Nonverbal Communication In Children

When children experience speech or language delays or disorders, they often must resort to nonverbal communication. As you interact with your child, you learn to recognize his attempts at communication and respond to him using both nonverbal signs and spoken words. You may also seek therapy sessions with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who can evaluate your child's communication abilities, conduct therapeutic sessions and provide you with at-home activities you may practice to encourage additional communication skills.

Identification

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has established specific developmental milestones to identify how well children grow and develop individually, as well as in comparison to their peers. One milestone emphasizes speech and language development.

Between the ages of 15 to 24 months of age, most normally developing toddlers can say several words and speak in simple phrases or sentences of two to four words. If a child fails to speak by the time he is two years old, he may have a physical barrier to speech or a developmental disorder.

Contributing Factors

As reported by KidsHealth, a comprehensive nonprofit organization devoted to children's overall health, many factors may contribute to your child's limited speech or inability to speak. These include hearing loss, cleft palate, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Your child may also have delayed or impaired development in areas of her brain responsible for speech production, resulting in oral-motor difficulties. This condition makes speech production difficult for your child, as she lacks the physical ability to form words. Some conditions may coexist, such as hearing loss and autism, which only complicate the problems your child may have with attempting to communicate.

Types of Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication includes facial expressions, gestures and body language. In cases of limited speech or absence of speech, sign language or simple gestures may substitute for spoken language. Pictorial representation systems may also provide a functional form of nonverbal communication. More advanced forms include electronic devices known as augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems.

Functions of AAC

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices and systems are among the most efficient means to help your nonverbal child to communicate with you and others. One of the most popular is the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Based on the principle that a picture represents an object or action, your child must "exchange" a picture with you or another communication partner for the desired object or action. Various electronic AAC devices allow older nonverbal children to communicate via strategically designed software, digital voice output communication aids (VOCAs), and "type-to-talk" technology.

Considerations

According to figures released by the University of Michigan Health System (UMHS), about 10 percent of children under the age of five suffer from some form of language or speech disorder or delay. Seek advice from your child's pediatrician regarding your child's nonverbal status to determine if there is a biological basis, such as an auditory impairment or an autism spectrum disorder. If the doctor rules out physical causes for your child's lack of speech, contact a speech-language pathologist (SLP) for speech therapy services. She can help you and your child to bridge his nonverbal gap with alternative communication methods.

Check with your state and local community resources for additional information and support. If your child is a preschooler, a Head Start agency may provide valuable services for you. Likewise, a state chapter of the Autism Society could furnish you with resources and connect you with support groups in your area.