Speech and Language - information for families

Early communication

Early Communication skills include:

  • attention
  • listening
  • awareness of others
  • taking turns
  • babble and vocalisations 

Children need lots of experience and opportunities to develop their early communication skills. Experience and opportunities you can create as their parent or carer might include:

  • playing one to one with your child
  • encouraging new experiences
  • opportunities to interact with other children  

Children will develop their early communication skills in lots of different ways, in their own time. They might have their own preferences around these, and we should respond when they show us their preference. 

Signs your child may need support with early communication skills

Your child might:

  • not yet have a way to communicate with those around them
  • get frustrated when they cannot let you know what they want
  • prefer to play on their own
  • not yet respond to their name
  • not yet respond consistently to you
  • communicate by pointing or taking you to what they want 

Children will communicate in lots of different ways. Sometimes this might not be in a way that you expect. Children will communicate with the skills that are available to them currently. This may be through their behaviour, leading you by the hand, vocalising or pointing. It looks different for each child.  

Sometimes it can be helpful to watch children for a while. Think about what they are trying to communicate, rather than how they are trying to communicate it.

How you can help

Check out our Five Top Tips Video to find out more about how you can help.

Our advice leaflets contain lots of helpful information and ideas of things you can try at home to help.

Early Communication - 5 Top Tips leaflet [PDF 208KB]

Quick and easy suggestions of things you could try at home.
Our Alternative and Augmentative Communication section also contains lots of information to support children communicating through other methods.

Recommended links

You might also find the following trusted websites helpful:

Tiny Happy People - Tiny Happy people has lots of activity suggestions and videos to watch about Early Communication.

Family Corner - Family Corner has been developed by the Early Years Alliance. There's lots of information available to support communication.

What we can offer

Advice service

You can speak to one of our Speech and Language Therapists via our advice service. We can make suggestions about what might help and answer any questions you might have.

Our advice service is open every Thursday 9.30am to 12.30pm.
Tel: 01228 608177
Email: CumbriaCommmunicates@ncic.nhs.uk


Advice and support sessions

We run online Advice and Support Sessions for parents and carers. A few may be helpful for your child. These include:

  • using a total communication approach
  • using visual supports

These sessions include information on:

  • early communication skills
  • strategies to support the development of Early Communication skills
  • ways to consider new approaches to support your child’s communication
  • the different types and ways of using visual supports

To book a place email: SLTCumbriaTraining@ncic.nhs.uk

Making a Request for Support

Anyone, including parents and carers, can request support from Speech and Language Therapy. You can do this via our Request for Support Form.

The support we offer is always tailored to the needs of your child. Some children benefit from individualised support, others benefit from support in their environment. Speech and Language Therapy support children who are developing their early communication skills where there is an impact on

  • making friends
  • learning
  • joining in at home and at school
  • making choices and responding to change 

Support around Early Communication is most likely to be in your child’s environment. A Speech and Language Therapist will support important adults to use strategies that help your child day to day. This means your child has helpful strategies around them all the time.

Speech and Language Therapy can help you to:

  • expand on your child’s play skills
  • recognise the way your child prefers to communicate
  • suggest ways to help you and your child be in the moment together
  • consider different ways that your child might like to communicate. This might include visual supports, such as pictures, symbols or signing
  • consider different ways that help your child understand their environments and routines

We discharge at a point when:

  • the adults around your child are confident in how to support their communication.