What do child psychologists do when rhe child won't talk?

Question on Quora Answered by Brian Combs, Psychotherapist/Social Worker "It has been said elsewhere talking is not the primary language for children. Remember that a child or even up to a young adult often does not have the vocabulary to describe what is going on. In fact I often find that there are adults that don't have that vocabulary." "Therapists often play games but that becomes the goal of coming to therapy and little therapy gets done. It does however provide one very valuable tool. Rapport. Instead the language of children is art or play. It is possible to do full art therapy." "Play therapy for children younger than teens is excellent. The child and therapist go into a "play room" that often has a sandbox and a lot of toys that they can play with." "The child gets to play in the play room. They create their world. Sometimes it is not a pleasant world. As a therapist I have been stabbed,shot,help prisoner. I tend to be non directive in the play room. The child gets to creative his or her own world in there. I am just along for the ride. Play therapy is very powerful. Another option is "sand play". In sand play a "picture is created in a tray of sand. The idea is that a person standing by the tray will have the visual field filled with the tray. Then the picture is created with figurines. Sand play therapists accumulate hundreds of these figurines over the years. The theory behind any one of these techniques is that the child is able to access material that is below the conscious level or below the level of their ability to use words to describe. The child is able to find the healing path through this play or art." "The nice thing about art therapy and sand play is that both techniques can be used with small children right up through adults."