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Says “No” meaningfully 12-18 months

Universal Language Strategies for age 12-18 months old

• NOTE: The strategies for Language Development for this age range are the same for all of the milestones listed.
• Imitate any sounds that your toddler makes back to her, allowing her to see how excited you are.
• Sing songs to her involving hand gestures such as “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” “The Wheels on the Bus.”
• Continually talk to her about what you are doing throughout her day including during play, mealtime, bath time, while changing her, where you are going when you get into the car, what you see when you are in a new place, or while going for a walk.
• Tell her the name of toys/items/animals that she shows an interest in. Describe the item by color, size, what the animal says, etc.
• Talk to her about her body parts during bath time showing her that she has a “tummy” and mommy also has a “tummy.”
• Always refer to yourself as “Mama”/”Mommy” and “Dada”/”Daddy” throughout the day.
• Hold objects up by your face when you are naming them when possible to help establish eye contact with her (which will help her attend to what you are saying)
• Provide her with choices and allow her to point to her “choice”: “Do you want the ball or the car?” – Holding the choices up by your face while presenting them to her to help her establish eye contact with you
  • When she makes her choice, say” “Ok, you want the _____. Here’s your ______!”
• NOTE: Babies will imitate gestures (i.e. waving, hand signs, pointing) before they will imitate words.
  • When you baby starts to imitate “everything you do with your hands” (i.e. motions to song, lifting your arms for “hurray”), they are getting closer to imitating saying the words they are hearing.