A common question we get asked as speech pathologists is “Will using gestures stop my child from talking?” Using gestures is an important part of communication development and this is often one of the first ways our children will communicate with us before saying their first words. Research has shown that using gestures help to support the development of other skills such as language, play skills, behaviour management, literacy, and more.
Gestures refer to any action or movement that is intentionally used to communicate a message. This can include pointing, nodding, or shaking of the head and even facial expressions such as a child scrunching up their face to communicate that they do not like an item that is being offered to them.
When should my child start using gestures?
Children begin to use gestures as early as 8-9 months of age. Below are some important milestones in the development of gestures:
9- 10 months – children start to use gestures to request such as reaching for an object or to be picked up, give objects to parents when they hold out their hand and shake their heads to say “no” by turning away.
11 months – children learn to show others’ objects by holding them up while looking at their communication partner and greeting others by holding their hand up to wave.
12 months – children learn to use an open hand point by spreading their fingers when referencing something and tap on objects to show others’ their interests. This is also the age where children pair their gestures with grunts or early speech sounds to communicate a message.
13 months – children start to learn by observing others and copying. This is the age where children learn to clap their hands and blow kisses by watching and imitating others.
14 months – children start to use their index finger to point to objects and are also able to use the gesture for ‘shhh’.
15 months – children start to use symbolic gestures to share their ideas with others, such as thumbs up, nodding their head to indicate ‘yes’, waving in front of their face to show something is ‘smelly’ and holding their hand up to indicate ‘wait’.
16-18 months – children start to combine gestures with words, such as pointing to a dog and saying “dog”.
How can I encourage my child to use gestures?
1. Model words and gestures that your child is interested in and use these in your every day routines. E.g., if your child is interested in animals, point to animals as you label them.
2. Get face to face with your child! If they can watch you, they are more likely to learn.
3. Sing songs and nursery rhymes and pair these with gestures. Some examples include, ‘If you’re happy and you know it’, ‘Heads, shoulders, knees and toes’, ‘Wheels on the bus’ and so many more!
If you have concerns about your child’s communication, always seek support from a qualified speech pathologist.
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