Speech Delay: Baby Babble DVDs

I have been meaning to post about these DVDs by Talking Child for some time now. Soon after Kate was first diagnosed with a speech delay, I was all over the Internet, searching for as much info as possible. I also was searching for tools, toys, videos, exercises, etc.--anything that could encourage her speech development and possibly help her to progress. I read about several different DVDs out there, and I decided I would give Baby Babble a try.

These videos were created by speech pathologists, which was a big plus in my book. I first ordered Baby Babble, the original DVD that the speech pathologists produced. Now, I will be honest. When DH and I first watched it with Kate, we kind of laughed. As you will see, it is not the most high-tech production ever made. It is a little comical, even. BUT ... Kate really liked it. If I remember correctly, we had to watch it a time or two before she really caught on. But she soon really, really enjoyed the DVD. So I ordered the second one.

I was especially interested in the second DVD because its emphasis is on the sounds of P, B and M. And "mmmmm"--which is apparently one of the first sounds that children make--was not a sound that Kate produced. I remember even when she was really young (around 1 year or even younger), she would not make the "mmmmmm" sound. When I would go, "mmmmmm" to her (like at mealtimes, etc.), she would make the "nnnnn" sound back. I will have to write more on this topic later. But the emphasis on the "M" sound was one reason I went ahead and bought the second DVD. And I wasn't sorry. It is great, and Kate loved it as well.

I highly recommend these DVDs. But I also recommend using them in conjunction with professional speech therapy. Additionally, I recommend watching them with your child and imitating the activities, sounds, etc., that the speech pathologists and children are doing in the videos. It was very helpful for us--yes, a little boring, maybe, for an adult ... but very helpful. In fact, sometimes Kate will still ask to watch these DVDs. It's amazing to me--and I am so thankful for this--because she can now ask for them by name ("Babble").

P.S. Be sure to check out the Baby Babble DVDs on Amazon and read the reviews there, too.