ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how the development of non-verbal conversational skills predates the development of language, and how without them children cannot make full use of their verbal language. Non-verbal communication skills not only underpin the acquisition of language but are also a precursor to the development of bonding and thinking skills. The chapter describes how these apparently unrelated skills are the bedrock of communication development and how, when they fail to develop, children go on to be able to talk but are unlikely to communicate effectively, causing them to struggle in many everyday situations. The most important thing a parent can do for their baby's communication development is to make sure that he learns that faces are exceptionally interesting. A key element of the early development is to give the baby skill of being able to initiate a communication spontaneously. A baby sitting in a buggy facing out at the world will be bombarded with a mass of visual information.
