How language develops

All children start developing language from birth.

When children are younger, they learn language mainly through interactions with parents and carers. These interactions include daily routines, back-and-forth chat and play.

For example, you might routinely say ‘bye-bye’ and wave to your child when you walk out of a room. Over time, your child will link the word ‘bye-bye’ with the action of seeing you leave. They might start waving or saying ‘bye-bye’ themselves when they see someone leaving.

How autistic children develop language

Autistic children mostly develop language in the same way as non-autistic children. But autistic children can learn language more easily when it’s connected to topics or objects they’re interested in.

How to help your autistic child develop language

You can help your autistic child develop language by:

  • creating meaningful opportunities for your child to use language
  • modelling language use for your child
  • building on your child’s communication preferences.

The best way to encourage language development is to talk regularly with your child about things that interest them. This builds your child’s language and your relationship at the same time. Our article on language development explains how this works and has tips that you can adapt to your child’s level of development and communication style.

How to create opportunities for your autistic child to use language

Your autistic child is most likely to be motivated to use language when they’re focused on actions and objects that are meaningful and interesting to them. This means you can create opportunities for language use by following your child’s lead during everyday play and activities together.

Tips and ideas

  • Use language games and songs as part of everyday routines, like bath time, mealtimes and bedtime. Add actions so your child has a visual cue to help them link the words and actions.
  • Take turns opening lift-the-flap and pop-up books and talking about or showing each other what you find.
  • Pause long enough for your child to communicate what they’re thinking or feeling.
  • Create an ‘About me book’ by taking photos of your child doing their favourite activities. Look at the photos together and talk about them using simple sentences and key words. For example, ‘You are washing your face’, or ‘You are building a tower!’
  • Give your child choices throughout the day to help them learn everyday words. For example, when dressing, you can show your child a choice of clothes and ask them to pick what they want to put on first. For example, ‘Pants or socks?’
  • Work on specific types of words to help your child make longer sentences. For example, your child could learn to use describing words like ‘big’ and ‘little’ by pointing out big and little things in books or around your home.
  • Practise skills away from home. For example, do a treasure hunt at the park, looking for things that are big and little.

Play is how children learn, including how they learn language. By playing with your autistic child and making play part of your everyday activities, you can create opportunities for your child to learn language. For example, if you’re doing a jigsaw with your child, you can encourage them to ask for the piece they need or take turns describing the pieces.

How to model language use for your autistic child

Modelling language use involves speaking and using facial expressions and gestures when you’re with your child. It also means giving your child examples of how to use language at a level that’s right for them.

Through modelling, you can show your child how to describe things, ask for things and respond to things.

Tips and ideas

  • Comment on what you’re doing, like saying ‘open’ as you open the car door.
  • Comment on what your child is doing, like saying ‘stuck’ as your child tries to open a zipper on a bag.
  • Say the words that you think your child needs if they’re trying to say something. For example, say, ‘help’ as your child holds up a packet of food that they can’t open.
  • Respond in a meaningful way to your child’s sounds, even if you’re unsure what they’ve said. For example, if your child makes a sound when they give you something to open, you could say ‘help’ or ‘open’.
  • If your child echoes you, repeat what they’ve said. You can change words to make them more functional. For example, if your child repeats ‘all finished’ when you pack up, you could say, ‘Yes, all finished’ or ‘Bryony has finished’.
  • Use phrases with 1-2 more words than your child currently uses. This shows your child how to build bigger sentences. For example, if your child isn’t talking, use single words or 2-word phrases like ‘ball’, ‘jump’, or ‘my house’. If your child uses 2-word phrases like ‘Give spoon’, you could say, ‘Give me the spoon’.

How to build on your autistic child’s communication preferences

Autistic children communicate in various ways. For example, they might use gestures, Key Word Sign, PECS or other types of augmentative communication.

If it’s right for your autistic child, you can build on their communication preferences to help them develop language.

Tips and ideas

  • If your child is pulling your hand towards an object they want or need help with, add language and model how to use it. For example, if your child pulls your hand towards the door to ask to go outside, you could say ‘outside’ or press the button for ‘outside’ on your child’s speech-generating device.
  • If your child points at the cupboard with their favourite food, you could say the name of the food. For example, ‘Crackers. You want crackers?’ If your child uses PECS, you can give them the crackers picture and encourage them to give it to you.
  • Repeat the word several times using words, signs or the device so your child has many opportunities to hear the word and link it to the object or action. If you’re using a sentence, emphasise the main word so your child focuses on that word. For example, ‘You want crackers’.

When and where to get help for your autistic child’s language development

If you’re worried about your autistic child’s language development, it’s a good idea to see your child and family health nurse, GP or paediatrician. They might refer you to a speech pathologist. You can also use Speech Pathology Australia – Find a speech pathologist.

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