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Educational Series-Babies:101 (Speech)

6/16/2025

Welcome to our 6 part Educational Series! Our therapists have put together some great information on a range of topics, from developmental milestones for babies and toddlers, to picky eaters and "sensory seekers".
Please follow us on Instagram (@therapeuticbeginnings) for the live presentation; More details notes and suggestions will be found in these blog posts.
The information below is around "What can I do?" at home, from a speech approach.
“What can I do at home?”
(Given in a loose order of development)

Be aware and alert to possible hearing difficulties. Chronic ear infections can cause short-term hearing deficits, which will reduce the amount of speech your baby can process. Get hearing screenings regularly and follow-up with an audiologist if concerns arise.
Help them see your beautiful face! It’s great for the baby to see how your face and mouth is moving to create sounds. You can do this by holding things of interest near your face while you are talking about them, giving choices with the choices on either side of your face, or making gestures with your hands near your face.
Baby talk is out, infant directed speech is in. Baby talk is when you speak with child-like, cutesy speech sound errors. An example of this is “awe, widdle baby want a boddo wif miwk.” Though it feels cute and playful, we don’t want to model speech we don’t want to see. Infant directed speech is when you speech with higher pitch, exaggerated tone and intonation forming simple sentences focused on core words. This may sound clinical, but you probably do this without thinking sometimes. For examples “WOW, the bear is BIIIGGGG”
Be dramatic! Let the sound effects, animal sounds, babbles, and exclamations (like “uh-oh” “wow”) be part of your vocabulary around your baby! Tell stories, act out events, sing songs. Whatever ways you can make language fun will be beneficial.
Babble back and copy-cat. When your baby makes noise, make noise back! Even copying of a sneeze or cough can show your baby that making sounds can cause/change things happening in their environment. This carries over for gestures and facial expressions too. For example: if your baby puts something yucky in their mouth and they look disgusted, make an exaggerated grossed-out face and add some speech “ew yuck, I didn’t like that! That was yucky!”
Talk to your child a lot and often. During focused time, you can talk about things the baby is looking at using simple speech such as “Bear! Green bear. Bear is green. Wow green bear.”
Less time available for focused play? NO PROBLEM! You can be talking while doing anything. Talk about what you’re cooking, what you see while you are driving, or even the latest developments in your favorite TV show. This may look like you folding a pair of pants and saying “pants, blue pants, pants are long, pants.” What matters is your baby is getting plenty of models of speech sounds and words.

Practice sounds out loud to them. Practicing sounds that go with words as you model speech. This could look like “pop! P-p-p pop b-b-b bubble!” during bath time. Even baby brains can tell the difference between a screen and a person. Developing brains have evolved specifically to learn from their caregivers’ faces and voices in a way that simply can’t be replaced or even supplemented with a screen. MRI imaging has proven that brains “tune in” significantly more when attending to a person than a screen.
We all need our breaks occasionally, but unfortunately screen time at an early age has negative effects on speech and language development.

Here are the recommendations

0-18 months: no screen time

18-24 months: very limited screen time with “co-watching” where parent is watching with them and talking about what is happening on screen.

2-5 years: Maximum of one hour a day with co-watching.

Once their talking, help them expand. This is called recasting. For instance, if they say “car” you could say “car, big car! The big car!” This takes something they already know and shows them how it can expand.
Keep it in the zone! The Zone of Proximal Development is a concept therapist look too often. It refers to the skills the child currently has and the skills they could have with support. Children learn best when they are challenged just a little beyond their ability.
What does that mean for you? Just keep this concept in mind. Ask yourself “what are they doing now? What would be a small step above that?” Example: your child can say "bubbles" and "more bubbles" during bath time. A step above that would be adding another known word, like “more bubbles please” or it could mean adding a descriptive word, like “big bubbles.” What would be outside of this zone would be expecting “I want big bubbles again please” if the child currently only has “more bubbles.”
Most important, keep it fun!! Become comfortable modeling speech without expectation of repetition. Avoid requiring your child to repeat something before they can get what they are asking for. We want to prevent a power struggles surrounding communication.
These suggestions are equally encouraged with adjustments for sign language. Speak in whatever language you are most comfortable with. Multiple languages in the house do not delay speech.
Feel free to pick and choose the strategies that work best for your comfort level, schedule, and family culture.

