Early Language Delays/Early Intervention
There are many stages/milestones children move through as they develop speech and language skills, including receptive, expressive, and pragmatic language. Receptive language refers to comprehending and processing language. Expressive language refers to communicating both verbally (e.g., speaking) and nonverbally (e.g., signing). Speech therapy can help children who experience delays in meeting these important receptive and/or expressive language delays.
Receptive Language:
By 12 months, a child should discover the fun of games such as “peek-a-boo” and “patty-cake”, recognizes names of familiar objects, begins to respond to requests, and questions.
Between 1-2 years, a child should point to pictures in a book when named, point to some body parts, follow simple commands, understand simple questions, and enjoys listening to stories, songs, and rhymes.
Between 2-3 years, a child should understand 2-step commands, basic concepts (e.g. hot/cold, stop/go, in/out), and become excited when they hear certain noises (i.e. telephone ringing, doorbell).
Expressive Language:
By 15 months, a child should produce a handful of words.
By 18 months, a child should produce 10 words.
By 2 years, a child should produce 50-100 words.
By 3 years, a child should produce 1,000 words.
Pragmatic Language:
By 12 months, a child should coo/squeal for attention, differentiated vocalizations (e.g. hunger vs anger), communicate with actions/gestures, recognize familiar people, wave ‘bye’, shake head ‘no’, reaches to request, directs others behavior.
Between 12-18 months, a child should follow directions, use conversational ritual words, bring object to show adults, request objects with gestures, vocalize ‘no’, parallel play emerges, and turn-taking.
Between 18-24 months, a child should greet, maintain contact, answer questions, request information, pretend.
Between 24-30 months, a child should increase topic maintenance, use polite terms, tease, lie, and talk about absent objects.
Between 30-36 months, a child should maintain topic, clarify information, give opinion, narratives are sequenced, talk about past events, and interact with peers appropriately; use conversational and social rules.