My little guy still sounds like a caveman.

I was wondering if it is good to copy their sounds, or if it's better to say the word that they may be trying to say (hard to tell if he's actually trying a word sometimes)?

Sometimes he'll be play talking and say his jabber with enfaces on some sounds. Sometimes we copy him for fun and he seems to really enjoy it. but I'm wondering if this hinders him from trying the "real" word.

for example: I know he's trying to say "Hello" while pretending with his phone, but instead he says a 2 syllable "eh-ah" sound. Would it be better for me to say "Hello" when I'm playing along?

And does this effect his speech at all if I don't do it right? I don't want to be detrimental. I mean with Emilia I did nothing special, played with her the same way I do Eric, and she was a speech wiz, who by his age was talking short sentences.

Just wondering if I should change anything I'm doing and really if there is actually a need for a change. I always figured he'll talk when he's ready no matter what I/we did to help him, but now I guess I'm second guessing my whole theory.

Oh, and for fun, you have to see the podcast Eric made!
http://web.mac.com/minniepott/iWeb/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html

Thanks

A friend of mine is a speech therapist and she says that if you want there speech to improve you should say the real word. With Cooper I used to copy his words cause they were too cute, but taking her advice saw his speech become a lot clearer quite fast.

The other thing she suggested was lengthening sentances. Like he may say truck you say yes that s a red truck. Worked good for us.

it is probably best to say the real words ... the more he hears them the more he will want to say and try to say them correctly. with Eliana we say the real words more and more each day. just recently she began saying bye bye, baby, ball and mama CLEAR as day too :-)

Minnie, You can do both. You can repeatthe sound he makes and then go Hello back tohim. That way he is still learning. This is what the St has told us wha tto do with Hobbes. Itis working with him. Hope this helps.

Minnie...that was way too cute!!

I would definately say the "proper" word...I think by doing that teaches him the right way to say it and will also help in the development of his speech...

When Andrew does this sound for something to drink, I always repeat "Milk" to him...

I agree with Shannon. It's important to mimic the sounds he's making, but even more important to say the word correctly so that he hears how it should sound.

Thanks a lot ladies.
I feel better about what I have been doing.

He's just so different from Emilia. She would make eye contact (Eric rarely ever does), then watch our mouths, and try so hard to get the words she wanted to say right. Eric doesn't really show any interest in perfecting his words, but he loves to be copied, and I notice when I mimic him he keeps going and keeps interested in whatever we are doing, and we can hold a nonsense conversation together. Usually when we copy him it's not a word, or at least we don't know that it's a word, but there are certain sounds he makes as he points to things and we call it like it is regardless of what he said. So, I think I'm doing it right.

2 more months and they are going to evaluate him again, and his speech really hasn't changed since the last time (just before the year mark). Except his pretend talking is more realistic, with inflections and all. Oh, and he says yes "ya" and nods his head up and down to every question. That's a new one