What do I do if my child has no words or uses an AAC device? (Part 2)
- All Care Therapies
- Apr 10
- 1 min read
Gestures: If your child does not have any words in their vocabulary, you can still model “more” or any other core vocabulary with your hands or by providing an icon.
Gestures: If your child is reaching for a toy that is out of reach, you can model “more” with your hands while saying the word “more." This creates a great opportunity for you to model more, and then use expectant wait for your child to sign more. Their sign for more might not be perfect, but that is okay! If your child attempts to put their hands together, that indicates “more” for them!
It is important to keep modeling that more sign to your child! You can even take
their hands and show them how to make the more sign and practice that
expectant wait time. More signs to model can be “open”, “down”, “up”, and “all
done”. Here are some examples!
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AAC Device: If your child uses an AAC device, model want/need on their
device! You can open up their device, get to the page with the want/need icon
and then press the icon “want” or “need” and say their preferred item. Model
that “want” icon and have the item in your hand. If your child does not press the
icon, you can take their hand and help them press the icon and then provide
them with their preferred item. This allows them to build that connection of
using their device to help them get things.
If you have any questions, feel free to talk to your speech therapist at your next
appointment!
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