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The Autism Little Learners Podcast
#176: Before Words: Why Symbolic Sounds Matter More Than You Think
00:17:22
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If you've ever watched a child make a big vroom while pushing a car, or heard a little gasp when a tower falls, or listened to a child say oh before they said any other real word, you've been listening to language. Real, beautiful, meaningful language. But so often we overlook these sounds because they don't look like words we're expecting Today, I want to talk about why symbolic sounds and exclamatory words matter so much more than we give them credit for, why they are often a child's first bridge into communication, and why, when we honor them, we open a door that traditional language approaches often. Ms. Let's dive in.
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I'm Tara Phillips, and this is the Autism Little Learners Podcast, where I share simple neuroaffirming tools to support young autistic children with compassion and confidence.
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Before we get into what symbolic sounds and exclamatory words actually are, I want to anchor us in something. When we think about language development, we often jump straight into words. First words, single words, two word phrases, sentences. We count them, we graph them, we use them as milestones. But language doesn't start with words. It starts way before that. It starts with sounds that carry meaning, with noises that match feelings, with little vocalizations that say, I see it, I feel it, I'm part of this moment. All communication is valid. And when we broaden our definition of what counts as language, we start to see how much a child is already saying even before their first quote, unquote real word arrives. So what even are symbolic sounds? Let's start here. Symbolic sounds are simple one syllable or two syllable sounds that represent something. These sounds imitate the thing that it stands for. Think of sounds like moo for cow, woof woof for dog, choo choo for a train, beep beep for a car, tick tock tick tock for a clock, ring a ling for a phone, or at least what phones used to sound like. Splash for water, knock knock for a door. These sounds fall into a few animal sounds, self explanatory environmental sounds like beeps, bells, splashes, and people sounds like coughs, sneezes, yawns, and laughter. They're often the first vocalizations a child produces with clear meaning attached. Because even though they're not technically words in the adult sense, they're doing exactly what words do. They stand for something. And they communicate. Now here's something really important. Symbolic sounds are phonologically easier for young children than most real words. And that's not just my opinion. Research from Lange in 2014 actually confirms this consonant and vowel combinations. And sounds with what's called consonant harmony are easier for infants and toddlers to produce. And symbolic sounds are full of those easy patterns. Think about it. Moo is easier than saying cow. Woof is easier to say than dog. Choo. Choo is easier than train. The sounds that represent animals are often simpler to make than the animal's name. So when we push a child to say cow before they've ever practiced moo, we may be asking for something that's genuinely harder. Meanwhile, if we honor moo, we're meeting them at the level that their mouth can actually produce. And from that success, more language grows. Here's something that might surprise you. There's research from men and women in 2011 showing that symbolic sounds are surprisingly common as children's first words, even though adults barely use these sounds in everyday conversation. Isn't that fascinating? The sounds that we almost never use as adults are usually the first meaningful sounds a young child produces, which tells us something important. These aren't just silly noises. They're real, valid early language, and they deserve to be treated that way. So what are exclamatory words? Let's talk about the close cousin of symbolic sounds, exclamatory words. They are short, emotion filled words that come out of us almost automatically in everyday moments. And these are ones that we actually do use as adults. They're little bursts of language that we use when something is surprising, exciting, disappointing, or funny. Words like, oh, you guys, that is always one that I can get a child's attention with and get their engagement and connection. If I do something and say, oh, so many kids look over at me. Words like ouch, wow, oh