Just like adults, children demonstrate unique communication styles. Finding out which communication style your child exhibits can make it easier to communicate with them. Children’s communication style can either make it harder or easier for other people to interact and communicate with them. Hanen explains that a child’s communication style depends on two things: (1) their ability to initiate interactions with others and (2) their ability to respond when other people initiate an interaction with them. Hanen puts forth four different communication styles.

Sociable Communication Style. This child initiates interactions with others and is quick to respond to others initiations. Even if they only have few words or are hard to understand they continue to try and communicate with others.
Reluctant Communication Style. This child is more likely to respond to others than to initiate an interaction on their own. This child may be labelled as “shy” and may need time to “warm up” to become comfortable with new people and new environments. This child’s communicative attempts might fly under the radar so try and lookout for them. Having difficulties with communication may decrease confidence and decrease attempts at interacting with others.
Passive Communication Style. This child rarely responds and rarely initiates interactions with others. Children who have this communication style may be hard to connect with because they may seem uninterested in people and objects such as toys. A developmental delay, a sickness or being on medications may lead to this more passive communication style.
Own Agenda Communication Style. This child usually only initiates communicating with others when they need something; otherwise, they can most often be found playing independently and alone. A child with this communication style might be hard to get a message across to as they may seem as if they are in their own little word. Children with this style of communication struggle to successfully play and share with others.

Try and take note of your child’s communication style and patterns. Which style do they seem to have? Extra speech and language support is likely required for reluctant, passive and own agenda communication styles; however, a child with a sociable communication style can benefit from extra support too.

Click here for the Hanen It Takes Two to Talk book on amazon.ca and here for amazon.com.

-S

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost you, I may earn a commission of you click through and make a purchase. Affiliate commissions help fund blogs like this one.

References

Weitzman, E. (2017). It Takes Two to Talk: A practical guide for parents of children with language delays (5th ed.). Toronto, ON: The Hanen Centre.