Developmental Milestones
Many parents wonder about how their child's development may compare to others. While there is a large range of what is considered "normal" development, it is important for families to monitor their children's interactions with and responses to both sound and speech. Below you will find a list of common hearing and communicative developmental milestones based on research from the American Speech–Language–Hearing Association.
BIRTH TO 3 MONTHS:
- Reacts to loud sounds
- Calms down or smiles when spoken to
- Recognizes your voice and calms down if crying
- When feeding, starts or stops sucking in response to sound
- Coos and makes pleasure sounds
- Has a special way of crying for different needs
- Smiles when he or she sees you
4 TO 6 MONTHS
- Follows sounds with his or her eyes
- Responds to changes in the tone of your voice
- Notices toys that make sounds
- Pays attention to music
- Babbles in a speech-like way and uses many different sounds, including sounds that begin with p, b, and m
- Laughs
- Babbles when excited or unhappy
- Makes gurgling sounds when alone or playing with you
7 MONTHS TO 1 YEAR
- Enjoys playing peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake
- Turns and looks in the direction of sounds
- Listens when spoken to
- Understands words for common items such as “cup,” “shoe,” or “juice”
- Responds to requests (“Come here”)
- Babbles using long and short groups of sounds (“tata, upup, bibibi”)
- Babbles to get and keep attention
- Communicates using gestures such as waving or holding up arms
- Imitates different speech sounds
- Has one or two words (“Hi,” “dog,” “Dada,” or “Mama”) by first birthday
1 TO 2 YEARS
- Knows a few parts of the body and can point to them when asked
- Follows simple commands (“Roll the ball”) and understands simple questions (“Where’s your shoe?”)
- Enjoys simple stories, songs, and rhymes
- Points to pictures, when named, in books
- Acquires new words on a regular basis
- Uses some one- or two-word questions (“Where kitty?” or “Go bye-bye?”)
- Puts two words together (“More cookie”)
- Uses many different consonant sounds at the beginning of words
2 TO 3 YEARS
- Has a word for almost everything
- Uses two- or three-word phrases to talk about and ask for things
- Uses k, g, f, t, d, and n sounds
- Speaks in a way that is understood by family members and friends
- Names objects to ask for them or to direct attention to them
3 TO 4 YEARS
- Hears you when you call from another room
- Hears the television or radio at the same sound level as other family members
- Answers simple “Who?” “What?” “Where?” and “Why?” questions
- Talks about activities at daycare, preschool, or friends’ homes
- Uses sentences with four or more words
- Speaks easily without having to repeat syllables or words
4 TO 5 YEARS
- Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions about it
- Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school
- Uses sentences that give many details
- Tells stories that stay on topic
- Communicates easily with other children and adults
- Says most sounds correctly except for a few (l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, and th)
- Uses rhyming words
- Names some letters and numbers
- Uses adult grammar
If you have any concerns about how well your child may be hearing, please contact us and we will be glad to help you schedule a comprehensive hearing and otological evaluation for your child.