Gestures and Communication
Gestures are frequently used in everyday communication and serve as important support
for both understanding and expressing messages. For example, individuals may wave to
indicate greeting or farewell, shrug their shoulders to express uncertainty, or place a finger
to their lips to signal the need for quiet. Gestures also play a vital role in supporting
language development for children with communication disorders, as they can enhance a
child’s ability to express needs and wants. Gestures can also increase awareness of
articulator placement (e.g., tongue, lips, teeth) for speech sounds in children with
phonological disorders and speech sound disorders.
Gestures as a Mode of Communication for Children
Children who do not yet use spoken language as their primary means of communication
may rely on gestures to express their needs and intentions. For example, a child may
gesture to request “more,” indicate that they need “help,” or point to a desired toy or food
item. When a child is unable to open an item independently, they may guide a caregiver’s
hand toward the object. In this situation, a caregiver can model language by responding, “It
looks like you need help. I can help you.”
Similarly, a child may take a caregiver’s hand and lead them toward a desired item, such as
water. When this occurs, caregivers can label the item by saying the word (e.g., “water”) as
they provide it. Emphasizing the initial sound of the word (e.g., “wa-wa-water”) can further
support early sound awareness and language development.
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other language delays often benefit
from visual support when learning new words and expanding their vocabulary.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) systems provide visual symbols that
can enhance language modeling and support communication development.
Gestural Cues with AAC Devices
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices can be beneficial for children
with language delays, limited verbal communication, expressive and receptive language
disorders, or reduced speech intelligibility. When a child first begins using an AAC system,
it takes time to develop an understanding of the relationship between selecting an icon and
receiving the associated outcome. For example, selecting “car” may result in receiving a toy
car, selecting “help” may prompt assistance, or selecting “music” may lead to music being
played.
To support this learning process, communication partners—including parents, caregivers,
and speech-language pathologists—often provide modeling and gestural cues. A gestural
cue occurs when a communication partner points to a specific icon on the AAC device
without activating it, prompting the child to make the selection independently.
If the child does not select the icon following the gestural cue, the communication partner
can model the selection themselves by pressing the icon and then immediately provide the
requested item (e.g., a car, music, or a ball). Consistent modeling helps children develop
associations and understand that selecting symbols on their AAC device results in
meaningful communication and access to desired items or actions.
Gestural Cues for Speech Sounds
Gestural cues can also support children who are learning to produce challenging speech
sounds. When a child has difficulty producing a sound—such as /s/ in the word sock—they
may benefit from visual and kinesthetic cues that represent the sound or its placement in
the mouth.
For example, a speech-language pathologist or caregiver might slide their hand down their
arm to represent the “snake sound” associated with /s/. This visual and movement-based
cue can help children better understand how the sound is produced.
Some children demonstrate phonological processes, such as substituting /t/ for /k/ (e.g.,
“tea” for “key”) or /d/ for /g/ (e.g., “do” for “go”). This pattern is known as fronting, which
occurs when sounds typically produced in the back of the mouth (/k/ and /g/) are replaced
with sounds produced at the front of the mouth (/t/ and /d/).
To help children understand where these sounds are produced, a communication partner
may provide a gestural cue by pointing to the throat when modeling /k/ or /g/. Gestural
cues can also be used for other sounds, including bilabial sounds such as /b/, /p/, /m/, and
/w/, which are produced using both lips.
Encouraging children to imitate these gestures while attempting the target sound can
facilitate increased awareness of articulator placement and overall progress toward
accurate sound production.
Author: Grace Rosswurm M.S., CCC-SLP
