Connecting with a Nonverbal Child

While you might be a scholar and English major, keep your language simple when it comes to your child. Of course, you are an adult, so it can sometimes be tempting to get carried away with your words. However, keeping language basic and straightforward will allow your child to follow along, and hopefully even imitate what you say.

To take this even further, keep it to single words. Once they are able to repeat the single words, which may take a long time, move on to small phrases.

The researchers behind the study that found these tips suggest a "one-up" rule; once your child has mastered the simple, make it slightly harder, and so on.