Ming from Agents of Speech explains that back-and-forth conversations with speech-delayed children don't require full sentences. A single word from the child, followed by a parent's response, counts as a real exchange. Parents often worry when their child can't start the conversation, but even one-word initiations matter.
Parents want to have a back and forth conversation with a kid. Define what a back and forth conversation is first. In my books, at the very least, the back and forth conversation is that the child initiates to tell you something and then you respond back. They respond back. There's a few back and forths here, right? Let's say that your child is not able to even initiate a conversation with you. To comment on something, to ask for something, to play a game with you is very difficult. If you're a mom and you have a lot of worries, you have a lot of expectations, and you see other children performing in a way that is different from your child, it's very difficult for me to tell you that this is part of the journey. A back and forth conversation is defined by you. What do you mean by that? What language level are you talking about? If it's a single word level, your child can only use one word. Just saying one word to you, you respond back, he says another word to you, is already back and forth conversation.
