08/21/2026
Your child isn't talking yet. Here's where we actually start. A lot of parents think speech therapy begins with practicing words. But for kids who aren't talking yet, we usually start way before that with pre-verbal skills.
These are the skills that come before speech:
👉 Imitating actions with objects — pushing a button, stacking blocks
👉 Imitating gestures — waving, clapping, movements in songs
👉 Imitating facial/mouth movements — smiling, blowing, puffing cheeks
Once a child can imitate actions, they start imitating sounds and vocalizations — and eventually, using words independently.
If your child isn't talking yet, this is often where we start in speech therapy. It's not about forcing words, it's about building the foundation first.
