If you’re a parent who’s concerned about your child’s language development, or you’re a professional who supports families of children with language delays/disorders, the It Takes Two to Talk® guidebook can help. 

This practical guide from the It Takes Two to Talk parent program shows parents how they can use research-based techniques during everyday interactions with their child in order to promote their child’s language development. The guidebook is based on research that shows that:

• Children learn language best during enjoyable, everyday interactions with the important people in their lives. 
• Parents are their child's most important language teachers – when parents learn how to use specific interaction strategies during everyday interactions with their child, their child’s language improves. 
• The earlier children with language delays receive support, the more their language skills will benefit. 

By using It Takes Two to Talk, parents turn everyday interactions and routines – bath-time, play time, grocery shopping – into rich opportunities to build their child’s language while connecting and having fun together.  When used as a key component of a child’s early language intervention, It Takes Two to Talk transforms the intervention into a natural, ongoing process with greater impact for the child and the whole family. 

It Takes Two to Talk helps parents:

• Recognize their child’s stage and style of communication.
• Identify what motivates their child to interact with them so they’ll know how to get conversations started.
• Adjust everyday routines to encourage their child to take turns and keep interactions going.
• Follow their child’s lead to build the child’s confidence and encourage them to communicate.
• Fine-tune the way they talk to help the child understand the world around them and learn how to express themselves. 
• Tweak the way they play and read books with their child to help them learn language.
  
  

• Checklists and goal charts to identify the child’s stage of communication and choose appropriate goals.
• Clear, research-based strategies for building communication into everyday life, from routines like mealtime and bath time to activities like playtime, book sharing and singing songs together. 
• Guidance for facilitating language at four different communication stages. 
• Illustrated examples of parents using the strategies during everyday interactions.