The Interaction Coach

At the ASHA convention I heard a report on research using Project ImPACT, an NDBI that taught parents to use strategies with their child. Good results were found with both in-person and telepractice …

Here’s Dr. Wetherby’s report on an effective parent coaching program and possibilities for online delivery.

Visit the Autism Navigator for the free screening tool plus parent education modules with v…

Here’s the link for the waiting list for the course teaching parent strategies for supporting your child’s communication development.  

Your child’s memory for objects helps them develop preferences …

I just returned from the national convention of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. I heard several presentations about research on naturalistic, developmental behavioral interventions.…

Your child’s cognitive development shows up in how they now react to you leaving. They understand object permanence so they know you are still somewhere when you disappear. They miss you when you lea…

During this level your child may start to show they want to do more for themself. Self-help skills tend to develop without our awareness of how they are shaped by the child’s growing independence and…

In the future, your child will be learning to manage their feelings. At this level, though, they will just go with their initial reaction. If something happens that they don’t like or is upsetting, t…

Your child will start to recognize that things don’t magically appear and disappear. They might want to keep doing or having something and will miss it when it’s gone.

Your child can start to see con…

Your child will start to show preferences for certain objects or experiences. It’s useful for your child to have a preferred object they can use for soothing when they are tired or upset. Using a soo…

Send questions about the podcast or communication development to [email protected].

Skills that develop in Level Four include knowing that people who go away still exist, so your child is mor…

Your child will enjoy repeating an activity to get a reaction. They might like the way an object reacts, like when blocks fall down or something makes noise. They might like the way you react, like w…

Your child starts to anticipate what action comes next during a daily routine like dressing. That makes routines the perfect place to introduce more turn taking.

Today's activity: Pause at key points…

Skills that develop during Level Four include: imitate unfamiliar actions they can see themselves making, extend arm or leg to assist when dressing, play social games and finger plays, exchange objec…

Your child will develop preferences or dislikes at this level. Observe their degree of attention and body language for clues to how they feel about your shared experience.

Today's activity: Notice yo…

Send your questions to [email protected].

Your child will learn to invite you to look at something when you interpret their glance as an invitation to pay attention to what they are holding o…

Share your child’s attention instead of distracting from it. Your child needs to learn there’s enjoyment in sharing attention.

After you establish this shared enjoyment, you’ll be able to share more …

Joint attention is when both people are sharing attention toward some other object or activity.

Joint attention is achieved by the end of this level. Your child will look at an object when you point …

Be alert to any time when your child shows they want to start an interaction. This builds their understanding of the power of communication.

You might notice your child use a motion that you have use…

Download your list of Targets and Activities for Level Four here.

Finger plays set to music are engaging for most children: Itsy-Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, Open Shut Them, Where is Thumkin?, If…

Download your list of Targets and Activities for Level Four here.

We begin Level Four with a reminder of the importance of social interaction as the foundation for all our uses of speech, language an…