Teaching sentence structure

Nephew 1 (3.5y) had an appointment with his speechie today. Apparently he's currently at the level his 2y brother should be at - which means both of them are behind, speechwise. Nephew 1 is also being tested for Autism, but at the moment we're not sure what is communication problems and what is something else ITMS.

The main issue is that neither of them use full sentences. This is our fault, we know what they want when they use their one word demands, so we get it, rather than getting them to say the full sentence. And TBH, even when we do push it, I'm not sure how much the older one is understanding, because he just parrots. For example, I gave them each a bowl of fruit salad today, and neither of them said thank you, So I prompted them by saying 'Say thank you, boys' - the little one said thank you, and the older one said thank you boys. Parroting, not comprehending.

Any suggestions?

Model it over and over. I wouldnt' push them to repeat, it's just parroting, as you say. Just always, always talk in full sentences and repeat what they say - in full sentences - back to them.

Aim to increase their sentence length by 1 word at a time. So if they say - 'Drink' - say back to them 'Drink please'. Then 'have drink please' etc. If you know they are capable of repeating it, you can try and require them to say it but you need to judge the situation and child individually. You are best to model the 'plus one' method. If you want him to be required to say it to get something, do it with high incentive items - T.V, ice cream whatever floats his boat.

Hope that helps!


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The speech therapist should have suggestions for things that can be done at home. And MadB's advice is good - when they say 'drink', you expand on that, 'want a drink? Okay'. So they know 'want' is the word they use with 'drink'.

Our speechie linked play with sentence length - so she mostly played with him - at the start he had a rubbish truck, he picked up some rubbish, that was two steps and the most he could remember, and he was using two word sentences (occasionally, lol). She got him extending the scenario; he had the truck, he picked up bins, he drove them to the other place, he dropped them off - that's four steps and four word sentences happened around the same time he could remember those play steps. I remember being fascinated! (He did make pretty fast progress, 5-6 word sentences in half a year or so - I think confidence (as usual!) was a big factor for him.) But she had us cut 'please' because it was using up a valuable word! We had a polite child who couldn't talk, lol. Now he forgets his manners but makes his point pretty elaborately. He says 'absolutely' a lot.

I'm trying to remember what else. She wanted us to put things in sight, but out of reach so he had to ask for them. We'd suggest the language he could use, we saw his wheels turn, he'd shake his head no, I'd go to the laundry and arrive back to find 2 chairs and a stool stacked and item gone. So that was a fail for us, lol. But if she sets 'homework' like trying the words 'open' or 'want' then just look for opportunities to give #1 reasons to use them.

As the therapist works with him, it'll become evident what he understands and doesn't. Time will do this too. Also - Riv's best speech therapist was probably his motormouth younger brother who FORCES him to be social.

But I think I'd play with them, just social stories, getting them to role play and become interested in more sophisticated themes and then language sort of becomes more necessary. And mostly - ask the speech therapist what you could be doing at home. If it's someone else who goes to the therapist with the boys, get the therapist to write it down?
All the best - sometimes it's a long hard slog with baby steps, and sometimes, because development happens in order, you manage to unlock something and then they're off and racing with skills!

We are currently working on this with DD1 (3.5, 12 month delay, verbal dyspraxia). One thing we made with the help of our speechie is a game which is 3 different coloured cards to describe a photo - who (pink), action (yellow), item (green). So there might be a photo of Grandma driving a car so she has to collect the elements to describe that; the pink picture of Grandma, the yellow picture of driving and the green picture of a car then put it in the right order. Then she can practise, she has her senteces simplified to just "Grandma driving car" currently.

Not sure if this would help in your situation as my DD1 has no comprehension issues only impaired verbal ability but DD1 enjoys it as it is all photos of people she knows and she helped us make them too.

ETA: DD1's issue is trying to articulate different sounds together so that is why she has problems with sentences, she cannot flow from one mouth movement to the next, she actually uses sentences whilst signing (I want drink please etc) but thought I'd still offer the suggestion.