LittlEARS Item 13

13. Does your child look for sound sources located above or below?

Your child will search for a sound coming from above or below. The child may turn their head, move in the direction of the sound, or look at the person/item making the sound.

Example Situation

Your child turns attention away from you to look at a new sound source. For example, a familiar song plays over the speakers in the store! Your child looks up to locate the source of the sound.

This can also occur if a toy or rattle drops onto the ground and the baby looks down.

Perhaps an airplane flies overhead and the baby looks up.

How to address this skill:

Directing the child to the sound is a strategy to provide opportunities for a child to hear a familiar sound, draw a connection to hearing it, and processing that what they hear is what the sound is:

Adult says, "I hear it. They are playing music!"

Child searches for sound. Looks at source of sound.

Adult reinforces, "I hear the music - it is playing up! Let's dance to the music".