Age-Appropriate Speech and Language Milestones
The ability to hear is essential for proper speech and language development. Hearing problems may be suspected in children who are not responding to sounds or who are not developing their language skills appropriately. The following are some age-related guidelines that may help to decide if your child is experiencing hearing problems.
It is important to remember that not every child is the same, and children reach milestones at different ages. Consult your child's doctor if you are suspicious that your child is not developing speech and language skills correctly. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and other experts list the following age-appropriate speech and language milestones for babies and young children.
Milestones related to speech and language
Birth to 5 months
6 to 11 months
12 to 17 months
18 to 23 months
2 to 3 years
3 to 4 years
4 to 5 years