{"h1":"What therapy helps a child learn nonverbal communication?","faq":[{"a":"No — research and clinical experience show the opposite. Gestures, signs and picture supports give your child a way to be understood now and actually strengthen the social-communication foundations that lead to spoken words.","q":"Does using gestures or picture cards stop my child from talking?"},{"a":"Many toddlers point and wave by around 12-18 months. If these are rarely seen by this age, a developmental check helps a clinician decide whether your child simply needs more time or would benefit from support.","q":"At what age should my toddler be pointing and gesturing?"},{"a":"Speech and language therapy is the core support, often working alongside occupational therapy and parent coaching to build pointing, eye contact, gestures and shared attention through play.","q":"Which therapy is the main one for nonverbal communication?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-nonverbal-communication","title":"Therapy for nonverbal communication in toddlers","entity":{"key":"nonverbal-communication","kind":"skill","name":"nonverbal communication","slug":"nonverbal-communication"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Toddler","value":"toddler"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Communication","value":"communication"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Act","value":"act"},{"kind":"route","label":"Book-Assessment","value":"book-assessment"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Family Empowerment","value":"family_empowerment"},{"kind":"ability","label":"Non-Verbal","value":"non-verbal"},{"kind":"assessment","label":"Childhood Autism Rating Scale, 2nd ed.","value":"cars2"},{"kind":"language","label":"English","value":"en"},{"kind":"sdg","label":"SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being","value":"3"},{"kind":"skill","label":"nonverbal communication","value":"nonverbal-communication"},{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Caregiver","value":"caregiver"},{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Teacher / Educator","value":"teacher"},{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Therapist / Clinician","value":"therapist"}],"parent":{"key":"skills","label":"Skills"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-therapy-improve-my-child-s-non-verbal","title":"How can therapy improve my child's communication if they are non-verbal?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-verbal-communication","title":"What therapy helps a child learn to talk?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-teacher-support-a-child-working-on-non-verbal","title":"How can a teacher support a child working on non verbal?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-non-verbal-communication","title":"Therapy for Non-Verbal Communication in Children"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-non-verbal","title":"What therapy helps a child learn to communicate when non-verbal?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-social-communication","title":"What therapy helps a child learn social communication?"}],"summary":"Toddler nonverbal communication — pointing, gestures, eye contact and facial expression — is supported mainly through speech and language therapy, often with occupational therapy and parent coaching, building the social-communication foundations that come before words. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*Long before words arrive, your toddler is already 'talking' — with pointing, gestures, eye contact and big expressive faces — and the right therapy helps these powerful skills grow.*\n\n## In short\nNonverbal communication in toddlers — pointing, gestures, eye contact, facial expressions and showing or giving objects — is supported mainly through **speech and language therapy**, often alongside **occupational therapy** and parent coaching. A therapist makes these skills fun and natural through play, and shows you how to encourage them in everyday moments. These foundations come *before* spoken words, so building them now supports talking later — and early, joyful practice helps most.\n\n## The support that helps\n- **Speech and language therapy** — the core support. The therapist builds joint attention, pointing, gesturing, eye contact and turn-taking through playful, motivating activities your child enjoys.\n- **Augmentative tools when helpful** — gestures, sign, picture cards or simple choice-boards give your child a way to be understood right now, which actually encourages, not delays, talking.\n- **Occupational therapy** — supports the attention, sensory regulation and shared play that nonverbal communication grows from.\n- **Parent coaching** — you are your child's best partner; the team shows you how to wait, follow your child's lead and respond warmly to every gesture and glance.\n\n## When to seek a check\nIf by around 12–18 months your toddler rarely points, shares a look, waves or shows you things, a developmental check helps a clinician tell apart needing a little more time from needing targeted support.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nAbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app or form. Your child gets a clear [communication profile](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and a plan built around their strengths through our [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) programme. Learn more about [nonverbal communication](/nonverbal-communication).\n\n## Trusted sources\nWHO ICF framework on communication functions; CDC \"Learn the Signs. Act Early.\" milestones; ASHA guidance on early social communication; American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org).\n\n**Next step —** Ready to help your toddler connect and be understood? [Book a developmental assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate).\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-nonverbal-communication","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-nonverbal-communication","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"skills","label":"Skills"}],"meta_title":"Therapy for Nonverbal Communication in Toddlers","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Follow your child's lead in play and pause expectantly — hold a favourite toy, look at them with a warm smile and wait. Respond to every point, glance or gesture as if it were a word, so your toddler learns that communicating gets a joyful response.","published_at":"2026-06-10T13:50:00.132992+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-should-a-child-nonverbal-communication","title":"At what age should a child use nonverbal communication?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"could-difficulty-with-nonverbal-communication-be-a-sign-of-a-developmental-delay","title":"Nonverbal Communication as an Early Sign of Developmental Delay","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-nonverbal-communication","title":"Is It Normal My Toddler Isn't Yet Using Nonverbal Communication?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-it-mean-if-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-nonverbal-communication","title":"What if my toddler isn't yet showing nonverbal communication?","reason":"Same 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answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-helps-a-child-learn-to-verbal-communication","title":"What therapy helps a child learn to talk?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-teacher-support-a-child-working-on-non-verbal","title":"How can a teacher support a child working on non verbal?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-teacher-support-a-child-working-on-nonverbal-communication","title":"How can a teacher support a child working on nonverbal communication?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-nonverbal-communication-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Amber Zone for Nonverbal Communication — What To Do Next","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-green-zone-for-nonverbal-communication-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Green zone nonverbal communication — next steps","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-is-in-the-red-zone-for-nonverbal-communication-what-should-we-do-next","title":"Red zone for nonverbal communication: what to do next","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-therapist-what-techniques-help-a-child-develop-the-ability-to-nonverbal-communication","title":"As a therapist, what techniques help a child develop nonverbal communication?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-teacher-support-a-student-who-is-still-learning-to-nonverbal-communication","title":"How a teacher can support a student learning nonverbal communication","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-therapist-prioritise-a-child-who-is-in-the-amber-zone-for-nonverbal-communication","title":"How should a therapist prioritise a child in the amber zone for nonverbal communication?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":14},{"key":"home","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-therapy-improve-my-child-s-non-verbal","title":"How can therapy improve my child's communication if they are non-verbal?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-help-my-child-with-learn-to-nonverbal-communication-at-home","title":"How can I help my child learn nonverbal communication at home?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-one-everyday-therapy-activity-to-help-my-child-with-nonverbal-communication","title":"What is one Everyday Therapy activity for nonverbal communication?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-caregiver-how-can-i-gently-help-a-child-practise-learning-to-nonverbal-communication-during-everyday-routines","title":"Helping Your Child Practise Nonverbal Communication at Home","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"At home & in everyday life","total":4}],"what_to_watch":"By around 12-18 months, watch for whether your toddler points to show interest, shares a look with you, waves, reaches up, or brings and shows you objects — and whether facial expressions and gestures are growing.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC milestone resources"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/","label":"ASHA early communication guidance"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren.org"},{"url":"https://icd.who.int","code":"d3","label":"WHO ICF communication functions"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T13:50:00.132992+00:00","meta_description":"Speech and language therapy, with OT and parent coaching, helps toddlers build pointing, gestures, eye contact and other nonverbal communication. Learn how","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}