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Communication
Explore explanations, everyday questions and next steps connected with communication.
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Understanding
ICF Functioning Domains in Non-Verbal / Minimally Verbal Presentation
In the WHO ICF framework, a non-verbal / minimally verbal presentation in early childhood chiefly affects Activities and Participation — Communication (d310–d369) and Interpersonal interactions (d710–d799) — and Body Functions of language (b167) and speech (b310–b399), extending into learning and play, all modified by environmental factors.
Read the answer AnswerICF Functioning Domains in Speech and Language Delay
In early childhood, Speech and Language Delay (ICD-11 6A01) affects three ICF components: Body Functions (mental functions of language b167, voice and speech functions b3), Activities and Participation (communication d3, learning d1, interpersonal relationships d7, major life areas d8), and contextual Environmental Factors. ICF reframes the delay as a functioning profile shaped by capacity and context, complementing the ICD-11 diagnostic label.
Read the answer AnswerWhy is communication development important for my child?
Communication development is how your child shares needs, builds relationships, learns and grows in confidence — and it is far more than just talking. It includes gestures, eye contact, listening, understanding, play and, later, reading and writing. Strong early communication underpins learning, friendships and emotional wellbeing, which is why nurturing it from the first year matters. A gentle check can reassure you early if anything seems to be moving slowly.
Read the answerSigns & concerns
If a child isn't yet showing pre-literacy skills
Cognitive communication pre-literacy is the early thinking-and-language base before reading — enjoying books, rhymes, naming pictures, pretend play and scribbling. If a child isn't showing these yet, enrich daily shared reading and talk, and arrange a developmental check if you sense they're behind peers. This is not a diagnosis — it's an early, supportive look, because help at this stage works wonderfully.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child in your care isn't yet communicating
If a child in your care isn't yet showing communication, respond warmly to every babble, glance and gesture, narrate the day in simple words, and create reasons for the child to point, reach or vocalise. Communication includes connecting — eye contact, shared smiles, following a point — not just words. If the child isn't pointing, responding to their name, babbling or using gestures by the expected ages, or has lost a skill, arrange a developmental check now. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing expressive communication
If a child you care for isn't yet expressing themselves through sounds, gestures or words, keep talking, narrating and playing responsively every day, and arrange a developmental check rather than waiting. Watch for few gestures, little babbling, not combining words, loss of skills, or frustration at not being understood. This is a valid reason to assess early, not a diagnosis — and everyday responsive interaction is the most evidence-backed way to nurture expression.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet showing social communication (pragmatics)
Pragmatics is the social use of communication — turn-taking, reading tone and faces, greeting and requesting. If a child in your care isn't yet showing these skills, keep playing and chatting richly while arranging a calm developmental check. This is not a diagnosis; it simply means a clinician's friendly look is sensible now, because early, play-based social-communication support works well.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet understanding communication
Receptive communication — understanding words, gestures and simple requests — develops gradually and at each child's own pace. If a child isn't yet responding to their name, following simple instructions or showing they understand familiar words, keep talking and playing richly, rule out hearing difficulties, and arrange a developmental check. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing receptive and expressive communication
Receptive (understanding) and expressive (gestures, sounds, words) communication grow at different paces, so a slower start is common and rarely alarming. Encourage language every day through naming, reading, singing and rewarding every gesture, and arrange a calm developmental check rather than waiting. This is reason to observe early, not a diagnosis — early, play-based support works beautifully at this stage.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet showing communication and social language
If a child in your care isn't yet showing communication and social language — babbling, pointing, eye contact, responding to their name or using words — enrich everyday talk and play while arranging a developmental check. This isn't a diagnosis; it's early opportunity, because young brains respond best to early, playful support. Narrate routines, name what they look at, pause for any reply, and read together.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet using contextual language
If a child isn't yet using language in context — requesting, answering, greeting or commenting — keep offering rich, responsive talk through play and arrange a gentle developmental check rather than waiting. Watch for words without purpose, limited back-and-forth, or few gestures. This is a reason to look early, not to worry, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child in your care isn't yet showing conversation skills
Conversation skills — turn-taking, listening, answering and asking back — grow through everyday play and warm chatter. As a caregiver, narrate daily routines, pause and wait for any response (sound, look or gesture), follow the child's lead, and favour comments over questions. If a child is past the age when simple back-and-forth is usually established and still isn't taking turns or sharing attention, arrange a developmental check — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerCaregiver guide: when a child isn't yet conversing
Conversational skills — turn-taking, listening and replying — develop at different rates in every child. If a child in your care is not yet showing them, it is not a diagnosis: keep talking, narrating and playing responsively, and arrange a calm developmental check, especially if the gap is widening or comes with limited words, gestures or response to name. Early speech and language support works best, and the everyday conversation you offer genuinely builds these skills.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet using descriptive language
Descriptive language — words for colour, size, shape and action — usually grows between two and four years, after a child has a base of naming words. As a caregiver, narrate and expand on what the child says, and arrange a developmental check if you also see few words overall, no two-word phrases by around 30 months, or little back-and-forth. This is an early opportunity, not a diagnosis — language responds beautifully to rich, playful talk.
