"Copy and Add" in Speech Therapy: A Powerful Technique for Expanding Communication

"Copy and Add" in Speech Therapy: A Powerful Technique for Expanding Communication

Have a child who uses a lot of single words but is struggling to get to the two word combination stage? Or a child who uses simple sentences? Try the “copy and add” technique! This strategy is used to expand your child’s utterances (number of words used at a time) to increase communication.

What is "Copy and Add"?

At its core, "Copy and Add" is a technique where the therapist (or caregiver) repeats what the client has said and then expands upon it by adding one or more words to make the sentence more complex. This helps build the individual’s understanding of language structure and encourages them to use more varied and sophisticated language.

For example:

  • If a child says, “Dog,” the therapist or caregiver might respond, “big dog.”
  • If the child says, “I go,” the therapist or caregiver might say, “You are going to the park.”

The key idea behind this technique is to model correct language while simultaneously encouraging the child to add more to their original utterance. This approach helps individuals gradually learn how to create more complex sentences, build vocabulary, and understand grammatical structures—without overwhelming them.

How "Copy and Add" Works in Practice

“Copy and Add” is all about scaffolding the child’s language skills by gently expanding on what they already know. Here’s how it works in different contexts:

1. Building Vocabulary

When a child uses a single word to communicate, the therapist can add adjectives, verbs, or other descriptive words to expand the utterance. For example:

  • Child: “Car.”
  • Therapist: “Red car!” This not only models new vocabulary but also teaches the child how different words work together to form a more complete idea.

2. Increasing Sentence Length

The "Copy and Add" technique is also a great way to increase the length of a child’s sentences, by modeling a more complex sentence that build’s on a topic they are already attending to. For instance:

  • Child: “I eat.”
  • Therapist: “I eat pizza.”
  • Child: “I eat pizza.”
  • Therapist: “I eat pizza at the table”

Through this process, the child starts to understand how sentences are built and how they can add details to convey more information.

3. Promoting Grammar and Syntax

By adding words to the child’s utterances, the therapist naturally introduces grammatical structures like subject-verb agreement, prepositions, articles, and plurals. For example:

  • Child: “She walk”
  • Therapist: “She is walking.” In this case, the therapist not only models the correct verb tense but also provides the opportunity for the child to practice more accurate language production.

Why "Copy and Add" is Effective

  1. It Builds on What the Child Knows: One of the reasons "Copy and Add" is so effective is because it starts with the child’s own utterance, creating joint attention around their topic. By expanding on what they’ve said, the technique also validates their attempt to communicate, which can boost their confidence while also encouraging more sophisticated language use.
  2. It Provides a Model for Correct Language Use: Rather than directly correcting the child’s errors, "Copy and Add" offers a model of what a more complete and grammatically correct sentence looks like. This is much less frustrating than simple corrections and allows the child to learn through positive reinforcement and repetition.
  3. It Promotes Active Learning: The technique requires the child to listen closely to the expanded version of their utterance and internalize the additional vocabulary or grammar. Over time, the child learns to incorporate these new words and structures into their own speech, which supports active, independent language development.
  4. It Can Be Tailored to the Individual: This technique is incredibly flexible and can be adapted to any level of language proficiency or communication modality. You can use “copy and add” with picture symbols, gestures and sign language. 

Conclusion: Expanding Communication, One Step at a Time

The "Copy and Add" technique is a gentle, yet highly effective, method for expanding language skills. It helps individuals of all ages and abilities improve their vocabulary, sentence structure, and overall communication abilities in a natural, supportive way. By taking the time to expand on what they already know, you empower them to communicate more confidently and effectively.

 

Photo by: Matthew Henry from Burst

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