Tips for Parents and Caregivers

These are the questions parents ask us most. Pick a topic below — or type a word to find it fast.

The Early Months

When do babies start cooing? cooing baby cooing sounds ooh aah goo vowel sounds 6 weeks 8 weeks 2 months 3 months serve and return babbling back and forth conversation turn taking infant newborn When do babies smile? social smile reflexive smile first smile 6 weeks 8 weeks smiling back serve and return eye contact face communication connection interaction newborn infant milestone When do babies start laughing? when do babies laugh laughing giggling belly laugh first laugh chuckles giggles 3 months 4 months 5 months 6 months peekaboo anticipation games funny faces tickle serve and return communication milestone infant newborn When do babies start babbling? babbling baby babble sounds bababa dadada mama gaga jargon consonant vowel 4 months 5 months 6 months 7 months 8 months 9 months serve and return first word precursor infant When do babies start waving, clapping, pointing and blowing kisses? when do babies clap wave point blow kisses gestures baby milestones 9 10 11 12 months bye bye so big peek-a-boo 16 gestures 16 months high five joint attention When do babies respond to their name? when do babies respond to their name name recognition turning head hearing name called joint attention 5 months 6 months 7 months 8 months 9 months 12 months autism sign hearing test social communication How early are babies learning language? prenatal unborn womb fetus newborn infant brain development language milestones first year neural connections Should we use baby talk? motherese parentese infant directed speech CDS high pitched voice newborn talking to baby Should we use a pacifier? dummy soother thumb sucking teeth bite orthodontic weaning binky paci pacifier sucky nuk When should you start a sippy cup? sippy cup when to start cup transition bottle to cup straw open cup valve spill proof teeth speech development tongue thrust 6 months Does tongue-tie affect speech? tongue tie ankyloglossia lingual frenulum frenotomy breastfeeding over diagnosed AAP speech sounds articulation newborn infant

How Your Baby Learns Language

When do babies say their first word? when do babies say first word first words age baby first word babbling mama dada animal sounds woof signs gestures infants talking consistent meaning intention cooing When do babies start saying “Mama” and “Dada”? when do babies say mama dada first word mamamama dadadada babbling first birthday imitate sounds consistent meaning voila dada before mama animal sounds When do toddlers start talking? when do toddlers start talking first words mama dada babbling word approximations unclear speech harder to understand two word phrases vocabulary pronunciation kitty bottle cracker Can babies be bilingual? two languages second language multilingual ESL language mixing both languages French Spanish bilingual Can baby sign language help my baby learn to talk? sign language ASL signing baby signs more sign milk sign all done does sign language delay speech gestures signing with baby Is Ms. Rachel good for babies? Miss Rachel vs. Cocomelon miss rachel ms rachel cocomelon screen time babies toddlers educational TV shows language development speech language pathologist parentese slow speech screen time recommendations

When You’re Worried About Talking

My baby isn’t talking yet. late talker 2 year old not talking two year old first words language delay pretend play 18 months how many words word count signs count as words Can 2 year olds talk? 2 year old not talking two year old speech 24 months vocabulary two word phrases late talker language delay speech therapy toddler word count milestones Why isn’t my baby talking yet? SLP referral evaluation hearing test audiologist assessment late talker when to worry speech pathologist My toddler talks a lot but nobody can understand them. hard to understand unintelligible articulation consonants unclear speech sounds pronunciation phonological disorder what age should a child start talking clearly speech clarity My toddler understands everything but won’t talk. receptive language expressive language apraxia selective mutism hearing assessment late talker not speaking silent won't say words What is the best treatment for speech delay? speech therapy intervention speech pathologist language therapy treatment options articulation What will my child actually do in speech therapy? speech exercises home practice games play therapy what happens in speech therapy drills practice sounds Can I do speech therapy activities at home? speech therapy at home home program home activities speech exercises at home language activities parent home practice late talker follow the child model expand narrate comment wait serve and return

Easy Ways to Build Language Every Day

What are the best toddler learning activities for language? toddler learning activities activities for toddlers 1 year old 18 month old 2 year old pretend play put teddy to bed feed a cow silly mistakes encourage talking expressive language commenting quizzing back and forth Why not use drive time to work on language? driving commute road trip car seat music songs travel bath time diaper change Preventing toddler tantrums. meltdowns behavior emotional regulation terrible twos outbursts hitting biting frustration What can I do when my toddler is whining? fussing crying frustrated whinging nagging complaining demanding My toddler doesn’t listen. following directions attention comprehension ignores obey hearing understanding commands

Books, Play & Learning

How do I read to my baby so my baby will listen? books reading literacy storytime board books picture books lap reading shared reading What language and literacy activities do toddlers actually need? literacy reading readiness pre-reading alphabet phonics preschool kindergarten school readiness following directions categories grammar storytelling vocabulary describing words concepts What infant activities actually help build my baby’s language? baby language tummy time sensory babbling cooing newborn 0-6 months first year serve and return nursery rhymes songs peek-a-boo finger plays narrate your day when do babies start babbling

Toys & Gifts

What are the best toys for language development? educational toys language toys play blocks cause and effect open ended toy gifts What are the best baby shower gifts to encourage language development? baby shower gifts language development bath toys rubber duck waterproof book board books puppets teddy bear stuffed animal nursery rhymes gift ideas new baby Do electronic toys help babies learn to talk? toys to avoid electronic toys flashing singing battery operated bells whistles lights music xylophone drum piano mat alphabet toys rote learning what to buy instead open ended toys gifts What are the best developmental toys for a 1 year old? first birthday gift ideas best gifts 1 year old first birthday farm set playhouse train set dump truck play food books one year old language development speech toys developmental Do you need special bilingual baby books? bilingual baby books two languages multilingual gift ideas board books French Spanish Cree Ukrainian second language raising a bilingual child

Social Skills & Autism Support

What are good social skills games for babies and toddlers? peek-a-boo back and forth serve and return joint attention eye contact interaction cause and effect games facial expressions Free Regulation Cards and Visual Schedules transitions routine printable free download sensory anxiety change behaviour self regulation calm autism visual schedule regulation cards What is joint attention, and why does it matter for my child? joint attention definition joint attention activities autism social communication gaze following serve and return turn taking pretend play face reading social cues ASD milestone Is lining up toys a sign of autism? lining up toys hand flapping covering ears chewing clothes thumb sucking autism signs stimming repetitive behavior toddler baby social communication pattern developmental evaluation
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