Speech & language milestones

Check out the speech and language milestones for the various stages and familiarize yourself with possible red flags that will require you to act in order for your child to stand a chance of optimizing their potential in school as well as socially.

According to the North Shore Pediatric Therapy Institute, a child must develop the given milestones at the stated ages:

RED FLAGS

By the age of 1, a child does not:

~ Respond to his/her name
~ Begin verbalising first words
~ Have eye contact

By the age of 2 a child does not:

~ Begin combining 2-word phrases (24 months)
~ Consistently add new words to their expressive vocabulary
~ Follow simple instructions
~ Display range of play skills

By the age of 3-5 a child does not:

~ Verbalize utterances without repeating part of words or prolonging sounds
(e.g. “m-m-m-m-my mother”, “ssssssssister”)  
~ Seem to find the right words, describe an item or event without difficulty
~ Seem to be understood by both familiar and unfamiliar listeners
~ Repeat themselves to clarify without frustrations.
~ Correctly produce vowels and majority of speech sounds
(closer to 5 years old)
~ Ask or answer simple questions
~ Use novel phrases and sentences, but mostly uses overlearnt (stereotypical) phrases
~ Prefer playing with peers, instead likes to play alone

 Courtesy of North Shore Paediatric
Therapy Institute

1-2 years

Birth – 1 year

2-3 years

3-5 years