Developing Communication Skills

Exercise 5.1: Early versus Intentional Communication (Sample Answer)

Indicate which of the following behaviors are examples of early communication (EC) and which are intentional communication (IC).

Behavior EC IC
A child has difficulty opening a container of candy. He bites the container, throws it, begins to cry and eventually walks away from it (his mother is sitting next to him). X
A mother offers her child a glass of juice and the child shakes her head "no". X
A mother is talking on the phone and her child is behind her reaching for his train on a top shelf. X
A father tries to participate with his son who is building a tower of blocks. When the father attempts to place a block on top, the child looks at him and then pushes the block away. X
A child is reciting phrases from her favourite movie while sitting at the table. X
A child walks into the kitchen and says, "Do you want a cookie?" (No one is nearby). X
A child who is thirsty takes her brother by the hand and leads him to the refrigerator. X