Helping Nonverbal Autistic Children Develop Speech: Fun and Effective Strategies

Strategies for Developing Speech Skills in Nonverbal Autistic Children

As a parent of four neurodiverse children—two of whom have experienced childhood apraxia—I understand the challenges and triumphs of speech development. If you are on a similar journey, know that progress is possible.

Many autistic children, particularly those with nonverbal autism and apraxia, struggle with speech planning and execution. However, there are fun ways to develop speech skills in nonverbal autistic children that make learning engaging and effective.

This post will explore how to encourage speech in nonverbal autistic children and support communication for children with nonverbal autism using foundational skills, interactive activities, and research-backed strategies.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Understanding Childhood Apraxia and Nonverbal Autism

3. How to Encourage Speech in Nonverbal Autistic Children

4. Why Repeating Phrases is Difficult for Children with Apraxia

5. Building Speech Through Imitation: From Play to Sounds

6. Fun Ways to Develop Speech Skills in Nonverbal Autism

7. How to Support Speech in Nonverbal Autistic Children

8. The Importance of Early Intervention in Nonverbal Autism

9. Conclusion and Encouragement

10. References

    
    

Understanding Childhood Apraxia and Nonverbal Autism

Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder that affects a child's ability to coordinate muscle movements needed for speech. Research has shown a strong overlap between nonverbal autism and childhood apraxia, meaning that many children with autism may also struggle with speech motor planning【1】.

Apraxia makes it difficult for children to plan and execute the correct mouth movements, even when they know what they want to say.

Unlike typical speech delays, apraxia makes it difficult for children to plan and execute the correct mouth movements, even when they know what they want to say. This makes traditional speech therapy techniques less effective without modifications.

According to a study published in Autism Speaks, early intervention significantly improves speech outcomes for children with nonverbal autism and apraxia【2】. This reinforces the importance of starting speech development activities as early as possible.

How to Encourage Speech in Nonverbal Autistic Children

1. Encouraging Vocalization During Play

Speech development starts before words. Encouraging any type of vocalization helps children build confidence in making sounds:

• Respond enthusiastically when your child makes any sound.

• Mirror their vocalizations (e.g., if they say "ba," you say "ba" back).

• Use sound-based play, such as:

  • "Vroom" for cars

  • "Moo" for cows

  • "Woof" for dogs

By embedding sounds into play, toddlers begin associating speech with interaction, making speech development more natural【3】.

2. Using Gestures to Build Communication

Before verbal language develops, gestures play a crucial role. Research from Therapyland suggests that children who use gestures early tend to develop stronger verbal skills later【4】.

Try these strategies:

• Pair gestures with simple words (e.g., say "up" while lifting your child).

• Use turn-taking games that involve movement, such as rolling a ball back and forth.

• Model gestures in daily interactions.

  • hands up to signal "I don't know"

  • pointing to show or request

  • hand pushing away to refuse

    
    

10 Early Gestures That Support Speech Development

Gestures are one of the first ways children learn to communicate before they develop verbal language. Many children with nonverbal autism or childhood apraxia of speech initially rely on gestures to express wants, needs, and social engagement. Encouraging gesture use is an essential step in developing intentional communication and can support the transition to spoken language【1】.

Here are 10 early gestures that help lay the foundation for speech development:

1. Waving 👋

• Used to say "hello" and "goodbye" in social situations.

• Encourages social engagement and interaction.

2. Pointing ☝️

• Helps direct attention to objects, people, or places.

• Supports joint attention, which is crucial for early language.

3. Hand up for High Five ✋

• Extending a hand toward a person to celebrate something

4. Clapping 👏

• Expresses excitement, enjoyment, or a request for repetition (e.g., during songs).

• Can be a fun way to reinforce positive behaviors and interaction.

5. Arms Up ("Pick Me Up") 👐

• Lifting arms signals the desire to be picked up.

• A great opportunity to model words like "up" or "lift".

6. Head Shake (Yes/No) ❌✔️

• Nonverbal way to agree or refuse something.

• Helps with early decision-making and expression of preference.

7. Showing an Object 🎾

• Holding up an item to share interest or seek engagement.

• Encourages interaction and can lead to early naming of objects.

