Kids - Will I Grow Out of It?

Communication disorders for children involve difficulties in listening, understanding, speaking, reading and writing. These disorders affect 8-12% of all children and include problems such as ...
· Difficulty understanding directions or conversation
· Speech that is not understood
· Stuttering
· Speaking in sentences that are incomplete or too short
· Difficulty hearing the difference between speech sounds (e.g. "th" and "d")
· Difficulty sounding out words when reading
· Difficulty understanding what is read
· Difficulty with written grammar, word order or organization of information

Both social and academic success depend on well-developed speech and language skills. Without the ability to communicate effectively, a child may have trouble learning, establishing friendships and/or developing positive self-esteem.

The following is a list of milestones for speech and language development. This should not be considered an exhaustive list of developmental milestones. It should be used as a general guideline for developmental expectations. The ages represent guidelines and are not absolute.

Age Developmental Norms in Speech Language Warning Signs

0 - 3 Months

Language Comprehension (Understands)
· Laughs/Smiles when looking at parent
· Responds to sounds with change in activity level, eye gaze, or turning head toward sound.
· Becomes startled at loud noises.
· Has strong muscles in cheeks and tongue.

Expressive Language (what is vocalized)
· Has different cries for help and attention.
· Adults interpret behaviour as if infant were trying to communicate.

Speech Development
· Vegetative sounds (crying, burps, coughs, sneezes).

Shows no reaction to sound.

4 - 6 Months

Language Comprehension (Understands)
· Recognizes voices.
· Smiles when spoken to.
· Watches faces with interest when talked to.

Expressive Language
· Tries to talk to you.
· Coos and squeals for attention.
· Has a special cry when hungry.

Speech Development
· Begins to put sounds together.
· Back sounds emerge (e.g., goo, ngee)
· Uses sounds p, b, and m.

Are any of the behaviours listed missing?

6 - 12 Months

Language Comphrension
· Understands some words (e.g., bye, no, up, give me)
· Responds to own name.

Expressive Language
· Tries to say sounds and words (e.g., ba,ba and na,na)
· Tries to sing along to songs, radio, tv.
· Laughs and may imitate cough.
· May have vocabulary of 1 to 3 words by 1st Birthday.

Speech Development
· Babbles by repeating a syllable 2 or more times (e.g., ba-ba-ba).
· Immitates familiar sounds said by adults.

Are you concerned with your childs babbling or how she/he responds to you or others?

12 - 18 Months

Language Comprehension
· Understands simple questions/statements (e.g., where are your eyes?).
· Enjoys rhythm and likes to dance to music.
· Begins to identify body parts.
· Understands up to 50 words.

Expressive Language
· Vocabulary of 3 to 20 words (mostly nouns).
· First words do not necessarily mean the same to you as they do to child.
· Nods head Yes and No.

Speech Development
· Produces mostly unintelligible speech.
· Limited Consonant and Vowel sounds.

Is your child sociable?

Does your child talk?

18 - 24 Months

Language Comprehension
· Understands more words than can speak.
· Understands simple directions (e.g., "Get your shoes").
· Answers simple questions (e.g., "Where is mommy").
· Understands up to 300 words.

Expressive Language
· Says some 2 words sentences (e.g., "More Juice").
· Asks for favourite things, such as toys.
· Says "What's sat" a lot about age 2.

Speech Development
· Is 25-50% intelligible to strangers.

Does your child use more gestures than words?

2 - 3 Years

Language Comprehension
· Can put items 'in, on, or under' when asked.
· Follows simple commands and answers simple questions.

Expressive Language
· Requests items by name.
· Uses 3-4 words phrases by age 3.
· Asks 1-2 word questions.
· Rapid growth of vocabulary at this age (uses up to 250 words).

Speech Development
· Speech is 50-75% intelligible.
· Repertoire of sounds include 'm, n, p, h, f, ng, w, t, k, b, g, d'.

Does your child show frustration when trying to talk?

Do you have difficulty understanding your childs speech?

Does your child put 2 words together?

3 - 4 Years

Language Comprehension
· Follows 2 related directions (e.g., "Close the book and give it to me").
· Understands questions about a picture story.

Expressive Language
· Tells first and last name.
· Sentences are usually 3-4 words long.
· Asks questions (where, what, and why).
· Normal grammatical errors are observed (e.g., "I runned").

Speech Development
· Speech is 75% intelligible.
· Start to develop more difficult speech sounds 'l, r, sh, ch, y, v, z, j, th' and may take time to develop.

Is your child's speech difficult to understand?

4 - 5 Years

Language Comprehension
· Understands time concepts (day/night).
· Has number concept of 3.
· Follows 3 part directions.
· Asks meaning of words.
· Understands description ("Whose hair is curly?").

Expressive Language
· Speaks in 4-8 word complex sentences containing 'when, but, so'.
· Can define words in terms of use ("What do you do with a _____?").
· Answers "why" questions with a reason.

Speech Development
· Speech is understandable 95% of the time, except for later developing sounds (l, r, ch, sh, s, z, v, or j).

Does your child stutter?

Does your child not follow directions?

Does your child not use complete sentences?