PARENTING TIP
Is Your Smartphone Affecting
Your Toddler’s Speech?
by Cynthia Wilson James
I
f you frequently use your mobile phone or
tablet to occupy your toddler’s time, you’re
not going to like the latest research find-
ing.
At the annual Pediatric Academic Soci-
eties Meeting in San Francisco on May 6,
the group presented research that the more
time toddlers spend playing with smart-
phones, tablets and other handheld screens,
the more likely they are to begin talking
later or “are at a higher risk for speech
delay.”
According to Science News, the
research team used information from nearly
900 children’s 18-month checkups. Parents
answered a questionnaire about their child’s
mobile media use and then filled out a
checklist designed to identify heightened
risk of speech problems.
Catherine Birken, who is co-author of
the study and a pediatrician at The Hospital
for Sick Children in Toronto, pointed out
the checklist is a screening tool that picks
up potential signs of trouble and doesn’t
offer a diagnosis of a language delay.
Birken see the need for further study
since the current study only looked at time
spent with handheld screens. She said future
studies could investigate whether parents
watching along with a child and the type of
22 HimPower June 2017
content or even time of day might change
the calculation.
Meanwhile, Carrie Clark of Speech and
Language Kids, a resource for speech-lan-
guage therapists, suggest turning off the
smartphone and doing one of the following
activities with your toddler:
• Talk with your child. If your child is
only giving you one-word responses,
try asking more specific questions (like
“who did you eat lunch with”) instead
of open-ended questions (like “how was
your day?”).
• Sing songs
• Read a book
• Play with your child’s favorite toy
• Color a picture
• Make a craft project
• Play in the yard
Most experts agree the consequences
of toddlers playing with smartphones,
tablets and other handheld screens will not
be known for years to come. However, I
do know that even toddlers appreciate and
recognize the difference between a loving
and caring adult and a lifeless device!
Cynthia Wilson James is the founder of
InSeason Mom Blog.