If your search brought you here because your autistic child isn't talking, here's the honest version: this isn't really about getting your child to produce words on command. It's about noticing what your child is already communicating, and figuring out what support would make the next step easier. That question protects your relationship with your child, and it also gives an SLP, pediatrician, early intervention team, or school team much better information to work with than "he won't talk." Instead of judging by one hard afternoon, watch a few different routines over a few days. Does your child point, imitate, reach for you, respond to their name, use scripts or sounds, get frustrated when you don't understand, or use AAC? Do they seem to understand more than they can say back? These patterns, tracked across ordinary moments, tell you more than any single checklist ever will. A good place to start this week: pick one routine you already do every single day, like snack time or getting dressed. Model one word, phrase, gesture, or AAC button in that moment, then pause and give your child real time to respond in whatever form that takes: a sound, a sign, a point, a script, a button press. All of that counts as communication. And if the moment starts turning into a standoff, let it go. Forcing eye contact, by the way, isn't the answer here, and pushing for it tends to backfire. If the lack of talking is part of a bigger pattern rather than a one-off worry, don't wait to ask for help. A hearing check, an early intervention evaluation, a private or school-based SLP evaluation, or a developmental assessment are all reasonable next steps. Getting this looked at early isn't overreacting. It's making sure your child has access to the communication support they need. For related reading, you might look at how to set realistic targets for first words, what it means to start from presuming competence, or why so many therapists now push back against "quiet hands" approaches. If you're short on time, there's a 10-minute practice routine for toddlers who won't sit still, and one parent's account of what 10 minutes a day actually did for her daughter's speech. If you're wondering what's typical at specific ages, there's guidance on whether strangers should understand 75% of a 3-year-old's speech and whether it's normal for a 4-year-old to still be hard to understand. And if AAC comes up as an option, here's how to get a device covered through insurance. For the wider picture, there's also a hub on stimming and regulation and a full library of parent guides. Little Words is meant as educational support for practicing at home. It isn't a medical device, an AAC replacement, or a stand-in for a licensed speech-language pathologist, pediatrician, early intervention program, school team, or formal developmental evaluation.