Most children learn to communicate to get a need met or to establish and maintain interaction with a key adult. Language / communication is both verbal and nonverbal, requiring attention, awareness of body cues, cognition and understanding of social / community expectations as the child matures.
Babies communicate from birth, through sounds, facial expressions, gestures and body movements. Babies continue to develop communication skills when adults respond to their efforts about what they need or want. They gain an understanding that their needs will be met and continue to indicate these needs in their own way. Communication skills develop and expand quickly over the first 3 years of a child’s life, as they learn to respond to your attention, maintain eye contact and grow their understanding of words / actions and responses to the world they live in.
Parents support their child’s communication and language levels by adding to their vocabulary; making connections to other’s actions; interpreting and labelling emotions / feelings; asking questions; listening to information, chatter, ideas presented about the child’s world and their thoughts about it.
If you have concerns about your child’s language or communication development contact our skilled team for further information, review and support.
