Baby Communication and Early Intervention

It is often said that babies don't "come with an owner's manual" on how to care for them.  Many parents and caregivers feel a sense of inadequacy when the infant arrives, seemingly unable to communicate his or her needs.  Especially for new parents, the sense of awe and wonder at the newborn, the delight at its smallest movement or sound can be compounded by the nervousness or worry at the infant's crying or distress.

For most parents there is good news!  The good news is that we humans have been having babies for millions of years, so buried in our DNA and neural systems is a wealth of knowledge based upon experience. In fact we have evolved for a long time getting better and better at bringing newborns onto the earth.  Also, most new parents have their own parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, older brothers and sisters or even close friends who have gone through this process of birthing and raising their infant and toddler.  Pediatricians, nurses, midwives, nursing assistants and others are also available in our communities, as well as resources such as books and internet sites to give new parents information to feel confident in being with their child.

Too, babies are very good communicators about their needs and desires.  There is a clarity and a simplicity in what a baby is relating to us. Babies are authentic in their every behavior and expression, which should be reassuring.  And babies are so cute, so precious, and so dear that they capture our attention.  As parents we want to watch, and learn what our baby is telling us.  We can get entranced through working to understand the cues, even when they are subtle.  Babies can let us know not only what they want, or need, but also who they are.  Time and again we are reminded that while the baby grows and develops, changing sometimes before our very eyes, there are elements of her personality, and her own being, which are there from the beginning. The relationship established is the vehicle for communication between parent or caregiver and child. I encourage parents to investigate the wonderful work of Dr. Kevin Nugent to learn more about understanding your baby's communication.

While babies are wonderful communicators, there are going to be instances where parents are having trouble understanding their child, and worry they are not connecting with their child in ways that feel good.  Perhaps the parent or caregiver feels that their child is communicating through behavior or gestures and they don't understand him or her.  Sometimes toddlers have trouble expressing themselves and developing speech in a way that connects them to their world, their family, and their parents or caregivers. Some children have trouble with articulating words or ideas.  Parents may worry that their child is behind in speech relative to peers.  These are times when a referral to Early Intervention can be helpful, to assess speech and language development for your infant or toddler.  Please do not hesitate to call us (413-665-8717 in the US) or email us at reach@servicenet.org if you have questions we can answer!

                                                                                       Michael S. Hutton-Woodland, Ph.D.