8. Blowing a Kiss 😘

• A social gesture that teaches expressions of affection and imitation.

• A simple way to practice mouth movements needed for speech.

9. Bringing an Object to Someone 🏀

• Used to request help or invite participation.

• Encourages turn-taking and shared attention.

10. Tapping or Patting Someone 🖐️

• Gently patting an adult or object to gain attention or make a request.

• Reinforces engagement and interaction as part of early communication.

  
  

Why Are Gestures Important?

✅ Predict Speech Development – Research shows that children who use more gestures tend to develop stronger verbal skills later【2】.

✅ Build Early Communication – Before speech emerges, gestures are a powerful way for nonverbal autistic children to communicate needs and emotions.

✅ Pair Gestures with Speech Sounds – Encouraging gestures alongside simple sounds or words can help bridge the gap toward verbal communication.

Why Repeating Phrases is Difficult for Children with Apraxia

A child with nonverbal autism and childhood apraxia may occasionally say an entire phrase clearly but struggle to repeat it on demand.

Why? Apraxia is not just a speech delay—it’s a motor planning issue. The brain struggles to coordinate the movements needed for speech when the child consciously tries.

Instead of focusing on phrase repetition, build speech step by step through interactive play.

Building Speech Through Imitation: From Play to Sounds

Imitation is a key step in speech development. Children first learn to imitate movement and play, then progress to silly sounds, and finally to spoken words.

1. Imitation Through Play and Movement

• Start with nursery rhymes and hand games (e.g., "Pat-a-Cake," "If You’re Happy and You Know It").

• Help children imitate actions with objects in play: roll the car, pat the baby, napkin on head. Begin with ones that make sense like rolling a car and eventually move to silly actions to see if child is really imitating rather than just doing something that make sense with the object, such as napkin on lap then napkin on head.

• Encourage imitating whole body movements like clapping, waving, jumping, or stomping. This can be with songs and also just being silly or part of a game like "Simon Says".

• Play turn-taking games (e.g., peek-a-boo, rolling a ball back and forth).

2. Moving to Sound Imitation

• Begin with fun, exaggerated sounds like:

  • duck walking "Quack quack!"

  • drive car "Beep beep!"

  • play drum "Boom boom!"

  • drop cup "uh oh!"

At first, the child may only copy your actions, but over time, they will begin trying to repeat the sounds too. Remember to intersperse frequently with YOU imitating their actions and sounds so it is a 2-way interaction.

3. Encouraging Speech Imitation

• Once your child understands that sounds can be imitated, introduce simple consonant-vowel (CV) words, such as:

  • "Up" (when lifting)

  • "No" (when refusing)

  • "Go" (when playing a game)

  • "In" (playing with blocks or other toys)

• Later, progress to CVCV words, like:

  • "Mama"

  • "Dada"

• Progress to CVC words, like:

  • "Cat"

  • "Pat"

  • "Mat"

• Eventually move to short predictable phrases such as "I see cat!" "I see bat!"

• Lastly move to short spontaneous phrases and longer phrases

👉 Check out my Speech Imitation Cards Here to support this learning process! These can be used in sensory bins, MEMORY games, or with sensory equipment to make them fun. Children can swing forward to grab a card, then stop swing and child tries to say word on the card, and then adult lets go of swing.

The Importance of Early Intervention in Nonverbal Autism

A study published in PMC found that early speech intervention significantly improves communication outcomes in children with nonverbal autism, reinforcing the importance of structured support from an early age【5】.

Key findings:

• Children who started speech therapy before age 3 showed the greatest improvements in vocabulary and speech motor planning.

• Multisensory learning (pairing speech with movement, visuals, and touch) enhances language retention.

  
  

Conclusion and Encouragement

If your child is struggling with speech development, you are not alone. By incorporating fun ways to develop speech skills in nonverbal autism, using movement-based speech strategies, and providing alternative communication methods, you can help your child make meaningful progress.

Every small victory counts! 💙

👉 Discover my Speech Imitation Cards Here!

References

1. Autism Speaks, "Childhood Apraxia and Autism: The Connection," (2021).

2. PMC, "The Effectiveness of Early Speech Intervention in Nonverbal Autism," (2022).

3. Therapyland, "Why Early Speech Practice Matters," (2021).