It can be very difficult, or impossible, for children with sight loss to pick up on mouth movements and facial expressions. They might also struggle to connect words to particular objects.
So how can parents support their speech and language from a young age?
We spoke to speech and language therapist Ruth Crampton for some top tips…
Ruth: If your child has a sight impairment, they may not be able to see your mouth movements clearly enough to copy from them and they may not pick up on your facial expressions or gestures such as pointing.
Ruth: And as they get older, they may struggle to connect words to objects when they can't see as clearly as other children.
Ruth: In your day-to-day chats with your child, try naming objects each time your child uses them. It's in a plate. This can really help your child to become familiar with the words and make meaningful associations with their everyday objects.
Mum: We are cutting our banana with our knife. Our knife! Good boy, well done!
Ruth: Use your child's other senses to help their language learning. Try naming the sounds your child is hearing around them.
Mum: Can you hear the kettle? Is it getting louder? Mummy just put the washing machine on and it's going round and round.
Ruth: This is a simple way to help your child make connections between everyday sounds and words without needing to see the objects.
Ruth: Try using sensory play to help your child make connections between what they are touching and the words you're saying. Encourage them to touch the objects you're talking about.
Mum: Does it feel fluffy? A banana! Slimy! You're going to squish it to find the slime.
Child: Squishy!
Mum: Squishy!
Ruth: There are lots of fun nursery rhymes with playful actions that are great for discovering new words. You can use hands over hands or touch to show them what to do.
Point to the ceiling, point to the floor, point to the window, point to the door.
Ruth: Have fun with your child and they will build their speech and language skills without even realising it.
Name things as you go
Name objects, like cutlery and toys, as your child uses them throughout the day, Ruth says. This will help them make meaningful associations with the everyday objects around them.
Name the sounds around you
Make the most of your child's other senses using sensory play.
You could engage their listening skills by talking about the sounds you hear around them - perhaps a kettle boiling, or a bird singing.
"For parents, they have to be the eyes of their children."
Talk about textures
Talking about the different textures of objects - food is a great example - can help your child make connections between what they're touching and the words you're saying.
Sing songs with actions
There are so many great nursery rhymes with actions to sing together.
You can help your child learn the actions by touch, or by holding your hands over theirs.
