When your child begins to talk

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HealthWiki > Helping Children Who Are Blind > Chapter 6: Communication > When your child begins to talk

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

To help your child communicate with words

Ball. Big.

Yes. The ball is big and round.

A young child does not know enough words to say everything he wants to say. So he will often use a sound or word — or several words — to say many things. Do not tell your child that he said something wrong. Instead, help his language grow by filling in the words he did not say.

Pa...pa

That’s right. Here comes Papa.

Wait for your child to ask for something rather than giving it to him first.

The sun is hot. Tomás seems thirsty.

Water. Yes, I’ll get you some water.

Do you want to play with the big ball or the small one, Rafael?

Ask questions that require more than ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers.

I fell in the water.

That must have been scary! What happened?

Let your child take the lead when you are talking. Talk about what he wants to talk about.

When your child’s message is unclear, let him know. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you cannot understand what your child is trying to tell you.

You might try asking him:	If you still cannot understand what he is trying to tell you, let him know.
Can you say it another way? Can you show me?	I wish I could understand you, but I can’t.