speech & language milestones
Below are some general guidelines on children's typical speech-language developmental milestones. Do keep in mind that no two children develops at the same pace!
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Some children may be slower than others in acquiring a certain skill, but there are certain milestones which should be acquired by a specific age.
When a child do not eventually catch up, this becomes a cause for concern.
Below 1 year
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Coo, babble, jargon (unintelligible string of adult-like speech)
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Uses gestures to communicate (waving, pointing)
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Responds to name when called
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Understands names for common items ('ball', 'milk', 'shoe')
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Imitates different sounds/words
1-2 years
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Follows simple instructions
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Identifies few body parts
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Uses single words consistently
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Starts using few 2-word phrases ('no milk', 'mommy go')
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Asks simple questions ('What's that?')
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2-3 years
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Follows 2-step instructions ('Take the book and give to daddy')
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Comprehends big/small concepts
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Uses 2- to 3-word utterances ('Daddy shoe blue')
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Understands simple questions
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3-4 years
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Identifies colours
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Uses 4- to 5-word utterances
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Answers 'where' questions
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Speech is easily understood by unfamiliar listeners
4 years & above
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Follows longer/complex instructions
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Tells a simple story
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Uses conjunctions ('and', 'but', 'so') to connect phrases/sentences