One of the most persistent myths in autism is that speech emerges when a child is taught the “right words” in the “right way.”

The science now tells a different story.

A large international study of more than 700 autistic preschoolers found that most non-speaking children eventually developed spoken language when supported with evidence-based intervention. But the reason speech emerged wasn’t tied to a specific therapy model.

It was tied to something deeper.

Speech doesn’t begin with words. It begins with regulation.

What the Research Really Shows

In this large-scale analysis:

• Two-thirds of children who were non-speaking developed spoken language

• Half of minimally speaking children progressed to combining words

• One-third did not develop speech during the intervention period

Crucially, no single intervention approach outperformed the others. Naturalistic, behavioral, and structured programs all produced similar outcomes.

So what made the difference?

Across intervention types, children who gained spoken language shared several traits:

Stronger motor imitation

Children who could copy movements, gestures, and actions were significantly more likely to develop speech.

Why?
 Because imitation is the bridge between body and language.

Speech is a motor act. Before children can coordinate sounds, they must first coordinate movement.

Greater capacity for engagement and adaptability

Children who advanced in speech showed higher levels of:

• Nonverbal learning

• Social engagement

• Adaptive functioning

These aren’t “pre-academic skills.”
 They are nervous system skills.

Enough time in supportive environments

Longer exposure to intervention — not intensity or method — was associated with better speech outcomes.

Language grows in repeated, regulated interactions, not in rushed sessions.

Why Some Children Don’t Gain Speech — and Why That’s Not Failure

About one-third of children did not develop spoken language despite high-quality intervention.

This wasn’t due to:

• Poor parenting

• Late intervention

• Choosing the “wrong” therapy

These children tended to have deeper challenges in motor imitation, cognition, and regulation.

This matters because it reframes the goal.

Communication is not speech. Speech is one possible outcome of communication.

At Burble, we start from that truth.

Regulation Is the Missing Variable

What this research confirms is what many families experience every day:

A dysregulated child cannot access language — no matter how skilled the therapist or how evidence-based the curriculum.

Before speech can emerge, children need:

• A body that feels safe

• A space that reduces sensory overload

• Predictable routines

• Opportunities for shared attention

• Communication that works before words do

Speech doesn’t come from pressure.
 It comes from prepared systems.

The Burble Approach: Prepare the System, Not Just the Words

Burble was built on a simple but often overlooked principle:

Regulation must come before communication.
 Communication must come before speech.

By shaping environments that support nervous system regulation — through physical space, movement, storytelling, and responsive interaction — we create the conditions where speech can emerge naturally, when a child is ready.

And when speech doesn’t emerge, communication still thrives.

That’s not a compromise.
 That’s success.

What Parents and Educators Can Take Away

• Don’t wait for speech to start supporting communication

• Value AAC, gesture, and movement as valid language pathways

• Focus on regulation and engagement, not word counts

• Understand that outcomes differ — and dignity matters in all of them

The science is clear:
 When we stop forcing speech and start supporting regulation, children gain access to their voices — spoken or otherwise.