Helping Your Child with Autism Develop Language at Home

by Jaime Friedman

July 15, 2025

💬 1. Create Opportunities to Communicate

• Give choices: “Do you want juice or milk?”

• Pause and wait: Give your child time to respond after asking a question.

• Ask for help: Put toys or snacks just out of reach so your child needs to ask or gesture.

🖼️ 2. Use Visuals to Support Understanding

• Show pictures of choices or daily routines.

• Use visual schedules to help your child understand what’s happening next.

• Label objects around your home (e.g., “chair,” “cup,” “door”).

🗣️ 3. Model Simple, Clear Language

• Use short phrases: “More water,” “Let’s go,” “Big truck.”

• Talk about what you and your child are doing: “You’re brushing your teeth,” “I’m pouring juice.”

• Repeat keywords often.

👂 4. Imitate and Expand

• Copy your child’s sounds, words, or gestures to show you’re listening.

• Add more to their words. If they say “car,” you say “Fast car!”

🔁 5. Build Language into Daily Routines

Routines are great times to teach language because they happen every day.

• Mealtime: “Eat apple,” “All done,” “More, please.”

• Bath time: “Wash,” “Water on,” “Towel dry.”

• Getting dressed: “Socks on,” “Shirt off.”

🚂 6. Follow Their Interests

• Use your child’s favorite toys or topics (like animals, cars, or songs) to teach new words.

• Join in their play and describe what’s happening: “The train is going fast!”

📚 7. Read Together Often

• Choose books with simple pictures and repeat key phrases.

• Ask questions like, “What’s that?” or “Where’s the dog?”

• Let your child turn the pages and point to pictures.

🎵 8. Sing Songs and Use Repetition

• Sing songs with actions like “Wheels on the Bus” or “Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

• Pause and let your child try to fill in the word or action.

• Repeat songs, games, and phrases often.

👋 9. Celebrate All Kinds of Communication

• Words, signs, gestures, pictures, or devices—all communication counts!

• Praise your child for trying to express themselves, even if it’s not perfect.

🤝 10. Partner with Your Child’s Therapists

• Ask your speech or ABA provider for tips you can use at home.

• Share your child’s new words or progress with their therapy team.

• Use the same strategies across home and therapy for consistency.

❤️ Remember:

Every child learns at their own pace. Your encouragement, patience, and love go a long way. Celebrate small steps and keep communication fun and positive!