Importance of Language Development:
- Language is the foundation for all social interactions and gives
kids access to explore and learn about their world!
- Delayed language development can cause frustration for you
Enhanced
and your child.
- Language is important for supporting your child’s brain and
cognitive development.
- Kids learn language best through fun & engaging play
activities!
Milieu Teaching What is EMT?
- A natural approach to intervention that uses a child’s interests
and interactions as opportunities to model and prompt for
language production.
- The EMT language strategies can help parents encourage their
children’s language growth through play & daily routines!
Who will EMT strategies benefit?
Any child who has a language delay or a social-
emotional delay. The strategies will encourage
communication and engagement with children who have
difficulty in these areas.
Who can use EMT strategies?
Any familiar adult who interacts in the child’s naturally
occurring play and routines, and who wants to learn about
EMT!
Where can EMT strategies be used?
Any natural environment (home, relative’s house,
playground, child care centers) that the child has contact
with.
When can you implement EMT strategies?
During playtime, bath time, mealtime, or any other
usual routine that your family participates in!
EMT Strategies:
- Setting up the Environment to create opportunities for communication.
Try placing items out of reach to encourage requesting, and set out
items that you know will keep the child engaged.
- Be Responsive. Make sure to notice and respond to your child’s
attempts at communication, no matter how small. If your child makes a
simple sound respond by imitating it or making a new sound.
- Model and Expand play and communication. Provide models for new
actions and ideas during usual play, and give additional, age
appropriate detail to your child’s words.
- Use Time-Delay strategies to encourage communication. Instead of
immediately giving a child your attention or an object they want, pause
for a moment longer to give the chance for them to express what they
want through gestures or words.
- Milieu Teaching: Prompt and Model for communication. Give an
example of what you want the child to say during an activity. When
the child requests using a whine, give prompts such as saying the label
and waiting for the child to imitate your verbal request.
Implementing EMT in Natural Environments
Strategy Use
Try using strategies within your family’s already existing activities and routines, such as playtime, mealtime, or bath time!
- Use your environment to promote more talk during playtime by placing a favorite toy in sight of your child but
out of reach, such as on a shelf. This will encourage them to request for the toy. During mealtime, intentionally
“forget” to give your child a drink. See if they use language to let you know what they want!
- Being responsive to your child when they use language, even in very small ways, can show your child that they
can gain your attention through communication. During playtime notice your child’s sound effects and imitate them
or make your own! This will show your child you are attending to them and will motivate more talk!
- During bath time, model and expand your child’s language by
narrating their actions. If your child is splashing in the water,
model “Splash, Splash! Big waves!” When your child says
“Boat,” respond with “Boat in water. It’s going fast!”
- During snack time use time-delay strategies when your child is
reaching for the cabinet. Instead of immediately giving your
child a snack, pause for 3-5 seconds to give them a chance to
use their words.
- Milieu Teaching strategies, such as modeling and prompting for talk can be used during play time. When
playing with a pretend kitchen, model the appropriate language. “I can cut the bread.” “Mmm, eat
apple.” When your child takes a turn prompt them to imitate. “say, eat apple!” or “Eat a-a-a, what are
you eating?”
Adaptations
Not all communication has to be expressed through spoken word. Some children communicate through gestures, eye contact, sounds, or
communication devices.
- If your child communicates with gestures, try modeling and expanding to show
your child a more specific gesture. When your child reaches for an object, model
a point.
- If your child uses a communication device make sure you are using the
environmental arrangement strategy to ensure that they have easy access to
use the device.
- You can also model the use of the device, and then prompt for the child’s use by
pointing to what icon they can touch to communicate their message.
Resources
The following are resources that provide additional information on Enhanced Milieu Teaching strategies and how to effectively use them
in natural environments:
Video: Enhanced Milieu Teaching. [Link]
Video: Enhanced Milieu Teaching Definitions and Examples. [Link]
Parent Training to Support Children’s Speech and Language Development.
[Link]
Teaching Communication in Natural Environments: Supporting Parents and Peers as Partners.
[Link]
References
Enhanced Milieu Teaching, Kid Talk. Retrieved from [Link]
Services/Documents/IDEAS%202015%20Handouts/2015%20Handouts/Enhanced%20Milieu%[Link]
Hancock, T., Kaiser, A. (2002). The Effects of Trainer-Implemented Enhanced Milieu Teaching on the Social Communication of Children
with Autism, Topics in Early Childhood Special Education.
