Developmental Milestones
Speech and Language
What are developmental milestones? Why are they so important?
Milestones are set skills that a child is supposed to achieve by a certain age. If a milestone is not achieved, it can raise a red flag that a child may need extra help learning a certain skill.
Okay, that is quite a dry definition....but you get the idea.
Milestones are very important but not for the obvious reasons. It isn't crucial that a child reaches a certain skill by a certain age. What is more important is the progression of the learning!
You want to catch any delay early, the earlier the better!
On this page, I am going to discuss speech and language developmental milestones since they are my specialty.
Speech Developmental Milestones
Speech Development is how a child says or pronounces his or her sounds.
Click speech development for more information about what sounds your child is supposed to say by which age and tips on how to help if needed!
Language Developmental Milestones
Language refers to the content or the words a child says and understands.
Click Language Developmental Milestones for more information. Learn all the different areas of language development and explore fun games to play with your child to encourage acquisition of skills.
Why Monitor Developmental Milestones?
As a parent, there is nothing more enjoyable than watching children develop and grow. I love watching the world come alive in my son's eyes.
As a speech-language pathologist, I know these early years, even as young as 6 months old, are crucial. They build the foundation for communication skills, academic learning, social skills, and cognitive development.
Of course, there is always a range of normal.
To help track your child's progress, check out our speech and language screening tools! They are free!
What Can I Do To Help?
For children under 1-year-old, check out my favorite baby activities. You will find tips on how to talk to your child as well as free game ideas.
For Children under 3-years-old, check out my favorite language games for toddlers. You can choose from many games that target all sorts of language skills.
Having the right toys is equally as important. Check out my favorite toddler toys and book list.
When To Seek Help?
If children are having difficulty with something, the sooner an evaluation is completed, the better!
Research has proven that the "wait and see" method does not work. The "wait and see" method is basically this thought process -
- "my child will catch up and if not, then I will deal with it."
This method can make the problem worse and children may end up in therapy for a longer amount of time.
Remember, these early years are very important. That is why it is a great idea to refer to the speech and language milestones (links above) to make sure your child is on the right track.
For more information on how to start the referral process, read