Listen in on any conversation among parents of little ones and you’ll hear it – concerns about whether a child is “on track”, developmentally, in one area or another. Maybe the conversation is about toilet-training and whose child is/is not out of nappies yet; or maybe the topic is tantrums and the “terrible twos” and learning to share; or maybe it’s about homework or chores and getting kids to learn responsibility. In any case, the underlying theme is the same – parents want to know that their child is on track, compared to his or her peers, and is developing normally and mastering the same milestones as other kids his/her age.

I’m no different. As a mum, my greatest joy is watching my kids grow and mature, and therefore a great many of my thoughts are consumed by wondering if we’re headed in the right direction and whether I can or should be doing something different to ensure that we are! And while it is absolutely true that every child is different and that children develop at their own pace, it’s also true that averages and developmental guidelines can be helpful in determining whether a child is really out of step with his peers and when some support might be helpful.

When it comes to language development, in particular, it’s especially helpful to know sooner rather than later if your child is falling behind his peers, since the period from birth to age 5 is a critical one for language development. During this time, the brain is growing at a dizzying speed and remains quite “plastic” or flexible, meaning that it can adjust and incorporate new learning better than it can later on, and meaning that early intervention during this time can be highly effective. In addition, the start of primary school represents a significant shift for kids, from using language to communicate to using language to learn, meaning that children who enter Kindergarten struggling with language, may find that this gap evolves into an academic gap as well as a language one.

So, besides listening to other kids at the park, or asking our mummy friends what they think, how are we to know if our children’s communication development is on track? Fortunately, there is a considerable amount of research around the ages and stages of speech and language development, which can give us a very good idea of what is normal at different ages.

The following is a list of “red flags” that can help determine when it might be time to seek the advice of a Speech Pathologist.

By 6 months

Doesn’t react to loud noises
Doesn’t follow sounds with his or her eyes
Doesn’t calm down or smile when spoken to
Doesn’t have a special way of crying for different needs

By 12 months

Doesn’t appear to listen when spoken to
Doesn’t use gestures like waving “bye bye” or shaking head for “no”
Doesn’t communicate in some way when he/she needs help with something
Doesn’t babble in a speech-like way, using many different sounds, including p, b, and m

By 15 months

Doesn’t understand words for common items such as “cup,” “shoe,” or “juice”
Doesn’t use any words
Doesn’t seem to enjoy simple stories, songs, and rhymes
Doesn't point to objects or pictures when asked “Where’s the...?
Doesn’t point to things of interest as if to say “Look at that!” and then look right at you

By 18 months

Doesn’t understand simple commands like "Don't touch"
Isn’t using at least 20 single words like "Mummy" or "up"
Doesn’t respond with a word or gesture to questions such as “What’s that? or “Where’s your shoe?”
Can’t point to 2 or 3 major body parts such as head, nose, eyes, feet
Doesn’t use a variety of different consonant sounds at the beginning of words

By 24 months

Says fewer than 100 words
Isn’t consistently joining two words together like "Daddy go" or “ shoes on”
Doesn’t imitate actions or words
Doesn’t pretend with toys, such as feeding doll or making toy man drive toy car
Doesn’t follow simple commands (“Roll the ball”) and understand simple questions (“Where’s your shoe?”)

By 30 months

Says fewer than 300 words
Isn’t using action words like “run”, “eat”, “fall”
Isn’t using some adult grammar, such as “two babies” and “doggie sleeping”
Isn’t acquiring new words on a regular basis

By 3 Years

Doesn’t uses phrases with at least 2 or 3 words to talk about and ask for things
Doesn’t use k, g, f, t, d, and n sounds
Isn’t easily understood by family members and friends
Doesn’t name objects to ask for them or to direct attention to them
Doesn’t ask questions

By 4 Years

Doesn’t hear you when you call from another room
Doesn’t answer simple “Who?” “What?” “Where?” and “Why?” questions
Doesn’t talk about activities at daycare, preschool, or friends’ homes
Doesn’t use sentences with 4 or more words
Doesn’t speak easily without having to repeat syllables or words

By 5 Years

Isn’t able to pay attention to a short story and answer simple questions about it
Doesn’t hear and understand most of what is said at home and in school
Doesn’t use sentences that give many details
Doesn’t tell stories that stay on topic
Isn’t able to communicate easily with other children and adults
Isn’t able to say most sounds correctly except for a few (l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, and th)
Can’t use rhyming words
Isn’t able to name at least some letters and numbers

** Age ranges based on the How Does Your Child Hear and Talk? Developmental Milestone chart, courtesy of the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association (ASHA) and guidelines supplied by the Hanen Centre, a not-for-profit organization, whose focus is on promoting language, social, and literacy skills in children.

While this list is not definitive, and certainly every child is unique and develops at his/her own pace, it’s a good rule of thumb to use in determining whether your child may benefit from some additional support in learning language. So, if you’ve noticed any of these red flags in your child’s communication, or you just have a feeling that something’s not right, or you’d simply like some reassurance, a consultation with a Speech Pathologist is a great place to start. I’d love the chance to chat with you about your child and your concerns and help you ensure that your little one is on track towards great communication!

Blog

On Track for Learning Language!