Why is connection so important for language development and therapy?

The power of genuine connection is pivotal for child development and every piece of early learning occurs when we interact with children face-to-face. There is so much to be gained from this sort of interaction.

A recent article published in Psychological Science explores the power of play between parent / caregiver and child and the ignition of the language centres in a child’s brain. The study conducted by Harvard University explores the power of connection through play and the correlation on a child’s neural processing capacities. This proves that how parents talk and interact with their children changes their brain and specifically their language development rate.

A great way to build connection with a child is through play, laughter, roughhousing, cuddling, and warm enthusiastic attention.

At Kidspot Speech Pathology our aim is to build connected families by placing emphasis on being playful with connection. As therapists and parents we often talk about what true connection looks like and how to create these special moments - the glee in a child's face, the sparkle / gleam in their eyes. Not to mention the benefits of this for parents and carers. 

At Kidspot, we strive to work alongside parents to guide families to create those magic moments of true connection.

By Milly Doyle, Speech Pathologist

References
Kuhl, P. (2010). Brain Mechanisms in Early Language Acquisition. Neuron, 67(5), 713-727. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.08.038

Romeo, R., Leonard, J., Robinson, S., West, M., Mackey, A., Rowe, M., & Gabrieli, J. (2018). Beyond the 30-Million-Word Gap: Children’s Conversational Exposure Is Associated With Language-Related Brain Function. Psychological Science, 29(5), 700-710. doi: 10.1177/0956797617742725