Communication isn't just talking

Babies communicate before they start to say words, by crying, making sounds, moving their bodies...


As parents we need to become keen observers of our children.


Ask yourself: "HOW is my child communicating?"
-cries or screams
-smiles
-body movements
-changes in facial expressions
-sounds
-reaching
-pointing
-eye gaze
-taking me by the hand to what he/she wants
-single words
-combining words


Then you need to think about WHY your child communicates:
-tell you what they want/don't want ("want milk", 'no nap')
-get your attention ('mommy!')
-to ask questions ('car go?')
-to make comments (truck! ; 'big dog' or just 'da')


If a child is only using communication to request then i would work on getting them to comment or ask questions. A child should be using a variety of ways to communicate and communicate for a number of different reasons.


Young children (under 3) can be at any of the different stages of communication:

Discoverers-react to how they feel and to what is happening around them, but do not communicate with a purpose in mind

Communicators-send specific messages without using words

First Words-use single words (or signs or pictures)

Combiners-combine words into sentences of 2 or 3 words.



**This information comes from the book "It Takes Two to Talk" by Jan Pepper & Elaine Weitzman (The Hanen Program).