Are you asking yourself, “Why does my child not talk but understands everything I say?”? This is one of the most common questions Speech Language Pathologists(SLP) hear. There are many answers to the question. The most important thing is, is that you have an evaluation by a SLP. If your child is under 3 years old, look into your local Early Intervention program for infants/toddlers. In many states it may be free! What are some reasons your child isn’t using words to express themselves, but has become a master communicator with gestures?
*It may be awareness and lack of confidence that they can produce the words so you understand them. Many children try word approximations at a young age and we as “perfect speakers” miss it. We get “Mama” and “Dada” but what about when they only use “Ma”à”Mama”? We still get it don’t we? So, think about “ba”. This can represent “bottle”, “ball”, “bubble”, “bath”, etc. When we don’t make associations, they lose confidence and motivation to keep trying. Pay close attention to the sounds they make along with the gestures. The words take time to fully develop. Also, they may have decreased awareness of their mouth and how to make different sounds(didn’t mouth objects when they were infants, too much time sucking on a pacifier or bottle if they were fussy, slow to develop hand to mouth connections, etc).
*It may be structural: high palate, enlarged tonsils and/or adenoids, undetected tongue tie, small jaw but large tongue, protruding top teeth, etc. Seek the advice and evaluation with a SLP. EARLY is best, and especially if your pediatrician isn’t familiar with these abnormalities.
*Opportunities to practice “talking” back and forth is limited. In the busy society we live in these days, we often forget how many opportunities we have during daily routines to help our children practice. Talking doesn’t always com naturally for some children. As parents, we need to ensure we give them time and multiple opportunities to practice skills in a loving, fun way. Just like it takes practice to walk, it takes practice to talk. Talking is a motor act also! It also requires our respiratory system to work in coordination with our sensory motor system and voice! It’s more complicated than most of us think.
These are a few reasons but again, I stress the importance of seeking a SLP early on to determine the best course of treatment for your child. Here are a few tips to get you started:
- Imitate your baby’s early vocalizations and babbling, creating back and forth vocal play or early “conversations” between the two of you.
- Play in the mirror and make silly faces and sounds as often as possible.
- Label pictures and objects frequently while pointing or gesturing.
- Model sounds that may be associated with these pictures/objects(woof-woof, beep-beep, etc).
- Sing songs, especially those that have actions along with them(Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus)
- Use open ended phrases while you play or go through your routines(Ready, Set,….., Up and…..)