Observe whether the child: turns to look at someone who is talking to them
Three ways this behaviour shows up as a child grows. Each level includes everyday moments to watch for.
Your child is beginning to notice a person talking nearby and may turn their eyes or head toward the voice, but the response is still brief, delayed, or easier when the speaker is close.
What you might see
Your child turns to look at someone who is talking to them, showing a reliable head or eye turn toward the person’s voice during everyday interaction.
What you might see
Your child often turns on their own toward familiar and unfamiliar speakers, keeps looking during the interaction, and does this across different places and positions.
What you might see
Small everyday moments where you can notice this behaviour without setting up anything special.
When you talk to your child from beside them, notice whether they turn their eyes or head toward you.
During feeding or diapering, pause and speak gently, then watch whether your child looks toward your face.
Try this with another familiar adult and see whether your child turns toward that person’s voice too.
The dataset source and any supporting developmental research.
Stenhaug, B., Ram, N., & Frank, M. C. (2021). The Stanford SHQ: A measure of early developmental milestones.
The SHQ item asks parents to observe whether the child turns to look at someone who is talking to them.
Brazelton, T. B., & Nugent, J. K. (1995). Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (3rd ed.). Mac Keith Press.
Early infant assessments commonly include orienting to voices and faces as observable signs of attention and early social responsiveness.