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Educational Series-Babies:101

6/16/2025

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Welcome to our 6 part Educational Series! Our therapists have put together some great information on a range of topics, from developmental milestones for babies and toddlers, to picky eaters and "sensory seekers".
Please follow us on Instagram (@therapeuticbeginnings) for the live presentation; More details notes and suggestions will be found in these blog posts.
The information below is around "What can I do?" at home, from an OT approach.

What Can I Do? -OT
Gross Motor Activities for 0-1 years old
Tummy Time:

Roll blanket underneath chest/armpits or utilize boppy pillow. Place their elbows underneath their shoulders to work on head control.

If afraid of transition to tummy time from back initially, give them time in sidelying and then roll into tummy time.

Encourage free movement as much as possible.

Place toys around the baby to reach for and visually scan them.

Reaching While on Tummy: Place toys just out of reach to promote weight shifting and rolling. (3-6 months)

Tummy Time Duration:

1-2 months: 2–5-minute sessions, up to 20-30 minutes total per day.

3-4 months: 5–10-minute sessions, up to 45-60 minutes per day.

5-6 months: 10–15-minute sessions, 1-2 hours per day.

6-10 months: 15-20 minutes per session, 1-2 hours per day.

10-12 months: By this stage, babies are usually spending more time crawling, pulling to stand, and cruising—so tummy time should be integrated into play rather than a structured activity.

Visual Tracking:

Encourage child to follow rattle/preferred toy from side to side in supine.

Have your child reach for toys on their backs.

Watch out for favoring one side when lying on back; if showing preference for one side, position toys on the opposite side to encourage full neck range of motion.
In tummy time, encourage tracking from side to side.

Rolling: 6-9 Months

Rolling Games: Encourage rolling by using favorite toys or peek-a-boo with blankets.
Modified Obstacle Courses: Use couch cushions or tunnels for crawling practice.
Sitting to Reach: Offer toys at varying heights to challenge balance and dynamic stability
Sitting:
If unstable, place child with boppy pillow as support or utilize a blanket to support child. Can also place child in the corner of the couch/wall to provide some additional support.
Have them sit supported on a yoga ball to encourage core strengthening and rock them side to side allowing time for them to correct their posture until they are sitting upright again.
Encourage reaching for toys (front/side/back) to improve core strength and postural control.

Gross Motor 9–12-month Games:

Crawling Over Objects: Low cushions, foam blocks, or soft ramps enhance proprioception and motor planning.
Cruising Along Furniture: Supports lateral weight shifts and trunk control.
Push Toys or Laundry Baskets: Foster early walking and bilateral coordination.
High-contrast wrist rattles or mittens: Encourage visual tracking and spontaneous arm movement.
Gentle hand-over-hand finger play (e.g., “Itsy Bitsy Spider”) to foster tactile awareness.

Fine Motor Activities for 0-1:
0–3 months

Tummy time with lightweight crinkle toys: Boost shoulder stability while motivating.

4–6 months

Textured teething toys for mouthing and bilateral grasp.

Dangling toys over chest or in side-lying: Promotes midline orientation and reaching across the body.

Supported sitting with large, soft blocks: Encourages grasp and object manipulation.

7–9 months

Peekaboo with fabric squares: Promotes fine grasp and object permanence.

Stacking rings or nesting cups: Great for release, precision grasp, and visual-motor integration.

Simple cause-and-effect toys: (e.g., pressing buttons, flipping levers) for index isolation and problem-solving.

Stacking or Banging Objects: Containers or nesting cups help refine graded control and bilateral use.

10–12 months

Pincer grasp practice: Offer small snacks like O-shaped cereal or soft puffs on a textured surface.

Finger painting with yogurt or pudding: Perfect for sensory exploration and tactile tolerance.

Dropping objects into containers: Supports coordinated release and early tool use.

