Series – whatisspeechtherapy.com

Integrated Treatment Services. is writing a series of articles based on the content of the ‘What Is Speech Therapy’ website, a fantastic resource for parents and carers who have questions about their child’s speech and language development. Part 1 of the serieshttps://integratedtreatmentservices.co.uk/news/item/0/142/what-is-speech-therapy-/?a=nh) focused on the typically developing speech and language milestones expected of infants aged from birth to 6 months of age.

This week, we will be focusing again on typical speech and language development, but this time for:  2. 7 Months to 3 Years Milestones (from the American Speech-Hearing-Language Association)

(from the American Speech-Hearing-Language Association)

7 Months – 1 Year

Hearing and Understanding

• Enjoys games like peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake
• Turns and looks in direction of sounds
• Listens when spoken to
• Recognizes words for common items like “ball”, “book”, “pan”Begins to respond to requests (e.g. “Go there” or “Want out?”)

Talking

• Babbling has long and short groups of sounds such (e.g. “tata upup bibibibi”)
• Uses speech or noncrying sounds to get and keep attention
• Uses gestures to communicate (waving, holding arms to be picked up)
• Imitates different speech sounds
• Has one or two words (hi, dog,dada, mama) around first birthday, although sounds may not be clear

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can my baby understand me when I speak to him/her?

Yes. But they don’t know how to say the words we use.

• Should I be concerned if my child is not as advanced as another child?

Generally, no. Speech and language development doesn’t follow a strict schedule. Every child learns at a     different pace. Children learning more than one language will take longer because there’s more information to process.

　1 – 2 Year Milestones

Hearing and Understanding

• Points to a few body parts when asked
• Follows simple commands and understands simple questions (“Roll the ball,” “Kiss the baby,” “Where’s your shoe?”)
• Listens to simple stories, songs, and rhymes
• Points to pictures in a book when named

Talking

• Says more words every month
• Uses some one or two word questions (“Where doggy?” “Go bye-bye?”)
• Combines words together (“more cookie,” “no juice,” “mommy book”)
• Uses many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words

　Frequently Asked Questions

• When should I expect the most progress?

Between one and two years there is an enormous amount of progress in speech and language development. Don’t be disappointed if they don’t meet every milestone as soon as you would like.

• What kind of words and phrases should I expect?

Children focus on their immediate environment, so you should expect to hear words associated with the current activities.

　2 – 3 Year Milestones

Hearing and Understanding

• Understands differences in meaning (“go-stop,” “in-on”
• Follows two requests (“Get the book and put it on the table”)
• Listens to and enjoys hearing stories for longer periods of time
• Uses two or three words to talk about and ask for things

Talking

• Word for almost everything
• Uses two or three words to talk about and ask for things
• Uses k, g, f, t, d, and n sounds
• Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time

Frequently Asked Questions

• What should I look for between two and three years?

Your child will be able to compare opposites, respond to multi-step requests, and they will begin to understand more complex stories and the sequence of events.

It is important to remember that all children develop differently and at different rates, including within each stage. The item listing within each stage is not chronological or prescriptive. However if a child has not achieved the majority of items within the stage then a speech and language assessment would be recommended.

If you have any concerns about your child’s speech and language development then your GP should be your first point of contact. Integrated Treatment Services can offer specialist speech and language therapy services as well as associated services including creative expressive therapists, occupational therapists and many others. Please Contact Us here for more information: https://integratedtreatmentservices.co.uk/contact-us/

Sarah Bennington, October 2011

Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services. Integrated Treatment Services is a private Speech and Language Therapy service based in Leicestershire and the East Midlands. It specialises in providing highly-skilled Speech and Language Therapists, but also associates with other therapeutic professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Arts Therapists.