True or False: Infants and toddlers need positive responses to their vocalizations only if we understand what they are saying.

Infants and toddlers benefit immensely from positive responses to their vocalizations regardless of whether adults understand the specific meaning behind those sounds. Engaging with young children in this way is crucial for their social and emotional development. When caregivers respond positively—through smiles, eye contact, or encouraging words—it helps infants and toddlers feel valued and boosts their confidence in communicating. This interaction also supports the development of language skills, as children learn that their attempts to communicate elicit a reaction from adults. Positive responses create a rich environment for language learning and encourage children to experiment with sounds, eventually leading to more complex speech. Thus, the necessity for positive responses is not contingent upon comprehension but rather on the encouragement of communication itself.