One of my favorite moments in speech therapy is the instant a child realizes they've been understood. Their eyes widen, their face lights up, and they smile as if to say, "Yes! That's exactly what I meant!"
Many children communicate with approximations, jargon, gestures, or sounds that don't always make sense to others. But instead of saying, "I don't know what you're saying," try to watch what they're doing, pay attention to what they're looking at, and consider the context in which it was said. These clues can help you figure out what the child wants to say.
Then model the message (in first person) they may be trying to communicate.
For example:
Your child points to the pantry and says, "Ba-ba-da!" You might say, "I want a snack!"
They hand you a toy that won't work and say, "Uh! Uh!" You could respond, "Oh no, Its broken! Let's fix it." Or “I need help!”
They reach for the door and vocalize excitedly. You might say, "I want to go outside!" or “Lets go!”
You don't have to be perfect. Your child isn't expecting you to guess every message correctly. What matters is showing them that you're listening and trying to understand.
Author: Amber Dowell SLPA
