Background
While AAC systems often focus on external tools and symbol sets, the communicative body itself is a foundational modality—especially in early development (Iverson & Thelen, 1999; Goodwin, 2000). Gestures provide a primary modality through which children explore, represent, and share meaning. For infants with or without communication vulnerabilities, the body is the first interface of language. Despite this, gesture use remains underutilized in early AAC identification and intervention (Crais et al., 2004; Rowe & Goldin-Meadow, 2009).
Methods
The study analyzed gestures produced by 15 typically developing infants (aged 10–20 months) 6 children with cerebral palsy, and 2 children with Down syndrome in the single-word stage during naturalistic shared book reading with their mothers. Video data were coded using a fine-grained motor analysis protocol developed for this study, focusing on gesture type (iconic, deictic, conventional), spatial-temporal features, and synchronization with adult gestures and verbal cues. The data were analyzed ising the ELAN software. The coding framework also identified transitions from exploratory to representational movement (Pettenati et al., 2012).
Results
Findings show that motor components of early gestures are systematically linked to communicative functions. Infants displayed patterned movement sequences. Synchrony with adult gestures and verbal scaffolding was strongly associated with increased gesture frequency and complexity. Moreover, physical engagement with book elements (e.g., pointing to images, tapping) functioned as an embodied gateway to symbolic representation (Rowe et al., 2008; Lavelli et al., 2015).
Conclusions and Implications
Observing the body as a communicative system offers a valuable lens for early AAC assessment (Brady et al., 2016; Romski & Sevcik, 2005). Motor-based gesture analysis can support early AAC intervention, even before speech delays are formally diagnosed. Integrating gesture observation into early screening and AAC system design—through variety of contexts—can enrich multimodal communication and better support children’s transition from embodied to symbolic expression.
* Brady, N. C., Fleming, K., Thiemann-Bourque, K., Olswang, L., Dowden, P., Saunders, M., & Marquis, J. (2016). Developmental profiles of children with complex communication needs: Implications for early identification. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 25(2), 200–212.
* Crais, E. R., Douglas, D. D., & Campbell, P. H. (2004). The intersection of the development of gestures and intentionality. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 47(3), 678–694.
* Goodwin, C. (2000). Action and embodiment within situated human interaction. Journal of Pragmatics, 32(10), 1489–1522.
* Iverson, J. M., & Thelen, E. (1999). Hand, mouth and brain. Developmental Psychology, 35(2), 453–462.
* Lavelli, M., Fogel, A., & Messinger, D. (2015). Social and linguistic development in infancy during shared book reading. Infancy, 20(3), 308–337.
* Pettenati, P., Stefanini, S., & Volterra, V. (2012). Motoric modality and linguistic modality in early communication. Gesture, 12(1), 61–82.
* Romski, M., & Sevcik, R. A. (2005). Augmentative communication and early intervention: Myths and realities. Infants & Young Children, 18(3), 174–185.
* Rowe, M. L., & Goldin-Meadow, S. (2009). Early gesture selectively predicts later language learning. Developmental Science, 12(1), 182–187.