no, oopsie, whee, yum, m. Boo, boo, sh. They're short, they're easy, they're full of feeling. And just like symbolic sounds, they really show up a lot in children's vocabulary before what we traditionally consider real words. Here's what I love about exclamatory words. They can help build shared attention. When a child and an adult focus on the same thing, it's one of the most important foundations for language and social connection. When you drop a toy on the ground and gasp, oh, with a big exaggerated face, something happens. The child notices you. Maybe they reference your face. Maybe they check to see what you're reacting to. And that's huge, because when a child is sharing that moment with you, they're more likely to tune in and maybe even imitate you. And imitation can be one of those building blocks for language learning. And it's much Much better if it happens in real life. Moments like this versus just asking them to imitate you. So saying oh and having something that fell on the floor get both of your attention is going to stick more than showing a picture and saying, okay, say oh. Do you know what I mean? I can't tell you how many times I've had a student who wasn't speaking words yet, but who would reference me every time I said oh. Something about the tone, the surprise, the emotion pulls them in. And once they're pulled in, that door to communication is open. Be the Most Interesting Thing in the Room this is one of my favorite reminders when working with young autistic children. Be the most interesting thing in the room. It doesn't mean you have to be loud or always going over the top, but it means being genuinely engaged, animated, expressive, letting your face and voice show the joy, the surprise, the wonder. Because children are drawn to what lights up. And when our face lights up with a ooh or a whoa or whoops, children notice. They lean in. They start to pay attention to what we're paying attention to. And that shared attention is gold. Let's talk about modeling without expectation. This is a phrase from our work that I come back to all the time. Communication grows through exposure, not expectation. When we model symbolic sounds and exclamatory sounds, we're not trying to get the child to always imitate us immediately. We're not going to sit and wait for a correct response or for them to imitate. We're not turning it into a quiz. We're letting them hear the sounds, feel the emotion behind it, and experience the connection with us over and over and over. That repetition is not boring, it's nourishing. Think of it like planting seeds. You don't plant a seed and then stand over it yelling, grow. Grow. You water it. You give it sunlight. You trust the process. Modeling symbolic sounds works the same way. We model, we model, we model, and when the time is right, the child joins in. I also want to say this clearly. For autistic children who are non speaking or minimally speaking, symbolic sounds can be a game changer. Not because they're lesser, not because they're lowering the bar, but because they meet children where they are right now. A child who isn't yet producing words is often already producing sounds. Coos, babbles, little vocalizations tied to play. When we name those sounds as meaningful, when we match them, when we add in our own symbolic sounds into the play, we're building language from the ground up. And here's the important thing. Access to language should never depend on how a child communicates. Now, every child deserves language pouring in. Every child deserves to hear their vocalization celebrated. Every child deserves to see the sounds that they make carry meaning. Because they do, all communication is valid. One more thing I want to note. Symbolic sounds and exclamatory words aren't just for babies or toddlers. They work beautifully for preschoolers, too. They work for children who are just starting to use aac. They work for children with apraxia of speech. They work with children who are gestalt language processors. They work for children at any age who benefit from an EAS more simplified, accessible form of communication. We sometimes think that these sounds are baby sounds and that label can make us skip past them. But when we skip them, we skip something foundational. So don't let anyone make you feel like working on symbolic sounds is too simple. It's exactly the right work for so many children, and it builds the foundation that more complex language grows from. If you're thinking, okay, I'm in. How do I actually do this? Here's what I start with.
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What they love.
