In the current issue of Pediatrics in Review, Drs McQuiston and Kloczko provide a thorough and helpful review of language development in children and problems with the development of language skills.
Every parent hangs on to every sound and then every word as their baby utters them. Often, it is the parent who is first aware if a problem in language is appearing. This article helps to point out what should be expected in a normal child and what might not be normal.
On the table of Language Milestones, they list what is expected for each age group. This is a very detailed list but it can be referred to often as a child progresses in age to get a rough idea of how close they are to these predictions. There is much variation so deviating a month plus or minus should not be cause for alarm. If the child is falling further behind as the months go by, this should be discussed with a pediatrician.
Birth to 3 months
Attends to voices/sounds (may quiet, vary suck pattern)
May orient to voice by turning eyes or head
Startles/blinks/cries to loud sounds
Has different cries
Vocalizes (coos, gurgles)
Reciprocally vocalizes
3 to 6 Months
Works to localize voice/sounds
Responds to change in tone/emotion
Enjoys rattle/toys that make noise
Responds to own name (6months)
Exhibits vocal play with emotional content
Babbles, single syllables (/p/, /b/, /d/, /m/) continued, click here
