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NORMAL SPEECH/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
The following normative data have been collected from a variety of sources.
Milestones at birth – 6 Months
- Shows interest in the sound, tone, and volume of voices
- Quieted by a familiar voice
- Adapts to various noise levels
- Responds to various sounds/voices by blinking, crying, quieting, changing breathing, or looking startled
- Watches speaker’s face
- Stops moving when name is called (4 – 6/7 months)
- Cries, coos, gurgles, and creates other sounds from back of mouth to show pleasure or displeasure
- Produces mostly vowel sounds earlier on (e.g., ahhhh, uhhhh, oohhh)
- Begins producing consonant sounds such as “m”, “k”, “g”, “p”, “b”. (6 months)
Milestones at 6 – 12 Months
- Shows a reaction to certain words (e.g., no, bye bye)
- Follows some simple commands accompanied by a gesture (e.g.,
- Pick up your blanket.)
- Anticipates an event and responds to it (e.g., How big is Joey? – Soooo big)
- Listens selectively and attentively (e.g., Body becomes still when he hears “mommy” or “daddy”)
- Bounces to the beat of a favorite song
- Copies sounds made by others
- Mimics mouth movements
- Uses intentional gestures, pushing or pulling to communicate nonverbally
- Produces most vowels (6 months)
- Repetitive and variable babbling (e.g., puhpuhpuh, dadadada, badababee)
- Manipulates pitches and tones to resemble real words and sentences (Has a beginning singsong pattern)
- First words appear around 12 months.
Milestones at 12 – 18 Months
- Identifies familiar objects when named (Points to or gets object.)
- Understands up to 50 words
- Understands simple commands (e.g., Give Teddy a kiss.)
- Looks to family members when named
- Has a vocabulary of 3 – 20 words
- Uses one word sentences with gestures and jargon to communicate
- May leave off sounds at the beginning or end of words
Milestones at 18 – 24 Months
- The following normative data have been collected from a variety of sources.
- Points to 3
- 5 body parts on self when named
- Follows simple directions without cues/gestures
- Understands up to 200 words
- Has a vocabulary of more than 20 and as many as 45 words
- Refers to self by name
- Uses single words, jargon and gestures
- Beginning to use 2 word utterances (e.g., More juice, No sleep.)
Milestones at 2 – 3 Years
- Follows 2 step commands (e.g., Come here and get your juice.)
- Understands several pronouns (Him, his, your, mine)
- Points to pictures in a book when named
- Understands some quantity concepts (i.e., one versus all)
- Understands simple prepositions (e.g., in, out, on, off)
- Understands some descriptive words (e.g., big, little, wet, dirty, fast, slow)
- Uses pronouns (e.g., you, me, my, mine)
- Begins to use his own name
- Vocabulary increases from 45/50 words to between 200 and 300 intelligible words
- Uses 3-4 word combinations (By age 3)
- Begins to use some grammatical markers (i.e., -ing verb ending, plural and possessive “s” ending)
- Uses negatives (won’t can’t, don’t)
- Uses words like “because”, “or”, and “if”
- Asks simple questions (i.e., Who, What Where, Yes/No)
- Creates monologues when in crib
- Uses rising inflection to ask questions
- Speech is 60-70% understandable to unfamiliar listeners
- May leave off sounds at ends of words
- Uses “p,b,m,n,w,h,f,ng,y,k,g,t,d”
Milestones at 3 – 4 Years
- Knows many more body parts
- Knows most primary colors
- Begins to make inferences (e.g., If I do this, then this will happen)
- Follows three action commands (e.g., Get your shoes, put them on and get your coat.)
- Vocabulary increases to 900-1500 words by 4 years of age
- Can count to ten
- Retells stories
- Uses “would, should, wouldn’t, shouldn’t”
- Uses future tense verbs (i.e., will)
- Over generalizes rules of grammar (I eated a banana.)
- Answers “When” questions
- Begins to understand simple jokes
- Begins to use language to communicate inner thoughts and feelings
- Imitates most adult sounds and words
- Sings various songs
- Creates imaginary friends
- Begins to speak clearly enough so that strangers can understand him
Milestones at 4 – 5 Years
- Speaks clearly enough for strangers to understand him
- Remembers parts of stories and creates her own stories
- Makes inferences
- Interpret language very literally
- Asks “How”, “When” and “Why” questions
Milestones at 5 – 6 Years
- Understands concepts “first” and “last”
- Understands about 4000 words
- Understands concepts of “right” and “left”
- Understands more quantity concepts (e.g., whole, half)
- Understands some jokes, surprise, make – believe/pretend
- Has mastered grammatical rules. Uses adult – like grammar (e.g., – verb tenses, filler words, plurals, possessives, irregular plurals, irregular verb tenses, etc.)
- Has mastered most speech sounds
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