Key Language Milestones - General Principles

November 22, 2009

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Key Language Milestones - General Principles

by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P.

Of all the areas of development, language is special. Everyone remembers their baby's first step, but human babies are actually pretty slow and clumsy compared to other animals. It is language development-a baby's amazing ability to learn how to use words and other symbols-that truly sets us apart.

When language develops normally, it's a good sign that many areas of development are healthy. Hearing, social relationships, and thinking all play important roles in language development. If there is a problem in any of these areas, it usually shows up as a language delay.

Here are some basic principles to keep in mind:

If you are concerned, ask your child's healthcare provider for a full evaluation. If therapy is needed, it is always much better to begin earlier rather than later.

A child is never too young for a hearing test! In order to get an accurate test, you really need special equipment, ideally with an audiologist (a hearing specialist) at the controls. It's easy to miss important hearing problems if you simply observe your child and see how he responds to noises.

Verbal language involves both speaking and understanding. Generally, how well a young child understands is a more reliable indicator of language ability than how well he speaks. But speech delays are also important.

Language milestones
While it's tempting to want to compare your child against the average - is he fast? is he slow?--I think this often does more harm than good. Children deserve to be understood and valued for whom they are, not how they measure up. By definition, half of children are "below average," but most of them are just fine!

On the other hand, it is helpful to know when to be concerned if your child has not met a certain milestone. I think it's reasonable to be concerned if 9 out of 10 healthy children have passed a certain milestone, and your child has not. At this point, getting a professional assessment can either reassure you, or can point you in the right direction to get your child the help he needs. For more on milestones and "cut-off" ages, see About Language Milestones. I call these "red-flag" milestones.

For red-flag language milestones specific to your child's age, see:
Infant Milestones
Toddler Milestones
Preschool Milestones


RELATED INFORMATION

			About Language Milestones
			Key Language Milestones in Infancy
			Key Language Milestones in Preschoolers
			Key Language Milestones in Toddlers
			Language: Talking and Understanding

Created December 16, 2000
Reviewed December 18, 2000

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