practice. Here are some of our thoughts and suggestions. Please know that we do not know your child, and we do not know the specifics of what will help your child learn. We can only give you some generalities and some ideas that have worked with the other children and families with whom we have worked.

There are many ways to create a joy for vocalizing, but one excellent tool for some children is MUSIC. Of course, Kids’ Express Train songs are one tool we find helpful because some were written for children with developmental apraxia. However, our songs are not the only music we would choose or use…

1. Sing your own songs throughout the day.
More than anything, we encourage you to make a song out of every moment. We believe that “Every moment is a note, every situation is a song, and every person is a player.” When you go to the park, drive in the car, go to the store, tuck your child in at night, eat together, etc., sing about what you are doing. Sing at the level your child can understand and handle verbally. When a child is actively involved in music, it activates his/her whole brain. You will do nothing but good things for a child if you present things musically.
2. Now, a little more about VOCAL FUN.
When is your child the most vocal? Is it while you are in the park, playing rough-and-tumble games, swinging in a swing? Watch carefully and wonder about how to keep that vocalizing going. Wherever or whenever it is, participate in the game with your child, imitate him/her and occasionally make other sounds that your child does not say. Do not expect any imitation. Just enjoy the moment and the interaction. Take advantage of times when you can laugh and squeal with delight together. Keep doing it. It can be contagious, and it is during those times that you can create the model of the sounds that your child needs to practice.
3. When you sing songs, sing them in a manner that is within your child’s verbal ability.
You may want to just hum or sing vowel sounds with a classical piece like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons or Handel’s Water Music, maybe some of Enya’s easy listening music, or some Kids’ Express Train songs that encourage vowel imitation such as Go In My Car (Imitation Station) or the Monkey Song (Imitation Station). Make it look enjoyable and enticing.
4. Make noises!
Your child may need to watch you singing noises like sneezing, coughing, and kissing as modeled in Noisy, Noisy, Noisy (Imitation Station), Animal sound noises in Puppy, Puppy, Puppy and Animals (Imitation Station), or Yee Haw (Vocalocomotion) may be what your child needs to practice to find success.
5. Be a rock star!
If your child is able to produce some simple consonant-vowel sounds such as mama, dada, or baba, you may want to lose yourself in singing some Beach Boy songs, pretending you are the background singer. Those songs are filled with vowels and consonant-vowel structures. We, at Kids’ Express Train, have used this concept of consonant-vowel practice and have packed our CDs with them. Some examples are The New BMW and Tongue Tip Time (Vocalocomotion), and I Dressed Myself (Conversation Station).
6. And another step….
If your child is able to produce some single words, then practicing a variety of words and a variety of sounds is excellent. Throughout our songs, we have single word imitation. Furthermore, we also take those words and sing them in groups of three - much like many of the old rock and roll songs. You can use our songs or find other songs that have a lot of single word repetition. Occasionally say “your turn” to your child and smile as he/she makes any attempt - even if it is simply a smile. Keep persisting with taking turns. You could even share a microphone (use anything that resembles a microphone) as you sing single words, saying “your turn” and giving your child the “microphone”.
7. Seek a pro
Finally, seek out a speech pathologist who can give you specific suggestions on what sounds to emphasize and how to create the joy of imitating and the success of vocal practice. Be active in the therapy process. When you know what works and what doesn’t work for your child, you will be able to carry over the same ideas during the routines of your regular day. You are a vital member of your child’s “speech team”.