Read the answer AnswerCaregiver guide: a child not yet showing early words
First words usually appear between 10 and 15 months, with a wide normal range. If a child in your care is around 15–18 months and not yet using single words, keep talking and playing richly with them, check their hearing, and arrange a gentle developmental check rather than wait-and-see. Late words are common and often catch up — early support works wonderfully at this age.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet describing events
Describing events — retelling what happened — is a rich language and thinking skill that grows through the toddler and preschool years. If a child isn't yet retelling little happenings, narrate the day together, talk often, read picture books, and ask gentle 'and then?' questions. Seek a developmental check if you also notice few words, trouble following simple directions, or difficulty joining ideas together. This is a reason to support early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing expressive language
If a child in your care isn't yet showing expressive language — the words, gestures and sounds used to send a message — keep narrating, responding and reading every day, and arrange a gentle developmental check rather than waiting. Expressive language arrives over a wide range, and early support works best. Watch for few gestures, little babbling, very few words or trouble understanding too. This is not a diagnosis — only a Pinnacle clinician forms an AbilityScore®.
Read the answer AnswerChild Not Yet Following Directions — Caregiver Guide
If a child isn't yet following directions, keep instructions short, clear and paired with gestures, and watch how they respond over the coming weeks. Many children understand more when words are simple and visual. Seek a developmental and hearing check if simple one-step requests aren't followed even with gestures, if the child doesn't turn to their name, or if there are few words — this is reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child in my care isn't yet using grammar
Grammar — joining words, getting word order right, and using small words like is, the and plural -s — builds gradually with a wide normal range. If a child is using mostly single words while peers form two- or three-word phrases, arrange a calm developmental and speech check rather than waiting. This is not a diagnosis but a reason to look early, because language support works best when started early.
Read the answer AnswerWhat a Caregiver Should Do About Slow Language Development
If a child in your care isn't yet showing expected language, observe calmly, enrich everyday talk, play and reading, and arrange a developmental check rather than waiting. Watch for few or no words, little babbling or pointing, no response to name, or loss of a skill. This is a reason to assess early — not a diagnosis — because early speech support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing language processing
Language processing is how a child understands spoken words and links them to meaning, growing through everyday talk before talking itself appears. If a child isn't responding to their name, following simple words, or understanding familiar requests, the loving first step is rich, slow, face-to-face communication daily — plus a hearing check and a gentle developmental review if the gap persists. This is not a diagnosis but a signal to look early, when support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a Child Isn't Yet Showing Language Structure
When a child uses single words but is not yet combining them into phrases, keep talking, reading and playing richly with them and arrange a calm developmental check rather than waiting. Language structure builds in layers over the toddler and preschool years. Seek a clinician's review if word-combining is delayed, sentences stay very jumbled, words are understood but rarely used, or any words are lost. This is not a diagnosis — early speech-language support works beautifully at this stage.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing naming speed
Naming speed — how quickly a child names familiar things aloud — develops gradually with vocabulary and confidence. If a child isn't yet showing brisk naming, keep playing word-rich games daily and arrange a calm developmental check if the slowness is persistent or comes with other language differences such as limited vocabulary or trouble following instructions. This is a reason to observe early, not a diagnosis — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child in your care is not yet talking
If a child in your care is not yet talking, keep communicating warmly through gestures, play, eye contact and shared sounds — many children understand more than they can say. Watch how the child connects without words, and arrange a gentle developmental check rather than waiting, because early communication support works best. This is not a diagnosis — it is the right moment for a calm, expert look.
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