Barbara Levine Offenbacher has written a must-read for parents of children with suspected or confirmed language delay, with special focus on moderately severe communication disorder such as autism, PDD, and auditory processing delay. An eminently readable book for the layman, it is filled with helpful hints, advice, and many easy pragmatic, day to day strategies parents can employ to further language skills in a normal or language delayed child. Highly recommended! -- Edward J. Gindi, attending in the Department of Pediatrics, New York University Medical Center A useful primer for parents who are concerned about their child's language development; helpful suggestions for creating activities and language models for the enhancement of language acquisition. -- Harriet B. Klein, New York University First Words: A Parents Step-by-Step Guide to Helping a Child with Speech and Language Delays is a practical, insightful, easy to read, step by step guide for parents to develop strategies to stimulate speech, language, socialization and social language and explore ways to speak to their child. Written in a clear, down to earth, relevant style, Barbara Levine Offenbachers years of clinical experience shine through this helpful guide. Parents will want to have a copy to help them become more knowledgeable and effective. -- Roberta Chapey, Brooklyn College, CUNY Speech and language therapy does not just take place in a therapists office. Parents are desperate to learn how to help their child with a language delay every minute of the day. With Offenbachers book, parents finally have the tools and strategies to become partners in the language therapy process. -- Cecelia McCarton, executive director of the McCarton Center for Developmental Pediatrics and the McCarton School for Autism