05/10/2026
YES!!!!! Absolutely agree with this!!! And in addition, I always say not to use the signs for ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ until little ones have grasped core signed vocabulary first. Please and thank you are used so frequently, that children learn these signs quickly. But we want them to sign their needs first eg milk, bed, food…. I would much prefer a child sign ‘food’ without adding ‘please’ than signing ‘please’ but not knowing what they want (eg food)!!!
If an autistic child, a child with speech delay, or a non speaking, minimally speaking child communicates “drink”, “more”, “help” or “open” - that communication counts. Honour it.
They do not need to perform an extra social word before we respond to what they’re telling us.
Yes, we can model “please”.
Yes, we can teach social language naturally.
But withholding something until a child says the “right” word?
That’s not how I want a child to learn that communication works, do you?
For children who are non-speaking, minimally speaking, autistic or developing their speech and language, those early communication attempts are so very precious.
Respond to the communication first. Model the manners without making them the price of being understood.
