Tarryn Dee and Renee Townson
As a speech pathologist working with children I would often discuss the difference between communication and speech with parents, families and carers. Often there is a misconception that a child needs to be talking in order to communicate. The truth is, speech is only a small part of communication. This is true for all of us, not just kids!
Communication includes a whole range of skills including both verbal (speech) and non verbal methods. Communication encompasses areas like:
- language
- facial expressions
- body language
- social skills
- eye contact and gaze
- gestures and so much more
There are so many things we can do as parents and carers to help kids to develop their communication skills. We certainly don’t have to wait until they’re talking to do this. In fact, it is arguably more important to help them with communication development as early as possible, particularly in the case where the child has a communication difficulty or delay.
Early Communication activities help children learn a range of skills that are essential for successful communication with others. Some children will need lots of practice to master these skills, including:
- turn taking
- initiating interactions
- responding to others
- using and understanding eye gaze
A couple of my favourite early communication skills to encourage families to do with their children include:
- Using toys or objects in play that require assistance from another person. For example, blowing bubbles, playing with balloons, or playing with spinning tops. Using these motivating toys when playing with your child can help them to practice a whole range of skills. For example, they might learn to look at you, pass you the toy or vocalise to request “more” or “again”. You can encourage this by going slow during these activities. After you’ve blown bubbles or spun the top, wait and see what your child does to try to initiate another turn of the activity. Repeat activities like this often, so that your child gets lots of practice.
- Joining your child in play. By following your child’s lead and joining them in what they are interested in doing you already have their attention and interest. This is essential for real, meaningful learning to take place. Your child might be interested in making noises, or performing body movements or actions. This can be a fun communication activity. Join your child in this activity by imitating them, and taking turns. These sorts of interactions can turn into motivating non verbal conversations. For other children, it might be that they are playing with their favourite toy. Sit with them and make simple comments about what they are doing and show an interest in their play.
If you are interested in learning more about how to help your child to develop early communication skills, I would recommend making an appointment with a speech pathologist. It is never too early to start. Learning new ways to interact with your child to help them understand more about communication is very empowering for parents and can have a very powerful impact on communication development.
