This article is aimed directly at you, because we have been in your position, desperately looking for signs your autistic child will talk.
As parents, we all eagerly anticipate our children’s milestones, from their first steps to their first words.
For parents of autistic children, the journey towards speech development can sometimes feel uncertain and challenging.
However, it’s essential to remember that every child is unique, and the progress they make will occur at their own pace.
Below, we will explore some encouraging signs that may indicate your autistic child is on the path to verbal communication.
Signs of speech emergence your autistic child
Like most parents in your position, it is likely that you are watching your child closely.
But hidden in their day to day behaviour there may be some encouraging signs. So below we have listed some of the things to look out for in your child.
Mimicking sounds
Some autistic children may begin to mimic sounds, such as animal noises or words as they develop language skills.
They may start imitating sounds or they might attempt to respond to simple questions with gestures.
Such interactions demonstrate their desire to connect with others and their progress towards using speech as a means of expression.
Watch for signs that your autistic child is beginning to engage in these back-and-forth interactions.
This is a positive sign that they may be along their journey to start speaking.
Babbling or tune making
Babbling is a precursor to speaking for all children and involves making repeated sounds, such as “ba-ba” or “da-da.”
Autistic children may begin to babble as they start to develop language skills.
Another positive indicator would be them humming or making a noise in a familiar tune.
This could be something like the happy birthday song or even the tune to their favourite TV shows.
Improved eye contact
One of the first signs that your autistic child may be ready to talk is an improvement in eye contact and non-verbal communication.
Many children on the autism spectrum struggle with maintaining eye contact, as it can be overwhelming or distracting for them.
However, as their social and emotional skills develop, you may notice your child making more frequent eye contact.
Response to their name
Not responding to their name is something which is often at the top of the characteristics associated with an autistic child.
But gradually your child may be starting to subtly respond to you calling their name.
It could be something as small as them pausing their current activity for a split second, or just the feintest glance up.
But if you do notice even the slightest acknowledgement they may become more responsive to verbal cues.
This then can be a stepping stone to speech.
Response to commands
In a similar vein to response to their name, your child responding to commands is a sign they could be getting closer to speech.
Autistic children may struggle with following simple commands, such as “come here” or “give me the ball.”
But with time and patience however, they may start to respond.
Naturally we are not suggesting they will start to do exactly as you ask, but even something like dropping a ball could be seen as a positive step.
Use of non verbal communication
Autistic children may use nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions or body language, to express themselves.
Although this can be difficult as you are so desperate for their first words, any communication is positive.
So look out for them using pictures to try and indicate something to you or even pointing.
Increased social interaction
As autistic children develop language skills, they may also improve their social interaction skills.
They may begin to initiate interactions with others and show an interest in socialising.
Whereas previously they may have only liked to play alone, as they get closer to speech they may see value in engaging with others.
Use of verbal noises
This is a big one. An autistic child may make various sounds instead of speech as we know it before they start to talk.
These sounds could be could be described as a grunt or “uhhh” noise but they may be precursors to speech.
They could be noises of excitement or disappointment but crucially they are trying to communicate with you verbally.
Gesturing
Autistic children may use gestures, such as pointing or waving, to communicate their wants and needs.
As they develop language skills, they may begin to combine gestures with noises to confirm their request.
What parents can do to help their child to talk
Sometimes it can be a real struggle knowing what you can do to help your child. The initial stages are just a case of trying to tease noises out at appropriate times which can morph into words.
What we really recommend is the book called More Than Words by a speech-language pathologist called Fern Sussman.
It is worth pointing out that we have no affiliation with her at all and this is not a paid promotion. Put simply, her book is a masterpiece in understanding autism and speech development.
Her book is available on amazon here.
In addition there are various toys and pieces of equipment you could use on your journey, some of them are mentioned in Fern’s book.
On this site we often talk about the Ready Steady… Go method of building up anticipation for your child to want an action to take place. This could be something like releasing them on a swing or using something like a cause and effect toy.
With a swing you would pull your child back into a cocked position and then say “ready, steady…” and then wait. Naturally your child will not know the process to begin with but after a pause you say “… GO” clearly.
Repeat this over and over until your child makes any sort of a noise during the pause, you then reward the noise with releasing the swing.
Over time raise your threshold of what you allow to pass as a “go” noise, to the point that your child hopefully says the word.
Having a swing at home is helpful as you can monopolise it and get into a rhythm of employing the technique every day.
A similar method could be used with a cause and effect toy.
This one on Amazon is perfect as you could pause the toy car at the top of the ramp waiting for your child to say “go” or some sort of a noise before releasing it.
It is a case of building up that anticipation in them to encourage them to vocalise.
Another early word for many autistic children is “pop”. You can play with bubbles and pop them together, saying the word clearly each time. Or you can use these mesh balls.
If you squeeze the ball making the little bubbles appear, you and your child can ‘pop’ them by pushing them in. At each point say the word “pop” clearly to your child.
Something else you can try is using a Old McDonald finger puppets or similar to act out the animal sounds of the song.
The puppets may capture your child’s attention and when singing along you can pause before an ‘oink’ or a ‘moo’ to try and get your child to fill the void.
Amazon links for ease…
Summary – Signs your autistic child will talk
It’s important to note that every autistic child is unique and may develop language skills at their own pace.
Some children may require more intensive intervention and support than others to develop language skills.
Early intervention and appropriate support can help to improve language development in autistic children.
Speech therapy, occupational therapy, and other interventions can be helpful in supporting the development of speech.
Celebrate each step forward, no matter how small, and provide a supportive environment that encourages your child to communicate in their own way.
By being attuned to the signs discussed in this article, and with the help of early intervention and speech therapy, you can help your child to find their voice.
Any tips or ideas?
We would love to hear from you if you have got any techniques or ideas for our readers to try.
Be sure to leave a comment if any of the above has helped or if you have any ideas we can add to this article.
Also be sure to search for any other articles you might find helpful.
Try for example searching below for topics like ‘meltdown’ or ‘communication’.
