As a child grows from infancy to toddlerhood, one of the most fascinating (and often entertaining) developments is when he or she begins to talk. It is usually during this time that we get our first glimpse into his or her unique personality. The first 3 years of life is a critical period for the development of speech and language. During this time, the brain is uniquely in tune to all the sights and sounds from a child’s environment, and is rapidly developing all the necessary connections for language and speech. In this article, we will explore the normal development of speech and language, signs of speech delay, some common causes of speech delay and the importance of early intervention and therapy.
Definitions
Language – Socially shared rules which include what words mean (receptive language) and how to put words together to communicate with others (expressive language)
Speech – Verbal means of communicating that consists of articulation (how sounds are made) and fluency (rhythm of speech)
1. American Speech Language/Hearing Association
Normal Speech Development
Infants begin processing language and word associations at an amazingly young age. New research suggests infants recognize their own name at 4 months of age and although they may only use 1 or 2 words, they likely recognize hundreds of words by 12 months of age. Receptive language (what speech a child understands) is much superior than expressive language (what a child can articulate) in these first few years of life. It is important to remember that certain sounds are beyond the oral/motor capability of toddlers until they reach a certain age. In fact, certain sounds such as “th, sh, ch, k” usually cannot be pronounced accurately until age 6 or 7. The following table is a short list of normal speech and language development by age and includes some common “red flags” pediatricians are on the lookout for that may indicate a child needs further professional evaluation.
Age What your child should be able to do Red flags
1 -3 months Responds to sounds, coos, chuckles Does not startle to loud noises
- Moves body in response to voice
4 -6 months Laughs
- Babbles more than 2 sounds
- Imitates sounds like “ooh” and “ahh”
- Responds to his or her name
9 months Says “Mama”, “Baba” or “Dada”
12 months Says 1 or 2 words Does not use single words
- Follows simple directions like “Mama” or “Dada”
- Waves bye-bye
15 months Says 4 or 5 words
- Will point to people and objects
18 months Knows names of things and people Does not use at least 15 words
24 months Uses 2 or 3 words together Does not follow simple instructions
- Says “mine”
- About half of speech is understandable
36 months Speaks in at least 3 word sentences Does not use language to
- Follows 2 requests communicate more than his/her
- About 75% of speech is understandable immediate need
4 years 90% of speech should be understandable Speech is still difficult to understand
- Able to name objects/animals in pictures
5 years Speech should be totally understandable
- (although he or she may have articulation problems)
- Understands common opposites – big/little, hard/soft
* For more extensive information, The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association offers a detailed chart of language development online. Visit www.asha.org
by Dr. Aylin Ozdemir, “Dr. O”, Pediatric Associates of Jacksonville – January 2010
Pediatric Associates of Jacksonville
904-273-6533
2 Fairfield Blvd, Suite 11, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
904-743-2100
8011 Merrill Rd, Suite 4, Jacksonville, FL 32277
