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Home › Articles › Multiples › Unspoken Language

Unspoken Language

Explaining the Secrets of Twin Communication

By Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon

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The topic of communication between twins is surrounded by considerable mystery. There are claims of young twins sharing exclusive languages and even telepathic links. Developmental psychology offers some explanations of these phenomena, including the important role that nonverbal communication plays in the lives of all young children, especially twins.

Speech and Language Development
Most children utter their first word between 12 to 18 months of age. A little later they begin stringing words together first into two-word utterances and later into short sentences. By their 2nd birthday, your child typically uses around 200 to 300 words.

It is not uncommon for twins to develop language a little more slowly. For example, on average, twins begin speaking later (around 25 months) and are more likely to have problems articulating words clearly; however, most parents are aware that children's abilities to communicate their thoughts and feelings extend far beyond their still limited abilities to speak.

What makes this possible? The answer is their proficient use of nonverbal communication. Looking at children's actions and facial expressions can tell us a huge amount about how they feel, what they want and even what they are thinking. These cues may be particularly important for the early communication of twins both between themselves and with others.

Body Language and Mental Development
Nonverbal communication involves a whole host of signals we use to share information with one another. These include hand gestures, eye contact, facial expressions and touch. Nonverbal signs are immensely important to babies and toddlers, providing them with their primary mode of communication.

Did you know that attending to your child's body language and responding to it can help his social, emotional and even intellectual development? Tuning into these signals will make your interactions with your children richer and provide them with important learning opportunities.

Hand Gestures

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