Practise Identifying the Four Stages of Communication in It Takes Two to Talk^®

Using the information about the four Stages of Communication in It Takes Two to Talk^®, determine the stage of communication for each child below.

Complete the quizzes for each case example and submit your answers to see if you got it right and to get more tips for applying your knowledge.

Case #1: Wesley

Case #2: Laya

Case #1: Wesley

Wesley is 2 years, 3 months old and lives with his mother and grandmother. The family only speaks English at home. He attends daycare two days a week. No remarkable birth or medical history. Wesley’s mother worries that he is, “not talking” like other kids at his daycare, but adds he, “understands a lot.”

Wesley’s mother reports:

• Wesley understands body parts, animals, foods, and familiar people
• Wesley makes sounds on some turns and will say, “yum yum” when someone says it first
• Wesley points to things he wants
• Wesley will make sounds and push away things he doesn’t want
• If he sees a dog across the street, Wesley will point to it

You observed Wesley and his mother in different activities and routines, and you noted:

• Wesley checked his mother’s reactions when a toy did something unusual by looking from her to the toy and back
• Wesley imitated his mother when she waved to characters in a book, and he waved to other characters on the next page
• Wesley used the “shh” gesture when he put toy farm animals to sleep
• During snack time, Wesley pointed to blueberries and said, “Bah, bah, bah!” to request more

Case #2: Laya

Laya is 18 months old and lives with her parents. The family speaks Tamil and English at home. Her parents balance their work schedules to be home with Laya full time. Laya has a diagnosis of Down Syndrome. She was born two weeks prematurely. Her parents describe Laya as, “a very happy, easy-going baby” who loves music. They are concerned she hasn’t said any words and are worried that speaking both Tamil and English might make it harder for her to learn English when she goes to school.

Laya’s parents report:

• Laya laughs and smiles often
• Laya likes it when her parents sing songs and play peek-a-boo
• Laya reaches for toys that she can see
• Laya sometimes babbles spontaneously “bababa” and “mamama”
• Last Friday, one parent said, “Boom!” and it sounded like Laya copied and said, “Boom!” too
• One parent feels the other parent “gets more out interactions” with Laya

You observed Laya and her parents interacting in several activities, and you noted:

• Laya laughed when her parents engaged her in people game routines such as singing songs or playing peek-a-boo
• Laya showed she was familiar with these routines by getting excited and laughing before the most fun parts
• Laya made sounds and moved her body when her parents interacted with her

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References

1. Weitzman, E. (2017). It Takes Two to Talk: A Practical Guide for Parents of Children with Language Delays, 5th ed. Toronto, Ontario: The Hanen Centre.