Supporting toddlers in responding to their name

In early development, responding to their name is a foundational skill for young children to master. It helps you get your child’s attention and lets you know they're listening.

Most children start looking at you when you say their name at around five months old.

If your child isn’t doing this yet, that’s okay. The tips in this lesson will help you encourage your child to look at you when you say their name.

Tips for helping your child respond to their name

Tip 1 - Practice with your child's "real" name

Step one is to make sure you're practicing with the name you call your child most often.

Expect your child to respond to the name you call them most often. If you want them to respond to their “real” name, be sure to use their real name more often than their nickname.

Tip 2 - Provide positive social reinforcement whenever they respond

Now that you're practicing with the name you want your child to respond to, it’s important to reward your child when they do look at you. The reward should be social — you can smile, talk to them, tickle them, or do something silly. Positive reinforcement will encourage your child to respond to their name more often in the future because they’ll remember it as a happy experience.

Tip 3 - Practice with different people in a variety of settings

Once your child begins to respond when you call their name, practice this skill with other familiar people and in new settings. You’ll know your child has mastered the skill when they respond to many different people calling their name in a variety of settings.

Keep in mind that because your child is used to the sound of your voice, it might take several tries for them to begin responding to their name when a new person calls them.

Download our 3 at home activity guides for responding to their name ↓

---

Responding to name at home activity: Wake up routine

Materials:

None 

Set-up:

You will begin this as soon as you enter the room where your child is napping/sleeping

What to do:

Practicing a child’s name in a routine and predictable situation will build their attention to it. When they’re learning to respond to their name, if I just randomly say their name in the midst of talking to my friend, my daughter is not likely to respond. But by practicing within a familiar routine, she is more likely to give some extra attention to what I’m saying--her name. 

So I like to practice children's names when getting them up from naps or when they wake in the mornings. This gives us a routine situation, and a way to practice 2-4 times a day, depending on their sleep schedule. Our kids are often so excited to see us when we get them from their crib or allow them up from their bed. Or they’re desperate to be picked up. Either way, let’s capitalize on those big feelings ! 

What to say:

When you first enter the room/sleeping space, maybe before you even turn on the light, call their name. “Keisha… Hiiii Keisha.” As you continue walking in the room, turn on the light, open the blinds, whatever you do, add in phrases with their name in them. You don’t have to say the exact same thing every time, but examples include: 

"Hiii Keisha!! 

Keisha, Mommy's here. 

Mommy’s here for Keisha. 

Keisha, time to wake up. 

Yaaaay Keisha's awake, let's go play" 

Try to use a voice that portrays calm happiness or excitement in your voice, depending on what they’re feeling and need from you. We want to use our words and their name to excite them or soothe them.

---

Get 2 more free activities when you download our lesson guide ↓

---

You May Also Like These At Home Speech Therapy Tips And Activities:

• Teaching your toddler to listen to “NO!” in safety situations 

• Learning toddler’s individual communication signs

• Supporting toddlers in back and forth play with people

• Supporting joint attention skills in toddlers

Created In Collaboration By:

Stephanie Keffer, MS CCC-SLP

Stephanie Burgener-Vader, MA CCC-SLP

Melissa Sartori, MS CCC-SLP

Yvette Faire-Bostick, MS CCC-SLP

---

Questions parent commonly asked when working on this lesson:

• When do babies respond to their name?

  Look for your baby to begin responding to their name around 5 months old.

• My baby is not responding to their name, what should I do?

  If your baby isn’t responding when you call their name you can start practicing with the tips and activities in this lesson today.

  Also be sure to talk to your child’s pediatrician about other ways you can support your child, this may include a hearing test.

• If my child doesn't respond to their name, does it mean they have autism?

  Not looking at someone who calls their name is one characteristic of autism. If your child does not look when you call their name it doesn’t necessarily mean they have autism.

  Learn common parent reported characteristics of autism with our Characteristics of Autism Checklist.

© 2020-2022. Stephanie Keffer, MS CCC-SLP. All Rights Reserved.

The content offered on ToddlerTalk.com is for informational purposes only. Toddler Talk is not engaged in rendering professional advice, whether medical or otherwise, to individual users or their children or families. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor, speech language pathologist, or other health professional. By accessing the content on ToddlerTalk.com, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting the responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. In return for providing you with information related to home speech and language practice, you waive any claims that you or your child may have as a result of utilizing the content on ToddlerTalk.com.