“Reach For The Sky”
Gestures are an important means of nonverbal communication, sometimes more powerful than words. The meaning and function of a gesture is very effective, maybe even more so than speech. Thus, the saying “Actions speak louder than words.”
- Before lifting your child, raise your arms and say things like, “Up, up and away,” “Do you want to go up?” and “Up we go.” After providing the model, give him a few seconds to respond with the appropriate gesture. If he does not respond then provide hand over hand assistance by using your hands to lift his.
- Repeat the gesture and decrease the use of the model until your child uses the gesture independently
