Get the handout: 16 gestures that help your child learn to talk.

Gestures are a powerful way for your child to learn intentional communication. They realize that you understand their idea based on a specific thing they do. Early gestures come from natural movements that take on a meaning over time.

Today’s activity: Shape the reaching gesture by slowly lowering your child to the floor to retrieve a dropped item, noticing when they reach and act as if it’s a request, pause after you start to give them something so they have a chance to get their arm in a reaching position.

Send your questions to [email protected].

Visit www.TheInteractionCoach.com to see the directory of speech-language pathologists licensed in your area. If you can’t find one in the directory, contact me at [email protected] and I’ll track down someone for you.

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