When Your Child Won’t Answer: Try These 5 Steps First

When your child doesn’t answer immediately, repeating the question again and again may actually add more language for them to process. Try asking once and waiting. Use fewer words if needed. Offer a picture, gesture, or choice when that makes the question easier to understand. Also consider the environment—noise, bright lights, crowds, or competing demands can make responding harder. And remember that communication doesn’t have to look like an immediate spoken answer. A child may respond later or communicate through gestures, pointing, AAC, actions, or another method.