If your child is not meeting milestones, let your pediatrician know and call early intervention for your state. Your child may qualify for free or low cost therapies such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. You can also contact a private speech therapist (speech language pathologist) for an evaluation. It’s best to act early and get your child help as soon as possible.

In this video Ms Rachel models:

First words such as mama, dada, uh-oh, ball, animal sounds, and car sound effects

First sentences such as “What’s that?” “I did it” and “I want toys!”

Gestures, which are shown to promote language development (Babies who use more gestures 9-16 months use more verbal language two years later) You can try for 16 gestures by 16 months old.

Milestones such as clapping, waving, copying gestures, blow a kiss, point to one or more body parts, shaking head “no,” nodding “yes,” pointing with index finger, hold a toy and shake it, give a high five, quiet sign, smile at people, copy facial expressions like smiling and frowning, find hidden things easily, knows what things are for such as a telephone, brush and spoon.

Fun games to play with baby such as Peek-A-Boo, Pat-A-Cake, This Little Piggy, Blowing bubbles, rolling a ball, with baby, stacking blocks, using shape sorters, puzzles and more!