Development of Speech and Language
Every child develops at a different rate, but most go through the same stages. Listed below are the average ages of some important language and comprehension milestones as developed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Please note that like with any developmental timeline, these stages may be quite varied and perhaps met in a different order. A child who accomplishes these milestones differently may not necessarily have a developmental delay or speech disorder (and a child who hits these stages early is not necessarily a prodigy!).
- birth to 3 months
- startles to loud sounds
- smiles when spoken to
- responds to pleasure with 'cooing' noises
- 4 months to 6 months
- notices and pays attention to sounds and music
- shifts eyes in direction of sounds
- makes babbling noises that resemble speech
- 7 months to 1 year
- recognizes basic familiar words such as cup or ball
- imitates different speech sounds
- produces first words such as bye-bye or mama
- 1 year to 2 years
- listens to simple stories
- identifies pictures by name when directed (point to the cow, e.g.)
- speaks two-word sentences such as more juice or where daddy?
- 2 years to 3 years
- understands differences in meaning for basic words (up-down or in-out)
- produces three-word sentences
- can name most objects
- 3 years to 4 years
- understands questions
- talks about events
- speech is understood by most people
- 4 years to 5 years
- pays attention and responds to stories and questions
- speaks clearly
- tells detailed, ordered stories
Problems can arise at any stage of development, as well as much later in life. They can be the result of a congenital defect, a developmental disorder, or an injury. If a problem is suspected, an assessment should be made by an SLP who can diagnose and treat communication disorders.
Read more about this topic: Speech And Language Pathology In School Settings
Famous quotes containing the words development of, development, speech and/or language:
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“The problems of society will also be the problems of the predominant language of that society. It is the carrier of its perceptions, its attitudes, and its goals, for through it, the speakers absorb entrenched attitudes. The guilt of English then must be recognized and appreciated before its continued use can be advocated.”
—Njabulo Ndebele (b. 1948)