Speech by Age
Speech-Language Therapy Overview
What to look for in your child by age
Categories: receptive language, expressive language, speech production, play/social skills
6 months
Receptive: responds to “come here / want up / no”; recognizes families names
Expressive: initiating “talking” with others and attempts to interact
Social: responsive to family members and familiar people; smiling frequently
Play: engages with adults in play – happy and excited
Speech: babbling
9 months
Receptive: responds to own name by looking at person, daily routine directions, looks at familiar objects/people when named
Expressive: imitates variety of sounds, sing along, vocals to gain attention
Social: fear of strangers
Play: search for hidden objects, plays with objects (not just mouth/bang)
Speech: babbling – more sounds coming
Pre-Literacy: start introducing books now
12 months
Receptive: locates some named body parts, follows new 1-step directions in play
Expressive: vocalizes with intent frequently, some single words
Social: performs for attention
Play: imitates actions, shows objects to others
Speech: variety of speech sounds
Pre-Literacy: continue introducing books – should be able to sit and maintain attention for a couple minutes
15 months
Receptive: identifies more body parts, completes 2 requests with one object, locates named objects from a group of objects
Expressive: uses words to protest, uses words to ask for wants/needs, imitating many words, uses some real words in the midst of “gibberish” or jargon
Social: shows/points to/gives objects to others
Play: turn-taking
Speech: using more and more sound combinations
18 months
Receptive: understands lots of words and phrases
Expressive: uses words to protest; using lots of single words
Play: points to, shows, gives objects; engage with songs (hands, dance, feet); hands toy to adult for help; plays with two toys together (car in garage, stir with spoon in dish)
2 year
Receptive: understands action words in pictures; follows 2-step related directions
Expressive: putting 2 words together frequently; new words regularly
Play: chooses toys; uses toys appropriately; performs many related activities during play – variety of play
2 ½ year
Receptive: understands simple questions, understands location phrases
Expressive: 3- to 4-word phrases
Play: talks more during play around other children, shares toys, longer sequences of play
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We want to continue collaborating families to help kids gain the skills they need to be functional and age-appropriate communicators.
More questions? Visit www.abcpediatrictherapy.com
Developmental Checklist
Is your child meeting their developmental milestones?