Early Communication and Development in Toddlers: 137 Games for Pre-School Children and Beyond, Designed by a Speech and Language Specialist

The author shares her insights on helping children develop essential social interaction skills. She acknowledges that some parents worry about their child's milestones and struggle to grasp some or all of the social interaction skills that are so crucial to their learning and development. However, she provides practical games and ideas that parents can use to improve their child's social interaction skills, such as attention, listening, play, eye contact, turn-taking, initiating interaction, conversational skills, following instructions, functional language, and non-verbal communication. Each chapter focuses on a specific age group, from 12 months to 5 years, but includes additional activities for slightly older children. The book also covers social stories and highlights the experiences of other parents and professionals to reassure parents that they are not alone. The author emphasizes that milestones are just guidelines and that parents should trust their instincts, as they know their child best. The social skills techniques are meant to be fun and quality time for parents and children.