12 Aug Does Having More Words Mean Better Communication in Autism?
It is easy to assume that an autistic child who speaks in sentences is communicating better than a child who uses only a few spoken words.
But communication is much more complicated than that.
A child may have a large vocabulary and still struggle to answer questions, explain what they need, understand instructions or participate in a back-and-forth conversation.
At the same time, a child with very few spoken words may communicate successfully by pointing, gesturing, using visual supports or communicating through AAC.
The number of words a child can say does not, on its own, tell us how effectively that child can communicate.
Communication is about being understood
At Amazing K, we don’t measure communication development simply by counting words.
We look at whether a child can use communication meaningfully: to make a choice, ask for something, refuse something, seek help, respond to another person, share an interest or participate in everyday life.
Speaking and communicating are not necessarily the same thing
Speech is one way of communicating, but being able to produce spoken words does not automatically mean that a child can use those words effectively in everyday situations.
For example, an autistic child may speak in full sentences but still find it difficult to:
- Answer a question
- Ask for help
- Explain what is wrong
- Make a choice
- Tell someone about an experience
- Understand unfamiliar instructions
- Take turns in a conversation
- Adapt their language to a new situation
Another child may speak very little but have a strong understanding of language and be developing reliable ways to communicate through gestures, pictures, signs or AAC.
Neither child’s abilities can be understood by simply counting their spoken words.
Every autistic child’s communication profile is different
Autism is a spectrum, and children can have very different combinations of strengths and support needs.
For example:
- One child may have strong spoken language but struggle to understand what others are saying.
- Another may understand a great deal but use very little speech.
- One child may readily interact with adults but find communication with peers difficult.
- Another may have strong academic skills but need considerable support with everyday communication.
- A child may communicate well in a familiar environment but struggle when routines, people or surroundings change.
This is why comparing one autistic child’s speech with another child’s speech rarely gives us a useful picture of their development.
What about scripting and echolalia?
Some autistic children repeat words or phrases they have heard before. This is often referred to as echolalia or scripting.
A child might repeat something from a television programme, a song, another person or an earlier conversation.
This does not mean that the language has no value.
For some children, repeated or scripted language can form part of how they process language and learn to communicate.
The important question is not simply:
“How many words is the child saying?”
We also need to ask:
“How is the child using language and what are they trying to communicate?”
What does meaningful communication look like?
When we look at a child’s communication development, there are many things worth noticing.
Can your child:
- Communicate what they want?
- Tell someone when they don’t want something?
- Ask for help?
- Make a choice?
- Understand familiar instructions?
- Respond to another person’s communication?
- Initiate an interaction?
- Share attention or interest?
- Answer questions at an appropriate level?
- Communicate when something hurts or feels wrong?
- Use communication in more than one environment?
These abilities tell us much more about functional communication than vocabulary alone.
A powerful word isn’t always a complicated word
A child independently communicating “help”, “stop”, “more” or “finished” at the right moment may be demonstrating an extremely important communication skill.
The value of communication lies in what it allows a child to do, not simply in how impressive the vocabulary sounds.
What if my child doesn’t use spoken words?
A non-speaking or minimally speaking child still needs a reliable way to communicate.
Communication may include:
- Gestures
- Pointing
- Signs
- Pictures and symbols
- Communication boards
- Communication books
- Speech-generating devices
- Other forms of AAC
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) can give children another way to express themselves when speech is limited, unreliable or still developing.
AAC should not be viewed as a lesser form of communication.
The goal is to give the child an effective way to communicate.
Look at understanding as well as expression
Another important distinction is the difference between what a child can say and what they can understand.
A child’s receptive communication skills may include whether they can:
- Understand familiar words
- Follow instructions
- Identify people or objects
- Understand familiar routines
- Respond appropriately to questions
- Understand concepts such as first, next and finished
- Make sense of communication in different situations
Some children understand considerably more than they are currently able to express.
Others may use many spoken words but need substantial support to understand language directed towards them.
Both sides of communication need attention.
Communication should work in everyday life
Ultimately, we want communication skills to help a child participate more successfully in everyday situations.
Can the child communicate at home?
Can they make themselves understood at school?
Can they tell another adult what they need?
Can they communicate when something is wrong?
Can they use the skills they have learned outside a structured therapy activity?
This ability to use communication meaningfully across everyday situations is an important part of development.
Communication and independence are closely connected
Communication affects almost every area of a child’s life.
A child who can communicate effectively has more opportunities to:
- Make choices
- Ask for assistance
- Participate in routines
- Develop relationships
- Tell someone when they are uncomfortable
- Take part in learning
- Express preferences
- Become increasingly independent
This is why communication is not treated as an isolated skill at Amazing K.
It forms part of learning, play, self-care, social interaction and participation throughout the school day.
Explore the Amazing K Communication Enhancement Programme →
What if your child has words but is still struggling to communicate?
Parents don’t only approach Amazing K because their child is non-speaking.
Some children have words – even many words – but still need additional support to use language meaningfully.
Your child may need help with:
- Understanding language
- Answering questions
- Expressing needs
- Functional communication
- Social communication
- Following instructions
- Participating in a classroom
- Using communication instead of becoming frustrated
At Amazing K’s specialist autism school, we look at how a child communicates and participates across the entire day – not simply at the number of words they can say.
So, do more words mean better communication?
Not necessarily.
Words matter, and spoken language can be an enormously useful communication tool.
But the number of words a child uses is only one part of the picture.
We need to look at whether the child can:
- Understand
- Express themselves
- Make choices
- Ask for help
- Respond to others
- Participate
- Connect
- Use communication in everyday life
A child with hundreds of spoken words may still need significant communication support.
A child with very few spoken words may be developing an increasingly effective communication system.
The goal isn’t to create the biggest vocabulary.
The goal is to help a child communicate meaningfully.
Concerned about how your child is communicating?
If your child has difficulty communicating their needs, understanding language, participating or using the words they have meaningfully, you are welcome to speak to the Amazing K team.
Amazing K provides specialist education and early intervention for autistic children at our Northwold and Sharonlea campuses in Randburg, Johannesburg.
Your child does not need to be non-speaking to benefit from communication support.
The first step is simply to tell us a little about your child and the areas you are concerned about.
What happens when you contact us?
- Complete the short enquiry form below.
- Tell us about your child’s communication and development.
- Our team will contact you to answer your questions.
- We can discuss whether Amazing K may be an appropriate environment for your child.
- If suitable, you can arrange a school visit.
- We will guide you through the admissions process if you would like to proceed.
Learn more about admissions at Amazing K →
