Is Therapy Needed?
Is this your child?
Have you wondered if your child's speech and language skills are developing as he or she should? Check your child's development against the speech and language milestones below. If your child is not on track with these milestones, now is the time to schedule an evaluation. Want to learn more about speech/language development, Autism, and the like, check out the educational opportunities available for families.
Speech and Language Milestones of the Six to Twelve Month Old
At age six months, your child...
makes lots of different sounds
laughs, gurgles, coos with familiar people
reacts to loud, angry, and friendly voices
turns and looks at new sounds
babbles for attention
At age eight months, your child...
responds to name and pats image of self in mirror
produces four or more different sounds
frequently uses syllables ba, da, ka
transfers objects from one hand to another
listens to own vocalizations and those of others
tries to imitate sounds
At age ten months, your child...
may say "mama" and "dada"
shouts to attract attention
uses jargon (babbling that sounds like real speech)
plays peek-a-boo
says a syllable or sequence of sounds repeatedly
At age twelve months your child...
recognizes name
says 2-3 words besides "mama" and "dada"
imitates familiar words
understands simple instructions
recognizes words as symbols for objects: "car" - points to garage, "cat" - meows
You can stimulate your infant's speech and language by...
responding to your child's coos, gurgles and babbling
talking to your child as you care for him or her throughout the day
reading colorful books to your child every day
keeping your speech rather simple and concrete
reciting nursery rhymes and singing songs
showing interest in all the different sounds you hear (ice clinking in a glass, doorbell ringing, rain falling)
teaching your child the names of everyday items and familiar people
taking your child with you to new places and situations
playing simple games with your child such as "Peek-a-Boo" and "Pat-a-Cake"
playing simple music to your child
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