Why Does My Child Find It Challenging to Answer WH-Questions?
Have you ever asked your child a simple question like “Who was at school today?”, “Where did you go?”, or “Why are you wearing a jacket?”, only to receive an unexpected answer, or no answer at all?
WH-questions are an important part of everyday communication. They include who, what, where, when, why, and how questions. Children use these questions to talk about people, objects, places, events, time, reasons, and experiences.
For some children, answering WH-questions can be challenging. This does not necessarily mean that a child is not listening or does not know the answer. They may need additional support understanding exactly what information the question is asking for, finding the relevant information, and putting their thoughts into words.
What Are WH-Questions?
WH-questions are questions that typically begin with words such as:
Who – Who is playing?
What – What are you eating?
Where – Where is your backpack?
When – When are we going?
Why – Why is the boy crying?
How – How did you make it?
Unlike yes-or-no questions, WH-questions require children to generate their own responses. This involves understanding the question, identifying the type of information being requested, and formulating an appropriate answer.
Research suggests that children generally develop an understanding of who, what, and where questions before more complex why, how, and when questions (Wylie et al., 2021).
Why Are Some WH-Questions More Difficult Than Others?
Not all WH-questions require the same language skills.
Questions such as “Who?” “What?” and “Where?” often ask for concrete information. For example:
“Who is sitting at the table?”
The child can identify a person and provide an answer.
In comparison, questions such as “Why?” “How?” and “When?” can require children to understand more abstract concepts, including causes, explanations, time, and sequences.
For example:
“Why did the boy fall?”
To answer this question, a child may need to understand the events in a situation and explain the relationship between them.
Research has found that children's ability to accurately answer “why” and “how come” questions develops with age, suggesting that these questions can require more advanced language and reasoning skills (Wylie et al., 2021).
“How” Questions Can Be Especially Tricky
One reason WH-questions can be challenging is that the same question word can be used to ask for different types of information.
For example:
“How did you make the cake?” → asks about a process.
“How many apples are there?” → asks about quantity.
“How do you know?” → asks for an explanation.
“How often do you go swimming?” → asks about frequency.
A child may be able to answer one type of “how” question but have difficulty answering another. Research has similarly found differences in children's ability to respond to different types of “how” questions (Henderson et al., 2023).
This is why it is helpful to look at which types of WH-questions a child understands and answers successfully, rather than simply asking whether they can answer WH-questions.
What Can Make WH-Questions Difficult for Children?
Answering a WH-question involves several language skills working together. A child may have difficulty because they are still developing their ability to:
Understand the meaning of different WH-words
Identify what information the question is asking for
Understand grammar and sentence structure
Recall relevant information
Organize their thoughts
Formulate a verbal response
Understand concepts such as time, cause, or sequence
Use language appropriately during conversations
Some children may also repeat part or all of a question rather than answering it. This is sometimes referred to as echolalia. Differences in language and social communication can affect how some children understand and respond to WH-questions.
Research has identified challenges with WH-question comprehension among some children with Autism and developmental language difficulties (Daar et al., 2015; Issa et al., 2023). However, children develop language skills at different rates, and difficulty with WH-questions alone does not indicate that a child has a particular diagnosis.
How Can Speech Therapy Help With WH-Questions?
A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) can assess a child's receptive and expressive language skills to determine which types of WH-questions are difficult and why.
Speech therapy can include structured activities that help children learn to:
Recognize different WH-words
Match WH-questions with the type of answer required
Answer questions about pictures, stories, and everyday activities
Understand more complex “why,” “when,” and “how” questions
Explain reasons and processes
Provide more complete answers
Generalize these skills into everyday conversations
Research has shown that direct instruction can support children with Autism in learning to answer WH-questions. Direct instruction may involve clear explanations, modeling, guided practice, and feedback (Cadette et al., 2016).
At Kurliand Speech Clinic in Vaughan, our Speech-Language Pathologists can assess your child's communication skills and develop individualized goals based on their specific needs. Speech therapy may focus on WH-questions as part of broader receptive and expressive language therapy.
When Should I Consider Speech Therapy?
If your child consistently has difficulty understanding or answering questions, it may be helpful to speak with a Speech-Language Pathologist. You may notice that your child:
Frequently answers WH-questions incorrectly
Repeats the question instead of answering it
Has difficulty answering questions about stories or everyday events
Struggles with “why,” “when,” or “how” questions
Gives very short or unrelated answers
Has difficulty explaining what happened or why something happened
Has difficulty participating in back-and-forth conversations
An SLP can determine whether these challenges are part of your child's individual language development or whether additional support may be beneficial.
Speech Therapy in Vaughan
If you are looking for speech therapy in Vaughan, Ontario, Kurliand Speech Clinic provides individualized speech and language services for children, teens, and adults. Our services are available in our Vaughan clinic, in-home throughout Vaughan and surrounding communities, and virtually across Ontario.
Our Speech-Language Pathologists can assess your child's communication skills and recommend therapy based on their individual needs. Ongoing therapy may be provided by an SLP or Communication Disorders Assistant (CDA) under SLP supervision.
Contact Kurliand Speech Clinic to learn more about speech and language therapy in Vaughan and how we can support your child's communication development.
References
Cadette, J. N., Wilson, C. L., Brady, M. P., Dukes, C., & Bennett, K. D. (2016). The effectiveness of direct instruction in teaching students with autism spectrum disorder to answer “wh-” questions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(9), 2968–2978. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2825-2
Daar, J. H., Negrelli, S., & Dixon, M. R. (2015). Derived emergence of WH question–answers in children with autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 19, 59–71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2015.06.004
Henderson, H., Sullivan, C. E., Wylie, B. E., Stolzenberg, S. N., Evans, A. D., & Lyon, T. D. (2023). Child witnesses productively respond to “how” questions about evaluations but struggle with other “how” questions. Child Maltreatment, 28(3), 417–426. https://doi.org/10.1177/10775595231175913
Issa, H. M. B., Ying, J. H., & Azam, Y. B. (2023). Comprehension of wh-questions among Jordanian children with autism spectrum disorder and specific language impairment. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02118-7
Wylie, B. E., Stolzenberg, S. N., & Evans, A. D. (2021). Children’s accuracy in answering why and how come questions. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 45(3), 238–243. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025420979364
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