Turn-taking

Turn-taking is a very important step for our child to develop comunication. A smile, a look, a movement even a burp or a sneeze could be counted as a turn.

Look always carefully at what kind of reaction your child is showing while you are interacting with him. He is might showing you something that could interest him.

Balanced conversation starts with getting face to face, observing what he is doing, waiting for his reaction and listening.

Take short turns and make sure you and your child are taking an equal number of tuns.

There are strategies that could help your child taking turns:

• give your child a visual helper like an object, a gesture, a sign or a picture (sound stimulation plus visual stimoulation helps you child learns best);
• make a pause while doing routine activities and look at your child with an expression that's telling him you are waiting for him to take a turn before continuing;
• play and sing with your child; match with the game and song some actions your child can imitate to take a turn (ex: the song "if you are happy and you know"); if after few times your child still not imitating you, gently put your hands over his and show him how to do the action;
• ask questions and wait to give him the time to respond; just ask one question at a time.

If you child still not take a turn do it for him and say what he could do.

Do not pressure him to imitate your example but carry on and take your next turn.