What really matters- Exchanges that involve imitation- Whitney began imitating her older brother and sister and they could teach her new tricks like clapping. Whit was now able to hold a mental picture in her head of her sister Kenly clapping. She could also now combine this image with information about her own body. Kenly’s clap was translated into Whitney’s clap and this if the foundation of social imitation and a powerful tool for learning new behaviors. Whit seemed to enjoy imitating familiar people in familiar activities.

How to put it into practice- Now is when the great technique of modeling comes in handy. In my detective role, I would see what Whitney seemed to be keenly observing. So I observed her being particularly interested in her older sisters hands as Kenly clapped. Kenly and I then began to “model” the clap -- really slowing down the action and exaggerating the movements. Whitney quickly got on and starting clapping away. She did that with sounds and other behaviors she found of interest.

(read more about I3 Dev Focus: Exchanges)