When should I be concerned about my child's communication development?

The American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) is our national certification board and has milestones from Birth to 5 Years and Kindergarten through 5th Grade.



Signs of language problems include:

Birth–3 months: Not smiling or playing with others

4–7 months: Not babbling

7–12 months: Making only a few sounds. Not using gestures, like waving or pointing.

7 months–2 years: Not understanding what others say

12–18 months: Saying only a few words

1½–2 years: Not putting two words together

2 years: Saying fewer than 50 words

2–3 years: Having trouble playing and talking with other children

2½–3 years: Having problems with early reading and writing. For example, your child may not like to draw or look at books.



Signs of a speech sound disorder include:

1–2 years: Not saying p, b, m, h, and w the right way in words most of the time

2–3 years: Not saying k, g, f, t, d, and n the right way in words most of the time. Being hard to understand, even to people who know the child well.