The most precious things in speech are the pauses ~Sir Ralph Richardson
I share this quote today to remind us to remember the pauses when having a conversation. This is especially important when talking with a child or an adult with speech difficulty. So many times we "self-talk" in an attempt to fill in the space when communicating with someone with a speech impairment but, more often than not, that pause is what they need to take their turn in the conversation. The silence may be just the opportunity they are waiting for in terms of attempting to speak. It is also important to remember that their turn is not limited to words - watch for facial movements, gestures, and body language and acknowledge the meaning within the exchange. Something as simple as an eye gaze towards a photograph or picture can speak volumes if we respect the pauses and take time to listen.
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