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Communication is the cornerstone of our society.
Being able to communicate, verbally or non-verbally, is crucial to interacting with others.
Social competence is an important aspect of human development and this skill is learned through communication.
Some twins develop their own twin language that only they and their counterpart can understand, which can contribute to delays in language development and can also affect their individual development of social competence.
As parents and caregivers of multiples, it can be really tough to figure out what your little ones are trying to convey before they have developed the necessary language skills to effectively communicate their needs and wants.
But there are things you can do to help support your twins' language and communication development and, hopefully, help bridge that gap.
Is twin language really a thing?
You may have heard that twins tend to have their own special language when they're growing up, and yes, that can be the case with some twins. Some sets of twins can even communicate with just a look.
The language is unique to each set of twins and can make little to no sense to the parents.
A study on the relationship between twin language, twins' close ties, and social competence found that while "zygosity and sex were associated with twins' close ties…social competence was not affected directly by twins' close ties but was affected when a twin language was found."
Not all twins develop their own language, but if you notice your multiples have developed their own special language, it's nothing to be majorly concerned about. I should know, I had a special language with my own twin brother for a while.
I should know, I had a special language with my own twin brother for a while.
If you have any worries, though, talk to your children's pediatrician about it. Some children experience hearing issues due to congestion of the middle ear and need treatment.
You can also ask their doctor about referring them to a speech-language therapist or pathologist, who can assess their speech and language development and determine how easily they understand language spoken to them, along with how they are communicating and interacting socially with words and gestures.
Most twin languages, according to the study noted above, diminish by the time the duo turns three years old.
Speech and language development in twins
Whether or not your littles make up their own language, twins do tend to experience delays in speech and language development compared to singleton babies.
Mild delays in development can include having fewer words, fewer sentences, and fewer speech sounds than their peers, meeting language development milestones later, or making fewer attempts to communicate.
It's important to remember that even identical twins are not linguistically identical, so one or both twins could potentially be affected by speech delays but in different ways or to different degrees.
Language and speech delays in twins and higher-order multiples can commonly be the result of perinatal factors, like being born prematurely or having lower birth weights, as are often the case in a multiple birth pregnancy.
Other factors that play a role in mild delays include social experiences such as:
- Having to share attention from parents and caregivers who are constantly trying to multi-task, which can lead to less language stimulation and can actually invite animosity from little ones who may feel the need to compete for attention; and
- Receiving divided or less one-on-one time with their families than, say, a single child, depending on the amount of free time parents have to spend with their twins on an individual level.
According to the Irish Association of Speech & Language Therapists children generally speak their first words between 12 and 18 months, and "a child is considered a 'late talker' if he or she is not putting two words together by age two, with a vocabulary of about 50 words."
In the case of twins and higher-order multiples, it's important to consider your babies' adusted age when monitoring milestones, as those who were born prematurely may naturally need just a little bit more time than their full-term peers to catch up.
Fostering a stimulating environment
As parents, there are things you can do to be proactive and encourage an environment that fosters the development of your twins' speech, language, and communication learning skills.
- Narrate your activities throughout the day Talk out loud as you do things. Explain what's going on around you or describe what you're doing (cutting up the yellow bananas, taking the clean dishes out of the dishwasher and putting them away into the cupboard, feeding the kitties because they are hungry and it's time to eat, etc.).
- Teach your twins how to listen and respond Anytime your little ones interact and engage with you (making babbling sounds or intentional eye contact, pointing at things, or trying to say words), use that as an opportunity to teach them how conversations work. Call them by name and wait for them to acknowledge you. Talk to them individually, use gestures, and speak animatedly. Respond to them separately, so they can learn about conversational style.
- Find ways to have one-on-one time It's hard not to be distracted when you have two or more babies who are the same age and need things from you at the same time. If you can, try to find ways to sneak in individual time with each twin, so you can focus and encourage one-on-one discussions.
- Read and sing together every day Embrace dance parties to make things fun and engaging. Listen to songs or nursery rhymes together. Stock your library with interesting and age-appropriate books and make sure to sit down and read them together. Showing an interest in reading and storytelling will plant the seeds for a love of language and a call to communicate. Read more about how you can give your twins the Million Word Advantage, here.
- Invite social interaction at home When you have two toddlers at the same time, you can use that as an opportunity to practice social interaction while in the comfort of your own home. Get your twins to interact with each other by encouraging them to ask each other things, like what toy they'd like to play with or what they'd like to have for lunch, and then walk them through the different conversation points with each other ("I wonder what your brother would like to eat, let's ask him.")
- Present toys that stimulate language learning At playtime, offer toys that promote language learning development. From flash cards and phones, to magnetic alphabet letters, there are many toys that can help your twins expand their social skills and language learning.
Our twins love these flash cards and have been actively seeking them out and playing with them to learn the names of the everyday items they encounter in their environment.
TwinsyTwins Shop
Montessori Speech Therapy Talking Flash Cards
Flash Cards
These are educational Montessori speech therapy flash cards by Aullsaty. The sensory toy set has an adjustable volume and includes 248 cards with sight and word associations, including alphabet letters and numbers for preschool children, and additional cards for those in Kindergarten. A repeat button makes it easy for toddlers to hear the pronunciation of the word again and again.
Another hit in our household right now is the Learn with Elmo Pretend Play Phone.
We knew these were going to be a hot commodity for communication, so we got two. Our twins love being able to grab their phones and dial up Elmo on a whim and have been mimicking having conversations just like they see their mom and dad do.
We even have them pretend to call up each other and practice chatting, and they use the phone buttons to practice color and character recognition.
TwinsyTwins Shop
Sesame Street Learn with Elmo Pretend Play Phone
Pretend Phone
This is the Learn with Elmo Pretend Play Phone from Sesame Street. It plays the Wheels on the Bus and has more than 50 phrases to help kids learn about counting, colors, shapes, rhyming, and more. This colorful, toy phone is six inches tall and just textured enough that it's easy for little hands to grab. It features 12 bright buttons that represent different Sesame Street characters to call up.
This set of magnetic letters and numbers from JoyCat will turn your fridge from a place to grab grub into an educational hub. Your twins will be drawn to the bright and colorful magnets and will love learning the alphabet and practicing their numbers while rearranging the magnets in an organized fashion.
TwinsyTwins Shop
JoyCat Magnetic Letters & Numbers Set, 78 pieces
Magnetic Letters & Numbers
This is a 78-piece set of brightly colored magnetic letters and numbers. The plastic set includes 26 uppercase letters, 26 lowercase letters, 20 numbers, and six math symbols. They're designed with smooth edges and curves and a matte texture for easy grabbing.
Support language learning every day
Communication is key, even when you're pre-verbal.
Before your twins can effectively tell you what they need, you, as parents, need to be able to find a way to communicate with your children.
At first, following their cues will get you where you need to go, but as your babies grow and become more independent, their wants and needs will also grow, as will their desire to get immediate results.
Being able to communicate is crucial to running a smooth operation at home and for your toddlers to be able to interact with others outside of the home.
Remember to consider your twins' adjusted age when monitoring their milestones, and ask their pediatrician if you have any concerns about the development of their language and communication skills.
As parents and caregivers of multiples, you can support your twins' language and communication development through daily activities, like reading stories together, making one-on-one time a priority, and introducing toys that promote language learning and social skills development.
How did you encourage language learning and social interaction skills with your twins? Let us know in the Comments section below.
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