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Always, always, always. If the child loves animals, start with animal sounds. If they love vehicles, start with beeps, honks, vrooms, choo, choos. If they love being tossed in the air, start with whee. Let their interests lead the way. Use sounds during real play and real routines. Not drills, not flashcards in a quiet corner, real moments. Pushing cars, knocking on doors, popping bubbles, reading books, eating snack. The more natural the moment, the more meaningful the sound and visuals. If it helps, they can be helpful, too. Some children love hearing the symbolic and environmental sounds on their AAC devices. You can create a small book of symbolic sounds with photos and simple images. One sound per page. Turn the page, say the sound with emotion. I had a student who we had this oh book. And on every page, this sounds kind of funny, but on every page was like a picture of a child that had maybe fallen off his bike and had a little bit of blood on his knee, something. Or a child that got stung by a bee and had a red mark. And we would take one of those little tiny band aids, and on each page we'd go, oh. And then we'd put the band aid on, and then the next page, uh, oh, and we'd put the bandage on, and we could say ouch. And oh. Oh, no. Oh, my gosh. This student, that was his favorite book. Like, we would start every learning session with that book because he loved it. So use repetition and turn it into a favorite routine. If it's something they ask for again and again. A Latin proverb says, repetition is the mother of all learning. And for children learning language, this is absolutely true. Don't worry about using too much of the same Sound. Use it 10 times, 20 times. Use it every day. Repetition is what makes these things stick. Pause and wait. This is one of the most underused tools we have. After you model a sound, pause, give the child a beat. Don't feel the silence. Sometimes in that small pause, something beautiful happens. A sound, a look, an imitation. And even if nothing happens out loud, they're still processing, they're still learning. Keep it joyful. This one is non negotiable. Joy is a valid outcome. If the sounds are fun, the language will come. If the sounds are forced, the child might pull away. So make it a game, make it silly, make it connected. If you want some simple ideas to try, here are a few. The first one we call the falling toy Accidentally. Now I'm doing air quotes here. Drop a stuffed animal and gasp. Oh, no. Watch a child's face. Even if they don't look at you, it's okay. Watch their face. See if they reach for the toy or turn to the toy. Or maybe look at you as if to say, like, what? What just happened? Either way, you've just modeled language tied to real emotion. Another one is the car ramp. Build a little car ramp and send cars down with the sounds. Whee. Whoa. Vroom. Let the sounds match the action. Another one is a surprise bag. Put a few animal figurines in the bag. Shake the bag. Make a little song. What is in here? What is in here? Let's find out. Let's find out. Pull one out slowly. Oo. You could say it's a cow and then go moo. Then let the child take it out. They absolutely love this kind of thing. Another idea is the one I already talked about, the book with exclamatory moments. So you could pick up a picture book, or you can make one yourself with, like, different scenes like the one I was telling you about. And every time something surprising or funny happens on a page, react instead of reading the book. Oh, you could say, oh, there's a bear. Or wow, he's jumping. Or oh, fall down. The book becomes the reason to use language in real time. Here's another one. The peekaboo animal. Hide a stuffed animal under a cloth. Where's the dog? Lift the cloth. Woof. Woof. Pure joy. If you're working with a child who isn't yet using words and you feel pressured to get them talking. I want to say this. You're not doing anything wrong. This work is foundational, and foundational work takes time, support, regulation. Before expecting, learning, meet the child where they are. Use sounds that match their world. Keep the pressure low, but the connection high. And consistency matters more than doing it perfectly. Every moment of modeling is a deposit, and over time, these deposits add up to something beautiful. Here's what I really want you to walk away with today. Words are not the only marker of communication. A child who goes vroom while pushing a car is communicating. A child who gasps at a falling block is communicating. A child who laughs during Peek a boo is communicating. When we count only words we miss so much. When we broaden our lens to include every meaningful sound, we finally see the full picture of a child's communication journey. And we get to celebrate where they are right now. Not where we wish they would be, not where a checklist says they should be. Right where they are. There's where learning lives. So the next time you hear a child make a symbolic sound or exclamatory word, pause. Instead of waiting for a real word, try this internal script. That was language that counts. It's communication that's a stepping stone. It's meaningful because it is. Every moo, every splash, every oh, every wow. These are not pre words. They're words in the form that the child can produce right now. If I could leave you with anything today, it would be this. Language is already there in the sounds and the expressions and the little bursts of shared emotion. Our job is to listen for it, imitate it, celebrate it, and add more to the mix. And to trust that when a child is surrounded by joyful, meaningful sounds, language grows. And again, this work takes time. It's progress that shows up slowly and quietly. But every honk, every boing, every oh, no is a building block. And when we honor those building blocks, we're not slowing a child down. We're giving them the foundation they need. So today, go play. Drop something on purpose. Gasp at it. Let a car crash. Laugh at your own sound effects. Model without expectation. Be the most interesting thing in the room. And remember, every sound matters. Remember to find the good in every day.
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Thank you for spending this time with me. You're doing important work, and the small supports you put into place matter. Keep leading with connection, and I'll talk to you again next week.