Presymbolic communication is communication that uses the body, the eyes, movement and sound. A reach, a look, a push away and a hum are all presymbolic signals. A symbol is something that stands for something else, like a spoken word, a picture, a sign or a button on a device. Presymbolic signals come first, and they carry real meaning on their own.

Dr. Catherine C. Acotto, PhD, CCC-SLP, describes this starting point in plain terms. "Your child communicates through body, gaze, movement, and vocalization." And then: "Signals are real and meaningful."

You already sense that. Your child has been sending you signals for a long time. The work is learning to read them.

What presymbolic signals look like at home

They are small and easy to miss, and they repeat. Here are signals Dr. Acotto describes in her work with families:

• Your child reaches toward something.
• Your child pushes something away.
• Your child brings you an empty cup at every meal.
• Your child taps the door handle each time they want to go outside.
• Your child brings objects to you at moments when they seem happy.

One instance is a single moment. When the same signal shows up in the same situation and gets the same result, you have found a pattern. That is when you stop guessing and start reading.

Why it counts as real communication

Dr. Acotto's definition of Signal Literacy™* includes presymbolic signals by name, right next to non-verbal and behavioral ones. They are part of your child's full signal system.

* Signal Literacy™ is a caregiver's developed ability to accurately identify, interpret, and respond to a child's full signal system — including pre-symbolic, non-verbal, and behavioral signals — with consistency and confidence.

She makes one more point that matters for families using a device or a picture board: "A child can be communicating richly through presymbolic signals and still show zero AAC use." A device that sits untouched is not proof that nothing is being communicated. Your child may be sending signals to you the whole time.

What a signal can be telling you

The Eight Signal Functions™* are the reasons a child sends a signal: to request, protest, comment, greet, seek, share, regulate and refuse. A reach is often a request. A push away is often a protest. The same movement can mean different things in different moments, so look at what happened right before it and what your child wanted afterward.

* The Eight Signal Functions™ are the specific purposes a child's signals serve: Request, Protest, Comment, Greet, Seek, Share, Regulate and Refuse.

For more on each one, read the 8 signal functions.

Where this fits in your child's communication

In Dr. Acotto's book, presymbolic communication is Level 1 of a six-level scale. The scale answers one practical question: what should I show my child next? Her answer is one step above where your child is now, not two or five.

Level 1 is where the work starts, and it starts with the signals your child already sends.

One thing to start today

• Watch for one signal. Pick a reach or a push away.
• Add one picture or button. When your child reaches, touch the symbol for WANT and say "want." When your child pushes something away, touch ALL DONE and say "all done."
• Expect nothing back. Dr. Acotto's instruction for this level is "No expectation of response. Just consistent pairing."
• Answer the signal right away. Give your child what the signal asked for. A signal that works teaches your child that it is worth sending again.

Her rule behind all of it is short: "Communication isn't earned. Communication is supported."

To see how AAC fits around these signals, read AAC at Home: Reading Your Child's Signals Around the Device. For the bigger picture, see How Does My Non-Speaking Autistic Child Communicate?

Want something you can use tonight? Get the free Transition Signal Guide and see what to watch for before a transition breaks down.

New to this work? Start with the Silence to Signals™ Communication Framework and its six-stage SIGNAL Path, explained stage by stage.