At Expressable, we often work with autistic children and their families. One of the most heartfelt and common questions we hear from parents and caregivers is, “Will my autistic child ever be able to talk?”
There’s no easy answer, but we’re here to help. Let’s explore how to support your child’s communication journey.
In this article:
1Will my autistic child ever talk?
2When do children with autism begin to speak?
3Can kids with nonverbal autism learn to talk?
4How autistic children develop communication skills
5How spoken language might be different for autistic kids
6How speech therapy can support your autistic child
Will my autistic child ever talk?
Every child with autism (also known as autism spectrum disorder or ASD) is different. Some start talking later. Others use pictures or devices to communicate. If you're worried about your child's communication skills, consider scheduling an evaluation with a speech therapist for personalized advice.
Need help getting started? At Expressable, you can sign up online for a free consultation with one of our specialists. They’ll help you decide if your autistic child would benefit from speech therapy and what the right next steps are.
When do children with autism begin to speak?
The age at which autistic children begin to speak varies. Some kids use their first words and start speaking at the typical age of 12 to 18 months. Others have significant delays. About 25% to 30% of autistic children remain minimally verbal or nonverbal.
Identifying a speech delay vs. autism
If you’re worried about your child’s communication, it helps to know the difference between a speech delay and autism. Kids with speech and language delays follow the same patterns as other kids—they interact, copy others, and respond to attention. However, they reach communication milestones at a slower pace.
Autistic children may prefer solitary activities and avoid eye contact. They may show less interest in mimicking actions and facial expressions. Autistic kids sometimes struggle with nonverbal communication, such as smiling or gestures. They may also have unique behaviors, like repetitive actions or speech. Recognizing these signs early can help you determine the best ways to support your child.
Can kids with nonverbal autism learn to talk?
It’s important to note that nonverbal autism doesn’t mean a child will never speak. With early intervention and the right support, some nonverbal children can make major progress in their communication abilities. They may also be able to develop some form of spoken language.
Speech therapy often starts with basic communication skills, like gestures and sign language. It may include using picture-based communication systems like augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). These tools allow children to express their needs and, in some cases, learn to use spoken language.
How autistic children develop communication skills
When it comes to communication, remember that every child with autism is an individual, with their own strengths and differences. That’s part of the reason the term “spectrum” is used!
Here are some different ways autistic children may develop communication skills:
As we’ve mentioned, some autistic people can learn to communicate through gestures and signs.
Some may develop language skills later than their peers. Others may develop their language in a different order.
Some autistic children will learn to talk in a typical way. But they may need support in other areas of communication, such as social communication or fluency.
With the right support, your child can find meaningful ways to connect with the world around them. If you’re ready to get started, you can book a free online consultation with one of Expressable’s specialists today. Get started here.
Early signs of speech development with autism
It's important to understand the early signs of speech development in autistic children. This can help parents recognize their child’s communication strengths and seek the right support.
While speech development is unique for every kid, look for these signs:
Babbling: Experimenting with sounds. If your young child or toddler seems to understand everything but is only babbling, not talking, speech therapy can help.
Single words: Saying words like "mama," "ball," or "up" to label objects or express needs.
Echolalia: Repeating words or phrases they’ve heard. This can sometimes be a stepping stone for language development.
Unique patterns: Developing language skills in a different order, such as skipping babbling and going straight to single words.
How spoken language might be different for autistic kids
Some autistic children are gestalt language processors. This means that they first start speaking in multi-word “chunks,” or phrases. As mentioned above, this is called echolalia.
They may also repeat what you say right after you say it, which is called immediate echolalia. For example, if you ask them, “Do you want some juice?,” they may repeat, “Do you want some juice?”
Some kids repeat phrases they’ve heard from shows or songs much later. This is called delayed echolalia. It may seem confusing, but these phrases often have meaning to them!
For example, a child may skin their knee and say, “I have a diagnosis!” This comes from the TV show “Doc McStuffins,” and the character says this phrase when an animal is hurt and needs care. Your child is correctly linking that phrase with being hurt and needing help. But the exact words may not make sense in the specific situation.
Over time, speech therapy can help your child break down and recombine those words into new phrases and sentences.
How speech therapy can support your autistic child
Autistic children can have all kinds of strengths. The list is long! They often have a great memory and are honest and direct. Many autistic people are creative thinkers and problem solvers.
At the same time, autistic people often do need support with communication. Speech therapy can be life-changing for autistic people as well as for their family members. Speech therapists help autistic children develop receptive and expressive language skills:
Receptive language: Understanding what others are communicating to you.
Expressive language: Communicating your thoughts and ideas to others.
Speech therapy also addresses common communication challenges for autistic children. This includes everything from echolalia to using behaviors like tantrums to express needs. With the right support, your child can build the communication skills they need to express themselves and connect with others.
Expressable is here to support your child’s communication journey
Whether your child has an autism-related speech delay, echolalia, or something else, Expressable’s certified speech therapists are here to help. Schedule a free consultation here to learn more about online speech therapy and how it can help your verbal or nonverbal autistic child thrive.
An important note: We believe that when speaking about any community as a whole, the best approach is to prioritize that community’s voices, needs, and preferences. Within the larger autism community, the current language preference is identity-first (e.g., "autistic children"), which is why we use that language in our content. Expressable is committed to listening to and learning from the populations we serve. If and when their preferences change, we’ll adjust our approach accordingly.
