First, the most important sentence in this article: understanding almost always runs ahead of speaking. A child who says few words may follow much of what you say — so keep talking to them, warmly and normally, and assume they take in more than they show. Speak about them, in front of them, as if they understand. They may well.
Second: everything is communication. A pull toward the fridge, a hand placed on yours, a picture pointed at, a scream when the routine breaks — each one is your child telling you something with the tools they have. When you respond to these ('You're showing me you want the blue cup — here it is'), you teach the deepest lesson under all language: when I communicate, the world answers. That lesson comes before words, and it's what words grow from.
Third: pictures, gestures and buttons don't block speech — they build it. This worries almost every parent, so it deserves saying clearly. Study after study finds that children given other ways to communicate (pointing to pictures, simple signs, talker apps) speak more, not less, than children left to struggle. Speech is hard motor work; communication is the goal. Give your child every road to it.
What helps at home: get face-to-face and follow what they're interested in, rather than steering. Name things in short phrases ('big bus!', 'more water') instead of long sentences or quizzes. Offer real choices — hold up two things and wait. Pause songs and routines at the best part ('ready, steady…') and wait for any signal — a look, a sound, a lean — then treat that signal as the answer it is.
And drop the pressure to perform. 'Say ball. Say BALL' teaches a child that communication is a test they fail. Responding to every attempt — however it arrives — teaches them it's a bridge that works.