Push-Pull Lid Games: Flip-top containers or boxes with flaps promote cause-effect understanding and precision.

Simple Insert Tasks: Drop balls into a toy bin or fit shapes into easy puzzles—great for eye-hand coordination and motor planning.

Activities to Support Gross Motor Development 1-2 years old:
12–18 Months

Scooting and Climbing: Over couch cushions, therapy steps, or low foam blocks—this builds strength and motor planning.

Push-and-Pull Play: Wagons, weighted carts, or laundry baskets build core stability and bilateral coordination.

Dancing with Movement Prompts: Try "spin," "stomp," or "tiptoe" to integrate proprioception with auditory processing.

Ball Games: Rolling, kicking, or carrying oversized balls encourages coordination and shifting weight in motion.

18–24 Months

Ride-On Toys: Low scooters or striders develop core strength and navigation through space.

Obstacle Paths: Pillows to step over, tunnels to crawl through, and tape lines to walk on encourage sequencing and stability.

Animal Walks: Bear crawls, crab walks, or bunny hops tap into both imagination and gross motor patterns.

Balance Exploration: Standing on cushions, low beams, or trying a “freeze” pose mid-movement supports vestibular input and postural control.

Fine Motor/Visual Motor Activities 1-2:
Fine Motor Skills

Sticker Play: Peeling and placing large puffy stickers on paper or vertical surfaces to target finger isolation and motor precision.

Posting Games: Drop coins into a piggy bank or buttons into a slit in a container—great for pincer grasp and graded finger strength.

Play Dough Pressing & Rolling: Add rollers, stamps, or toys to embed for retrieval—wonderful for hand strength and tactile exploration.

Pom-Pom Pick-Up: Use tongs or fingers to transfer pom-poms into muffin tins or egg cartons--builds bilateral coordination and graded control.

Visual Motor Skills

Stacking & Nesting: Cups, rings, or blocks that require spatial reasoning and sequencing.
Simple Puzzles (2–4 pieces): Supports scanning, matching, and integrating hand-eye coordination.
Chalk or Crayon Scribbling: On vertical surfaces like easels or paper taped to the wall—encourages wrist extension and visual tracking.
Ball Drop Ramps or Track Toys: Promotes visual tracking, anticipation, and object permanence.
Activities to Support Gross Motor Development: 2-3 years old
Animal walks (bear crawl, frog jumps) to improve coordination.
Obstacle courses with climbing, crawling, and balancing challenges.
Ball play (rolling, throwing, kicking) to enhance hand-eye coordination.
Balance beam play to improve balance, strengthen stability, and promote self-righting reactions.
Jumping games to build leg strength and control.

Fine Motor/Visual Motor Activities 2-3:
Fine Motor Activities

Beading: Use large wooden beads or cereal onto pipe cleaners to support precision and graded release.
Scissor Snipping: Offer fringe-cutting tasks with loop scissors and thick paper strips to build hand strength and open-close patterns.
Play Dough Tool Work: Embed items to pull out with tongs, or cut with plastic knives—great for intrinsic hand muscles and bilateral use.
Clothespin Play: Clip onto cardboard shapes, stuffed animals, or a “clothesline”—targets thumb opposition and endurance.

Visual Motor Activities

Lacing Cards or Boards: Shapes or animals with holes for yarn lacing foster visual tracking and bilateral integration.
Simple Mazes and Tracing Paths: Use fingers or markers on pre-drawn paths to build prewriting and visual-motor control.
Shape Sorting with a Twist: Sort by color, size, or even texture to boost visual discrimination and spatial reasoning.
Dot-to-Dot or Sticker Paths: Encourages sequencing and hand-eye coordination as they follow a guided sequence.

We know that's a lot of information to process! Please feel free to reach out with any questions! And remember, we offer FREE in house consultations! Just contact our front desk and ask for a screening! We'd love to meet you and help you decide if early intervention is right for your child!
Next up.......Babies: 101 and speech!

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Educational Series-Babies:101 (Speech)

Educational Series-Babies:101

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