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Expert Q&A:
How can I give my 16-month-old triplets the language stimulation they need?

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Suzanne Dixon
Answered by Suzanne Dixon M.D., M.P.H.
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"There is nothing so amazing as the development of a child," says Suzanne Dixon, M.D., a behavioral and developmental pediatrician who was one of the founding members of the Pampers Parenting Network. "Every day is a new adventure when you have a child around you. I never get tired of learning from the children who have been a part of my life, professionally and personally."Suzanne Dixon, M.D., M.P.H., was born and raised in Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota, School of Medicine. She did her pediatric training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and then completed a fellowship in Child Development at Boston's Children's Hospital. Dr. Dixon joined the faculty at the University of California, San Diego, and did patient care, teaching, and research for 20 years. She ran a large newborn service, performed research in early child development, and was involved in many community outreach activities in maternal child health. Throughout her entire professional life she has maintained an interest in cross-cultural activities, living and working in many parts of the world, including Mexico, India, Kenya, Indonesia, and several countries from the former U.S.S.R. Dr. Dixon is the author of numerous research articles, review articles, and textbook chapters in pediatrics, child and family development, and public health. Her textbook, written with Dr. Martin Stein, Encounters With Children: Pediatric Behavior and Development, has become a classic in child health education and is in its fourth edition. She is Editor in Chief of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, an international journal of high standing in the professional world. She also has served as an associate editor for Infant Mental Health and currently reviews for several major pediatric journals. Dr. Dixon is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and served in national positions in that organization. She is a member of the Society for Pediatric Research, the Society for Research in Child Development, the American Public Health Association, and the Executive Council of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. She serves as consultant to several national and international organizations and has received an award from Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies.Dr. Dixon continues to lecture and consult worldwide on aspects of maternal, child, and family health. She practices behavioral and developmental pediatrics in Montana and works with local advocacy groups on education and women''s health. Dr. Dixon has been married for over 30 years and has three sons. She and her husband travel frequently, are outdoor enthusiasts, and enjoy being amateur anthropologists.
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Question


We have 16-month-old triplets and I want to make sure that we do not overlook their language development. We have a 5-year-old who talked very early. It is different with the triplets, as I am not with each one of them as much talking to them. Any tips how to make sure that they get the necessary language stimulation? I have also heard that multiples develop their own language. They do seem to use a kind of sign language and sounds to each other.

Answer


You have your hands full keeping up with three toddlers! There is no way that they will have the same life experience as your firstborn, including the kind of language input they get from you. But that doesn't mean it won't be as rich a life experience, just a different one. To some extent, their language reflects birth order: Later-born children do talk a little later than the firstborn. Also, multiples do communicate with each other in special verbal and non-verbal ways. They are learning the fundamentals of communication with each other as well as with their parents and older sibling. This richness balances what they each get from you directly.Be sure you do talk to and ask questions of each of them each day. Respond to each child's attempts at communication whether they're clear or not. Play lots of verbal games and rhymes. And look most closely at their receptive language, what they understand, as that is a better marker than what they say at this age. Adjust your expectations for the amount of their prematurity and check out this site for those milestones. If you have any concerns, bring them to their health care provider.
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