Parents are naturally concerned about a nonverbal child’s communication skills, and we’d like to share some evidence-based techniques that can be used to support their development. These babies may not be able to talk yet, but they can communicate in other ways.

Pick up on their cues.

A nonverbal baby is trying to communicate with its parents through cries, body language, and facial expressions. Keep responding to these cues so they understand the two-way process of communication. If your baby cries, we know you’ll try to figure out what is bothering them and speak to them when you respond accordingly. This is actively building trust and strengthening the parent-child bond, but it also supports language development. Remember to keep the vocabulary you use at this stage simple and repetitive to aid understanding. Try to restrict yourself to one-to-three-word utterances if possible.

Play copycat

You are your baby’s biggest teacher and, at this stage, a film star in a world without critics. They want to copy you instinctively, so when you enthusiastically imitate their sounds and movements, you are encouraging them to communicate more. Use a high pitch and an exaggerated expression to engage or encourage your baby. The technique is sometimes termed “parentese” or “motherese.” Your baby’s brain will register sound segments in your speech and connect meaning to the sound.

When your baby coos, you can mimic the sound back to them and add in some babbling to create a "conversation." Imitate their facial expressions and body movements to further encourage them to engage with you.

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal infants are generally more than capable of using body language. Encourage this kind of communication by using nonverbal cues of your own, like gestures and facial expressions.

Try to make eye contact and hold your baby when you smile at them. You can also point and wave to help them ‘get’ what you are saying. This may feel silly, but it is an important part of your child’s language development. For example, your child can learn to say sounds like ‘brr’ when pointing to a bird in the sky.

Read and sing

Sing songs and read them to your baby to express love and promote language at the same time.

Reading to your baby teaches them new words and ideas, especially when you point to pictures and individual words in the book and talk about what is happening.

Singing simple nursery rhymes like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" can help your baby learn new words and sounds, though even your favourite karaoke tunes (attempted slowly and clearly) will delight and help your baby.

Let’s play

Peek-a-boo and other simple games that make your baby smile help them engage in reciprocal play. Toys like a Jack-in-the-Box can teach them about cause and effect. Blocks and stacking rings are thought to encourage good social development. Make sure your baby reaches for and grabs objects you extend. As they get older, you can introduce shape sorters and puzzles to help them develop their problem-solving skills.

What are some communication techniques for babies?

Five communication techniques for nonverbal infants from Unii’s Baby Speech Journey.