Expanding

Definition: repeating the childs play, vocalizations, or gestures and add

new information

Word Expansions: correcting the utterance by fixing the ending or correcting the
word.
o Example: you child brings you his/her favorite car. And says to you
Mommy ca as he hands it to you. You should proceed and say yes that is
a car

Play expansions: adding new sounds or movements during play
o Example:as your child is racing there car down the track you can add
environmental noises as well as little encouraging statements.
o Environmental noises: vroom, crash, beep beep
o Encouraging statements:
Look at that car go. Go car go

Expanding gestures: adding a corrective gesture to a childs approximation
o Example: your child brings his hand to his mouth and taps four fingers on
his lips, you know that this is a sign for water, so the you should say yes,
water and proceed with the correct sign

Colleen Douglas 2017
Adapted from Scherer, N.J., Kaiser, A.

Parent training to support childrens
speech and language development