Your child will hesitate or look at you when you say “No!” because of your tone of voice.

With more experience, your child will begin to learn that you want them to stop what they are doing.

Get in the habit of saying “No” one time then help your child do what you want them to do. Examples: Give them something to take their attention away from the object you don’t want them to touch. Move them to a safe location.

Today’s activity: When you say “No,” always follow up by showing them what you expect them to do.

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.

Your child is learning that the word where means we have to look for it.

Today’s activity: When your child is looking at something, cover most of it or put it in a container and ask, “Where’s the ball?” Turn your palms up as you say the word where and look around like you are searching.

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.

Today we expand upon your activity of partially covering an object and asking, “Where’s the toy?” with your hands raised and looking around.

In the past you covered something the child was already looking at. Today’s activity calls attention to something your child is not currently looking at.

Today’s activity: Call your child’s attention to a nearly object they haven’t been looking at. Ask, “Where’s the milk?” with your hands raised and looking around. Pick it up and say, “Milk!”

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.

A question from Anne in New Jersey: My child is getting ABA therapy. Does he need speech therapy from a speech-language pathologist?

Joyce’s opinion: SLPs are trained to understand all aspects of communication development. Behavior analysts focus only on observable behaviors. A speech-language pathologist needs to be part of the team for any child with a communication delay.

At Level Three, your child will start to recognize words that are used frequently, like names, favorite objects and the word no. 

When the object is present, your child will look toward the familiar object when you say its name.

Today’s activity: Call your child’s attention to an object that is nearby and name it. Use important, interesting or fun objects.

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.

Independent movement helps your child become an independent learner.

Help your child learn all kinds of words (not just the names of things). Say a verb to describe the action that is happening, like “jump!” or “sit.” Use words that describe the action like “up” and “down.”

Today’s activity: Be face-to-face wth your child, on your tummies on the floor. Do a push-up sayng, “up, up, up!” Pause, then say, “Down!” Build in some anticipation and excitement. A variation would be to lie on your back with your child on your chest. Lift your child into the air and back down to your chest.

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.

At Level Three your child learns to sit with some support, and use their arms to pull or push themselves on their tummy. Movement helps your child be independent in learning more about their world.

Before your child learns to crawl, they need to strengthen their arms and legs. Tummy time gives them this experience.

If your child has motor weakness, consult wth a physical therapist about how to adapt activities so your child can explore more independently.

Today’s activity: Put your child on their tummy with a toy just out of reach. This encourages your child to use their muscles to move toward an object.

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.

Play helps your child develop thinking skills they need for using language.

Today’s activity helps your child learn about cause-and-effect relationships. It also helps your child recognize they can get you to do something they want. Their action can cause an effect on what you do.

Use expectant waiting to show that you are waiting for your child to do something that means they want you to make it go. At first you can act like any of their actions meant “go.”

Be close enough so your child can touch the toy or touch your hand to show that they want the toy to go again. Always treat their touching action as if it means “go.”

Today’s activity: Use a toy that winds up or requires some other action to activate a sound or movement. Make it go one time and enjoy it together with your child. Get ready to make it go again, but wait and look at your child as if you are waiting for them to tell you what to do. Say “go” when the to starts to move.

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.

Think ahead to things you want your child to do in the future. Model those activities now, to help your child get into the routine. You will be doing the activity. Your child can watch or participate with your help.

Routines help your child learn to anticipate what will happen next. Your child can learn that we always put away toys when we are done with them, or we put away our plate when we’re done eating.

A pick-up routine helps your child become comfortable with ending an activity. It’s also helpful to show your child what will be happening next when you’re done picking up.

Today’s activity: When done with an activity, encourage your child to help put a toy away. Say, “bye-bye, toy” or “all done, food” as you put things away.

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.

Object permanence is the concept that things exist even when we can’t see them. Your child is starting to understand this idea when things are partially hidden.

Seeing something covered up and immediately revealed helps your child learn about object permanence.

Understanding object permanence will help your child understand that symbols, including words, can represent objects that aren’t present.

Today’s activity: When your child is paying attention to a toy, put it into a box. Close the box then open it again to make the toy magically appear. Make this a turn-taking game by encouraging your child to take the toy out. Use a word like “all gone” or “open” as you play.

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.

Your child is learning about using a tool to accomplish a goal. (Down the road, they will use words for the same reason.)

Other animals use tools, too. The difference between other animals and humans is that we can use words for more than just getting an immediate result. Our social uses of language are where we learn to have ideas, be creative and understand the world around us.

Today’s activity: Use a child-safe pull toy with a short string. Show your child how to pull the toy using the string. Play together pulling the toy.

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.