Join pediatric speech-language pathologist Laura Mize, M.S., CCC-SLP as she continues her podcast series discussing prelinguistic skills all toddlers master before words emerge. This show reviews the 8th prelinguistic skill... vocalizes purposefully. This milestone means that a child understands that he alone can control his own little voice. When I talk about this with parents, I describe this process as becoming “noisy.” All children, whether they talk on time or late, must progress through a phase of vocal play and experimentation so that they gain practice using their voices. Children may be quiet for a variety of purposes. Regardless of the specific etiology, parents should understand that all talking begins with the ability to volitionally produce sound. SLPs should provide parents an explanation of basic speech sound production, including simplified versions of the neurological processes that occur when we vocalize and generate language. Listen to the show for strategies to facilitate more consistent vocalizations in nonverbal toddlers. Therapists... get 1 hour of CE credit for this show for only $5. Details at teachmetotalk.com.