When Does Your Child Need Communication Skills Support?

Communication is wider than speech. It starts with looking at faces, sharing attention and pointing to what we want, long before words appear. Because communication skills build on each other, noticing a delay early gives a child the best chance to catch up.

Signs worth noticing

These are general indicators, not a diagnosis, but they are a good reason to seek a specialist assessment:

• Little eye contact, or frequently not responding to their name.
• Few gestures such as pointing or waving by around twelve months.
• No single words by around eighteen months, or no two-word phrases by two and a half years.
• Difficulty understanding simple, age-appropriate instructions.
• Frequent frustration or tantrums when their needs are not understood.
• Losing words or skills they had previously acquired.

Why early intervention?

The earlier support begins, the smaller the gap and the faster the learning. A child who gains an effective way to communicate, whatever it is, becomes less frustrated, more engaged and easier to teach in every other area.

Does alternative communication delay speech?

No. The evidence shows that augmentative and alternative communication systems, such as pictures, signs or speech-generating devices, do not hinder speech development; they often support it, because they give the child a tool to succeed at communicating now instead of waiting.

What happens in an assessment session?

We observe the child in natural play and interaction, measure comprehension, expression and social skills, and listen to the family in detail. Then we set clear goals and choose, together with you, the best mode to start with.

Every child can communicate. Our job is to find the way.

This article is for general awareness and does not replace a medical or specialist evaluation. If you notice any of the signs above, contact us or a specialist to have your child assessed.