Wellspring ofWISDOM By: Kaila Weingarten, MS Ed
Wellspring Early Intervention Service Coordinator
WHAT’S LANGUAGE TO A TOT? As my two-year-old turns three, and my one-year-old turns two (no rest for the weary, huh?), I ponder at the amazing growth year two brings. From a barely talking, frustrated toddler, my oldest daughter has grown into a child who is ready for school. What a change! What a whirlwind! From learning myriad self-help skills and making sense of the world around her, she’s become quite the big sister. But I won’t say it was an easy year for Mommy. “Terrible Twos” is often used to describe parents’ frustration with their children’s temper tantrums and mood swings. Whether or not a child has special needs, this period of time can be challenging. Let’s understand this unique period of growth.
THE VIEW OF A TWO-YEAR-OLD Being two is hard. Children acquire new words and learn that with language comes power. Just watch my toddler say “NO!” With this excitement over the ability to communicate, there is also realization that it is restricted. Toddlers have limited verbal ability which leads to feelings of discontent. Children who are two are also learning new self-help skills, leading to increased independence, but then they are upset that most tasks still cannot be completed alone. Both my children resorted to grabbing and fighting as they learned to talk, frustrated that they couldn’t quite
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express their needs. For children with delayed language, feelings of exasperation are usually even stronger, and can intensify if not treated. Overall, children who are two have some ability, some independence, but, in the end, are relatively powerless. That’s a very frustrating situation.
THE VIEW OF A PROFESSIONAL There is astonishing development occurring between 24 and 36 months, especially in the language area. For children who are delayed in speech, there is often significant change in language ability during this year. With all of this growth, mood swings and temper tantrums are typical during this time period. Two-year-olds undergo major motor, intellectual, social, and emotional changes. Their vocabularies are growing, they’re eager to do things on their own, and they’re beginning to discover that they’re expected to follow certain rules. At its very root, a temper tantrum is your toddler’s inability to communicate his needs and wants. At age two, their understanding of the world that’s surrounding them surpasses their verbal ability to convey their desires or complete a task through imitation that he or she perceives as achievable. Thankfully, their motor and verbal skills will most likely catch up by the time they are three to four years old, significantly reducing the symptoms of the