How to Get baby to respond to their name

Most babies have a natural reaction to sounds. By 6 months, you should have observed by now if your baby does not respond to loud or abrasive sounds. You need to get your baby's hearing tested if they did not get their infant hearing test completed at birth or if you suspect a hearing difficulty. If your child has had any ear infections, you should make sure the infection has completely cleared up. Recurring ear infections are a cause of infant language delay. 

step 1: Respond to sound (within their line of sight)

If baby's hearing is normal, then we need to teach baby that they should be responding to sounds. We achieve this by operant conditioning. You may recall the name from a psychology class. Operant conditioning is training someone to do something by reinforcing the correct behaviors. So we will be reinforcing the behavior (turning towards the sound) and reinforcing that with something desirable for baby (tickles, a toy, etc.)

1. Sit directly in front of your child where they see you. 
2. Make sure your child is awake and alert when you try this, but engaged with another toy or object. 
3. In your hand, have an object you will use as a reinforcement if you choose to reinforce with a preferred toy. 
4. Start making noise.  I like to use a noisy object as a reinforcer as well. You can do this by clapping, banging, shaking a rattle, etc. 
5. Keep doing this until your child looks over at you. 
6. When he does, immediately reward them by handing them the reinforcer.  You will know best what your child is likely to enjoy most.  If your child responds to smiles, hugs, tickles, or a favorite toy. Avoid food as a reinforcer. 
   1. If your child is still not looking at you, you can move yourself closer so you are practically in their face so that they accidently look at you.   
      
   2. Wait a moment or two and move to a slightly different position that is still in your baby’s line of sight.  
   3. Then, start making all the commotion again. 
   4. Once again, reward your baby for looking at you.

STEP 2: RESPOND TO SOUND (out of LINE OF SIGHT)

Now that your child is able to respond when you make a loud sound in his line of vision, we want him to start responding when he can’t immediately see the source of the noise.

1. You can start this activity at the edge of your child’s line of vision. 
   
2. Start in a position where he can probably just barely see you out of the corner of his eye. 
   
3. Make your noise and commotion and call his name just like you did in the last step. 
   
4. If he looks over, reward him just like the last step. 
   
5. If not, keep moving yourself farther into his line of vision until he does look at you and then reward him. 
   
6. Each time you do this and he is successful at looking at you, move slightly farther out of his line of vision. 
   
7. Once you are completely out of his line of vision, you will want to reward him when he turns his head to look for you.  For example, if you are standing behind your baby and slightly to the right when you make your sound and he turns his head toward the right, immediately come around to the front of him again and reward him for turning.  You can say things like “there’s Mommy!” and “you found Mommy!” to reinforce him as well.  Keep using the tangible rewards though if he needs them (like a toy, milk, or food).
   
8. Make sure to practice this on both sides of your baby so he’s not always turning toward the same side to find you.
   

STEP 3: RESPOND TO name

Now that your child will respond when you make a big noise and commotion, we want your child to respond just as well to your voice.

1. Start off back in front of your child where he can see you. 
   
2. Call your child’s name like you did before but this time don’t clap, bang, or make any other noise, just use your voice.  You can say things like “Look at Mommy”, “Where’s Mommy?”, “Oh _____(child’s name), where are you?”.  If your child looks at you, reward him just like in the other steps.  If not, move into his line of vision until he accidently looks at you and reward him again. 
   
3. Keep doing this until he is consistently looking toward your voice. 
   
4. Then, start moving farther and farther outside of his line of vision.  Keep rewarding any time he turns toward your voice.  You should also be rewarding him any time you see him turn toward your voice throughout the day.  You don’t have to be specifically working on it at the time.