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“One night, my 3-year-old asked me if she could sleep in my bed. I told her no. She said, “That’s not fair! Why does Daddy get to sleep in your bed?” READ MORE
Kids' Health
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Nothing is more engaging for parents than their newborn’s first coo or that first social smile. Since language is a reflection of higher brain and social function, parents and physicians are concerned about the normal developmental milestones that children should achieve. As with all forms of development, there are ranges of normal; language is no exception. As per many developmentalists and pediatricians, there can be up to a (plus or minus) 3-month range in the normal milestones. The variations and spread become greater as the child gets older. The following are some general guidelines for language development in the first 2 years. The list describes what can be expected at different ages. 6 months • Makes different sounds; lots of vowel sounds and some consonants, especially in play. • Laughs, gurgles, coos with familiar people and in response to pleasant voices. • Turns to look for new and unfamiliar sounds. • Vocalizes for attention. 12 months • Uses jargon; babbling combinations that sound more like real speech with inflection changes. • Enjoys interactive games such as peek-a-boo. • Responds to simple instructions or questions such as, “Give me your hand, where is your nose.” • Has a receptive vocabulary of about 100 words. • Is able to recognize objects/some pictures by their name; points to the car. • Understands “no.” • Waves goodbye. • Makes sounds of objects or animals; vrroom for car, meow for a cat. • Usually has 1-2 single words; as parents we always hope this is “mama” or “dada,” but it could just as easily be “ball” or “juice.” 18 months • May use 10-15 single words. • Hears well and discriminates sounds. Imitates words and sounds more frequently. • Points and gestures in conjunction with sound production to indicate needs. • Follows simple commands. • May begin to “sing” simple tunes. 2 years • Understands simple questions and commands. • Identifies body parts, clothing items, common objects and actions. • Puts two words together, such as, “want cookie,” “me have,” “my ball.” • Asks, “What’s this?” or “where’s my?” • Can refer to self by name. • Begins to consistently use negatives, such as, “no want,” “not right.” • Listens to short stories and identifies actions/characters in the book. • Has a spoken vocabulary of up to 300 words. Watching and interacting with your child and encouraging language can be one of the most rewarding experiences of parenting. As children grow, language and communication become more and more important. Developing communication skills is more that just speech. Learn to communicate well and it will pay you back in thousands. Early intervention for children who demonstrate communication and language problems can only benefit. So keep your eyes (and ears) open and talk to your children. Dr. Clyde Wesp is a pediatrician with Southern Orange County Pediatric Associates with offices in Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch and San Clemente (Talega) and is affiliated with Saddleback Memorial Medical Center, Mission Hospital and Children’s Hospital of Orange County. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the MemorialCare Physician Society. If you have any questions or comments for Dr. Wesp you can email him at askdrwesp@netscape.net. Enhance language How do I know if my child is reaching the milestones? An interactive checklist at www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/speechandlanguage.asp will help determine if your child’s speech and language skills are developing on schedule. Choose the appropriate age bracket for your child. Birth to 5 months • 6-11 months • 12-17 months • 18-23 months • 2-3 years • 3-4 years • 4-5 years • 5 years If a child is not progressing through these stages, it is reason to check things out. One of the first tests to be done is a hearing test. In California, many hospitals are routinely testing all infants for hearing. There is some controversy over the value of routine screening especially in the management of false positive tests for hearing loss requiring further evaluation. If you have any concerns about your infant’s hearing or the ability of child to makes sounds, discuss them with your physician and together you can make decisions about further testing. How can you enhance your child’s development of language? Remember, a parent is the first teacher. There are easy activities you can do at home with your child to encourage language development and expand vocabulary. • Look at photo albums and name the people you see. • Place objects in a box and have your child name each one as he removes it. • Play easy games such as naming body parts, foods or articles of clothing • Make books by cutting and pasting favorite pictures from old magazines. • Sing simple songs and leave words out for your child to fill in. • Put simple storybooks in a basket for you and your child to choose from every day. |
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