Helping Your Autistic Child Make Sounds: A Simple, Powerful Way to Support Early Communication

One of the easiest and most natural ways to help an autistic child begin using vocal sounds is built right into play and daily moments. You don’t need flashcards. You don’t need hours of time. You just need a little shift in your routine — something you can try the next time your child reaches for something they love.

Let’s break it down step by step in a warm, respectful, and playful way that encourages both connection and communication.

Start Here: Use Motivation + Pause to Elicit Sounds

The next time your child is excited — maybe they’re reaching excitedly for bubbles, or handing you a book they want to read — try this:

1. Pause for just a second before giving them the item.
2. Wait, warmly and expectantly, for them to find your face.
3. If they’re already making sounds, model the first sound of the word: “Buh… buh… bubbles!”
4. Wait quietly to see if they’ll respond or try to make a sound.
5. Whether they do or not, keep it playful — and then give them the thing they want.

You’re not demanding. You’re not withholding. You’re creating a natural communication loop around something joyful — and that’s where the magic happens.

Why This Matters: Small Sounds Build Big Skills

Speech comes from motivation, interaction, and repetition. Before a child uses full words, they typically start with coos, babbles, and single speech sounds. These early vocalizations are foundations — necessary stepping stones to spoken language.

The brain is wired to practice what works. If your child learns, “When I make a sound, I get the thing I want,” that’s a powerful motivator to try it again — and again.

Plus? Every time they look at your face during that exchange, they’re practicing joint attention — a critical building block for both communication and social development.

What To Do: Simple Strategies to Try During Play

You don’t need to carve out extra time. These strategies fit into play you’re already doing. Here’s how:

• Use high-interest items. Think bubbles, snacks, favorite toys — anything that makes your child light up.
• Pause before giving. Just a 1–2 second pause creates space for communication to happen.
• Model a sound. Keep it simple. “Buh” for bubbles. “Duh” for dump truck.
• Reinforce any effort. If they attempt a sound — any sound — respond with excitement and give the item right away.
• Make it playful. If you take an item away briefly to create more practice chances, keep it light and giggly — never upsetting.
• If there are no sounds yet? No problem. Just work on the eye contact part for now, and build from there.

Sample Scripts You Can Use

Here are some ideas you can use tonight at home:

• Child hands you bubbles: “Oh! You want more? Buh, buh… bubbles! Can you say buh?” [pause 2 seconds] “Here you go!”
• Your child reaches for a toy train: “Train! Tuh… tuh… train! Can you make a sound?” [pause] “Train for you!”
• If they aren’t making sounds yet: “You want this? Show me your eyes…” [pause until eye contact] “Yes! Here it comes!”

It’s okay if they don’t say anything — the goal is to create the opportunity. You’re planting seeds.

When to Seek Support

If your child:

• Isn’t yet using meaningful sounds by 18–24 months,
• Rarely seeks out your face during shared experiences,
• Doesn’t respond to sound modeling or vocal prompts over time,

...it doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong — but it might mean extra support could help.

That’s why I created my free developmental milestones guide. It’s designed to give parents a clear sense of what skills typically emerge when — and what to look for if you’re not seeing them yet. So many parents have told me it brought them clarity and peace of mind.

Looking for More Support?

If you’d like more personalized guidance, I offer gentle, in-depth consultations for parents navigating communication or early autism concerns. You can schedule a free 30-minute discovery call with me to see if consultation is the right fit for your family.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if my child gets upset when I pause before giving them the item?

That’s okay — it tells us something! Try shortening your pause to just one second or using a playful tone to redirect. If pausing is consistently upsetting, step back and just focus on eye contact for now. Your child’s nervous system isn’t ready for that demand yet — and that’s valid.

My child isn’t making any sounds yet. Should I still do this?

Yes, but scale it back. Skip the sound modeling and just build those “look at my face” moments. That social referencing is foundational and a great first step.

Do I have to do this every time my child wants something?

Not at all. Pick a few moments a day when your child is especially motivated — not tired, not hungry, just happily playing. You’re adding practice, not pressure.

How long should I wait after modeling a sound?

Just 1–2 seconds. If your child doesn’t respond, that’s okay — give them the item and try again later. This isn’t about testing or compliance. It’s about giving them low-pressure chances to practice.

Will this really help my child start talking?

It’s one of many small steps that can absolutely support spoken language. When used consistently — and paired with other connection-based strategies — it helps build the neural pathways needed for expressive communication.

It’s all about repetition, motivation, and joy. You’re doing more than you realize.