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