A young child with limited verbal language who communicates using gestures should have which as the greatest next step in treatment?

• A. Eliminate gestures to encourage verbal language only
• B. Expand the child's repertoire to include vocalizations with gestures
• C. Focus exclusively on articulation therapy to improve speech sounds
• D. Delay intervention until the child initiates more spoken communication independently

Answer: (B)

Expanding the child’s repertoire to include vocalizations with gestures supports language development by building spoken communication while honoring the child’s current means of expression. Gestures let the child convey intent and engage with others, so simply removing them would reduce functional communication and slow progress. By adding vocalizations alongside gestures, you provide auditory models and phonemic practice in a meaningful context, helping the child bridge from gesture-based communication to spoken words. This multimodal approach aligns with typical language development, offering a more rapid path to clearer speech than waiting for more spoken language to emerge on its own or focusing solely on articulation without supporting functional communication.