Josiah is three years old and has a diagnosed disability in expressive language. He lives at home with his dad and paternal grandparents. Josiah’s father and grandfather work full-time. Josiah’s dad tries to play with him when he gets home from work, but reports that Josiah spends 3-4 hours a day watching TV or playing alone with the iPad. He does like to go to the park to play with his dad and is just learning how to kick a soccer ball. Josiah usually points to things that he wants or needs, although he is learning to use sign language. His speech/language pathologist has recommended that Josiah have opportunities to engage with other children and that his teachers find reasons for him to use words to express what he wants. In school, you can frequently find Josiah in the block corner where he builds forts and fences for farm animals. He also spends quite a bit of time in the art area, painting or coloring with markers. During large group activities, he is generally quiet and does not participate in songs or answer questions that the teacher asks.
Discuss the following with your peers:
Use NCFELD early learning guidelines/standards to see how Josiah’s skill levels compare to other three-year-olds.
Identify home and classroom experiences that might be used to support Josiah’s expressive language development within daily routines.