An unborn baby’s hearing starts to develop early. And at birth, a baby’s
hearing is fully functioning. The ability to hear is vital for correct speech
and language development.
“It’s important to remember that not every child is the same,” said
speech language pathologist, Narcine Eggert. “Children develop
at their own rate. Parents and caregivers should trust their own
instincts as they know their child best. If you have concerns
about your child’s development, there is no downside in
seeking evaluation from a specialist.”
Below are some important age-related language
and communication milestones from birth to the
first 36 months of life.
Birth to three months
- Makes sounds other than crying
- Reacts to loud sounds
- Smiles at people
Four to six months
- Coos and babbles when playing alone or with people
- Giggles and laughs
- Moves eyes in the direction of sounds
Seven to 12 months
- Babbles long strings of sounds like “mimi,” “upup,” and “babababa”
- Uses sounds and gestures to get and keep attention
- Looks when you point
- Turns and looks in direction of sounds
- Points to objects and shows them to others
- Says one or two words like hi, go, dada, or mama
- Starts to respond to simple words and phrases like “no”, “come here” and “want more?”
- Uses gestures like waving bye, reaching for “up”, and shaking head “no”
One to two years
- Points to a few body parts when asked
- Follows one-part directions, such as “roll the ball” or “kiss the baby”
- Points to pictures in books when you name them
- Uses many new words
- Uses p, b, m, h, and w in words
- Starts to put two words together such as “more apple” and “mommy book”
- Starts to name pictures in books
- Asks what, who and where questions
Two to three years
- Follows two-part directions such as “Get the spoon and put it on the table.”
- Understands opposite words such as go/stop, big/little and up/down
- Has a word for familiar people, places, things, and actions
- Talks about things that are not in the room
- Uses k, g, f, t, d and n in words
- Uses words like in, on, and under
- Puts three words together to talk about and ask for things
- Asks “why” questions
Source: American Speech-Language and Hearing Association
If you have concerns about your child’s speech or hearing, it’s important to identify them early. Talk with your child’s doctor so you can begin to engage in appropriate intervention services if necessary.