LEAP INTO LANGUAGE

Speech pathologist Liz Jackson is well aware of the benefits of early intervention. She established LEaP (Language Education at Play) 10 years ago because she noticed a gap in services for children with language delays and communication difficulties. She had worked in early intervention for years, designing activities in her own time for the children in her sessions. Parents were impressed by the way their children were responding to the materials and suggested Liz establish her own business designing and making learning resources for children with communication difficulties.
Liz was also motivated by her own experience as the mother of a child with hearing impairment. ``I understand what families go through when they have a child with a communication difficulty. They experience a lot of anxiety about whether their child will develop the skills to communicate effectively and to what extent. They also worry about what the future may hold for their child in his or her social, emotional and educational development as well as their employment prospects.''

Liz designs various activities and games which children can play to help them grasp various aspects of language such as verbs and tenses. The parents guide their children in the use of the colourful, laminated materials, prompted by written suggestions. ``Families are more than capable of helping their children at home if given the appropriate strategies,'' Liz says. ``The most effective strategies are those that families can use at home as part of their daily routine. I have observed first hand the difference it makes to a family when their child is able to communicate more effectively. I share their delight.''

LEaP is an affordable option for those who cannot access a speech pathologist. It can also be used to supplement home learning for those who are having speech therapy. ``It is crucial to make the most of the early months and years of a child's learning to minimise the possible emotional, social and educational problems children can experience because of their communication difficulties,'' Liz says. ``We make the most of every child's potential so they can interact effectively.'' Liz says children experience language delays and communication difficulties for a variety of reasons. ``Often the cause is unknown, but in some cases it is related to hearing impairment or some other condition. I suggest that if a parent feels any degree of concern regarding the way their child is developing, they follow their gut instinct and seek professional advice.''

LEaP's resources are used by speech pathologists, teachers and families throughout Australia and overseas. Numerous activities have been developed to suit the different needs of children. Parents using LEaP are asked to complete a language checklist if appropriate. After assessing the checklist or discussing the issues with a parent over the phone, Liz advises them about which product/s may be suitable for their child.

FAMILY MATTERS Literacy, Development & Learning
The Age September 13, 2008

I wish to thank Liz Jackson for her development of Language Education at Play. I filled in a language checklist and sent it to Liz. The language checklist was used free of charge to assess my 3 year old son who has delayed speech development. The checklist gave Liz a better understanding of his ability to communicate. This helped Liz to advise me about appropriate resources that could be useful for his current language development.

All her books and materials are extremely well presented and easy to work with. The materials make fun games for both my son and myself. Her suggestion sheets gave me detailed information to feel confident to work independently with my son and to target different aspects of his speech.

I feel so much more confident now to be able to communicate with my son as he progresses in his language skills. Language Education at Play has eased the frustration, for both of us, of him not being able to express himself for others to understand.

I cannot thank Liz enough for her program and would encourage any parents with children who have delayed language development to contact her without hesitation.

Julie and James Hayden
August 2006

As a parent of a 4 year old boy who has suffered speech delay due to hearing loss I have found it extremely difficult to find suitable resources for him. If you walk into any toy shop with a mind to purchase games which promote good speech you are limited to simple sound lotto games which only go so far. I was particularly interested in purchasing speech 'games' which were fun for Jack and I to do together so he didn't feel that it was a chore.

When I came across Liz's website I placed an order for the things I thought would target Jacks particular speech problems the best, but this was hard to work out when you haven't seen the products. I was very pleased when Liz then contacted me after receiving the order and I gave her details of Jack's speech history. She thought some of the items I had chosen weren't suitable and cancelled my order. Liz asked me to fill out the language checklist, which I did. This gave Liz the information she needed to make suitable suggestions for Jack. I now have the products and we have just started to work through them. Jack is really enjoying the games and his six year old sister Molly, who has no speech problems, has been playing them with him as she thinks they are pretty 'cool' too! All in all I am very happy with the products and the wonderful hands-on service that Liz provided to me and I am just glad I have finally found suitable resources for my son.

Chaley
Parent of Jack
July 2006

As the mother of a speech delayed child I am so excited to have discovered Language Education at Play. My daughter Lucy, who is almost six years old, has a significant language delay, particularly in her receptive/expressive language. She has been receiving speech therapy for nearly three years and we have been advised that this may be an ongoing concern.

For the past six months, under the direction of a speech pathologist, I have been doing much of Lucy's speech therapy myself. I have struggled to keep it interesting and to hold her attention and I began to doubt that we were making any headway at all. This has changed since I purchased some of the Language Education at Play activities.

From the moment they were delivered to our house they caused great excitement. Lucy begged me to cut out the pieces for the barrier game and as soon as we started using it I knew it was a winner! The colours grab the kid's attention (even my two year old wants to do it with me), but what really struck me was how easy it was to pinpoint exactly where Lucy's problem areas are and give special focus to those. The Language Education at Play activities have also given me renewed energy towards working on Lucy's language/ speech problems. We both enjoy it now, as opposed to it being a chore that we have to do.

Liz Jackson is a very clever woman for recognising that there is a big need for this product and for presenting it in such an attractive, fun package for children and adults. I have no hesitation in recommending the Language Education at Play activities to other parents.

Antonia Scales
Parent of Lucy
23/9/2003

Liz has cleverly and creatively designed the materials so that many of them form a scaffold between the use of three-dimensional objects and two-dimensional pictures eg. doors can be opened for things to be put inside, cars and boats have slits so that people can be put in them.

In addition to general advice relevant for parents/aides on how to use the materials, each activity comes with suggestions for specific language goals. I have found the materials also lend themselves easily to adaptation using pictures of people or things from the child/student's own environment. Most importantly the materials have been seen as fun, particularly because of their colour format and their interactive nature.

I have been using LEAP resources for the last 12 months in my work with pre-school children with a range of communication difficulties. The barrier games have been extremely useful in referential communication activities. The children enjoy the motivating themes and have made great gains in their ability to use more specific and effective communication to meet the listener's needs. They have also improved their knowledge and use of concepts. They have become an invaluable resource tool for programming and intervention.

I am sure that many parents will have spent long hours searching, cutting out and pasting onto card or into homework books! The great joy of these resources is that the pictures are all ready to use and correspond exactly with the suggestion sheet. This presents as being enormously helpful for both the busy parent and the class teacher.

The materials are laminated and printed in colour in order to maximise durability and appeal. They are also coupled with a suggestion sheet, which gives great ideas for the use of particular cards. The suggestions are clearly stated with care being taken to make the most of the materials. Several suggestions are made for each activity. As part of the suggestion sheet, LEAP has taken care to include sentences which could be modelled as part of the activity e.g. "I use a saucepan when I'm cooking". In this way every care is taken by LEAP to make full use of the picture cards as a most effective teaching strategy.

It is particularly important to note that all of the activities and games are interactive in order to motivate and stimulate the child.

There is a delightful emphasis on talking with the child rather than at the child, with an outline of positive language strategies which can be used to prompt and encourage 'two way' conversation e.g. questioning, summarizing, asking for information.

This kit is certainly recommended. It presents as a most attractive and enormously helpful resource for both parents and teachers who are working with a child with a language impairment.