Have you ever walked into a child care and notice mirrors on the walls? In some infant or young toddler rooms, they are placed at ground level. Why is this? As infants, it is important for babies to see their own reflections, as well as, the reflections of those that care for them. This is a great way to teach them they have a name and so do the other people around them(Hi Joey, Hi Daddy – as you wave). It is also helpful for them to see their actions, giving them the visual feedback as their movements are giving them proprioceptive and vestibular feedback.
Mirrors can be helpful to begin teaching body part identification, for both themselves and on other people(Joey’s nose, Mommy’s nose). Also, it’s a fun way to give them awareness of how their mouth moves and sounds they can make.
For those children that are delayed in their speech and language skills, this can be helpful. However, some may avoid looking in the mirror and resist when it’s introduced. In my experience, these are the kiddos that also resist imitation for a long time. Anecdotally, there seems to be a connection in their perception of potentially failing at the task. They avoid at all costs until they feel confident that the attempt will be a perfect imitation.
If you have a child that does not enjoy looking in the mirror and making silly faces, try setting up a mirror where he/she plays the most. They may end up watching themselves play periodically, learning about how their bodies move. This could aid in less resistance to watching themselves, and you in the mirror. Once they realize watching themselves move their bodies(including their mouths)can help them to imitate more accurately, you can begin to teach them new sounds and words. Have fun and provide a lot of reinforcement as they try new things outside of their comfort zone!
