Speech at 18 months old

18 Month Milestones - Speech & Language Checklist — Toddler Talk

Speech & Language Milestones12 - 24 Months

Feb 2

Written By Stephanie Keffer

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At 18 months old, the number of words speech therapists expect varies greatly! Toddlers at this age say between 20-200 words roughly. 

There is such a big range at this stage because some toddlers have spent the majority of their developmental energy on motor skills; whereas other toddlers have dedicated their developmental energy towards communication. There is some evidence that supports boys are more likely to develop motor skills early on and girls tend to develop communication first.  

This gap continues throughout toddlerhood, and begins to close when children start elementary school. 

If you are looking to support your toddler in expanding the number of the words your toddler can say, check out one of our free lessons (links below) which will teach you the most powerful things you can do as their parents to encourage them to talk. 

• Links to lessons:

  1. Teaching toddlers new words using focused stimulation

  2. How face-to-face helps toddlers learn to talk

  3. How asking less questions can help your toddler learn to talk

  4. Following your toddler’s imagination to practice speech at home

At this age, toddlers use many different strategies to let you know what they want and need. Watch for your toddler to communicate with a combination of gestures (like pointing), words, attempts at words, and facial expressions.  

Toddlers at this age often speak in gibberish. Learn more about this phenomenon here. Speech therapists refer to gibberish as jargon. Toddlers seem to have made up their own language, and you might be able to understand the gist of what they are wanting to say based on their tone of voice. 

As vocabulary grows, toddlers will rely more on words to communicate than gestures. You can expect some short periods of regression if your child is sick, uncomfortable (e.g., teeth coming in), or not sleeping well. 

If you notice that your child has stopped saying words and they haven’t reappeared, talk to your pediatrician about ways you can help support your child in recovering those skills. 

Suggested Reading: How many words should an 18 month old say?

The number of words toddlers can understand at this age has grown to the hundreds. On average, 18 month olds can understand about 200 words!

As the number of words they understand increases, they begin to follow some familiar directions. The directions they follow are the ones that they have gotten to practice over and over again. For example, “Get your shoes” and “Bring me your cup.”

How does your child expresses their wants and needs?

▢ Says at least 20 different words on their own

▢ Babbles and speaks in their own language (gibberish/jargon)

▢ Repeats words, even if it doesn’t sound perfect

▢ Makes sounds and talks when they play alone and with others

▢ Lets you know what they need most of the time, even if they don't always know the words

Understanding Skills

What words does your toddler know?

▢ Looks towards me when I say their name or call to get their attention

▢ Understands what "no" means.

▢ Understands new words quickly; when I say the name of a familiar object they look towards it

▢ Follows several commands they've done many times without help: come here, give me, stop, wait, or throw it away

▢ Can follow new commands with help, close the fridge (as you gesture/ show them what to do)

Which sounds should you be listening for?

▢ Consonant Sounds: P, B, D, M, N, H, W

▢ Vowel Sounds: Ah, Aye, E, Oh, Oo, I

▢ Laughing, Babbling, and Talking in their own language/ speaking gibberish (jargon)

▢ Changing tone of voice when happy/upset

▢ Will leave sounds off the ends of words (“dah” for dog)

How does your little one play and interact with others?

▢ Smiles and laughs when playing with parents

▢ Tries to get your attention to show you something

▢ Watches people who are talking to them

▢ Enjoys playing with toys

▢ Is curious about what other people are doing

▢ Enjoys listening to music and may try to dance along

Download the checklist now

Snack Time Prep

Practice with new directions as you are preparing a snack. Tell your child to: mix, open, pour, or close. Show your child what you want them to do as you introduce new commands.

Showing your child what to do and repeating the commands can help your child learn faster. 

Eating Snack

During snack time, talk about what is happening with your toddler. “We’re eating an apple. The apple tastes so sweet. - Crunch Crunch Crunch - That was a bit bite of apple. Yum-Yum!” Label the utensils you use, foods you eat, drinks you drink, and actions you are taking. 

And here’s a pro speech tip - pick 5 words that you think you can repeat at least 10 times each during snack. Repeating a few words 10+ times in a single activity is more helpful for toddlers learning new words as compared to saying a hundred different words. 

Learn why talking about what’s happening can help your child learn new words in our free lesson about focused stimulation.

As you eat your snack, you may also teach your child to answer some simple questions, like "Do you want more?" and "Do you want apple or pear?"

Clean Up

Finally, as you clean up from snack, you can secretively assess the words your child understands. When you tell them, "Bring me your napkin." Do they bring it to you? If not, this is a great opportunity for learning. 

Show your child what you're talking about by pointing to it or holding it. Then say its name at least 3 times. 

Toddlers learn through repetition, so the more opportunities to practice with the same words, the better. 

When practicing during snack time, look for your toddler to:

▢ Follow a variety of directions (you may help!)


▢ Answer simple questions
 

▢ Use words and phrases to talk about snack and ask for more 

You May Also Enjoy Reading:

• How many words should an 18 month old say? A detailed look at vocabulary

• My 18 month old isn’t talking. What should I do?

Parents Also Asked:

• 18 month olds should say at least 20 different words; but there are no particular words an 18 month old should or shouldn’t be saying.

  As a general rule of thumb listen for your little one to be saying words for the things that they see or do every day. Toddlers are most likely to say words to get something they really like or avoid something they don’t want.

• 3 common signs of speech delay at 18 months are:

  Watch this video to learn 10 signs of speech delay at 18 months.

  If you suspect a speech delay be sure to talk to your child’s pediatrician.

Written By: Stephanie Keffer, MS CCC-SLP

© 2020-2023. Stephanie Keffer, MS CCC-SLP. All Rights Reserved.

The content offered on ToddlerTalk.com is for informational purposes only. Toddler Talk is not engaged in rendering professional advice, whether medical or otherwise, to individual users or their children or families. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor, speech language pathologist, or other health professional.  By accessing the content on ToddlerTalk.com, you acknowledge and agree that you are accepting the responsibility for your child’s health and well-being. In return for providing you with information related to home speech and language practice, you waive any claims that you or your child may have as a result of utilizing the content on ToddlerTalk.com.

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Stephanie Keffer

18 Month Old Not Talking? Here's What Parents Need To Know

What is a speech delay | Speech vs language delay | Speech delay Statistics | Milestones | Signs of speech delay | Causes | How many words should a 18 month old say | Late talkers | How can parents help | Should you worry | Speech therapy

Is your 18 month old not talking making you worried?

It may simply mean that your child is developing at their own pace and hitting milestones at their own time—which is perfectly normal.

But it may also signal something serious. In this case, detecting and treating your child early allows you to prevent emotional, social, and cognitive deficits associated and improve their development.

Ahead, this article takes a closer look at speech delays and what it might mean if your 18-month-old is not talking.

If you’re worried your child may have a speech delay, there are some signs you can look for, and perhaps more importantly, there are things you can do to help them get over the hump. 

What Is A Speech Delay?

A child has a speech delay when they do not develop their speech and language skills at an expected rate. When a child’s speech development is significantly below the norm for children of the same age, the child is considered to have a speech delay. The language skills they acquire typically follow the normal progression, but at a slower rate.

Difference between speech and language delay

Although these terms are often used interchangeably, speech delay and language delay are not the same.

Speech is the motor act of articulating the verbal expression of language. It is the verbal production of language. Speech delay is a condition in which a child has difficulty producing speech.

Language is the use of symbols to communicate interpersonally. It includes receptive language (understanding of language) and expressive language (conveying information). Language delay occurs when a child has difficulty understanding or expressing language. Language is not only spoken or heard. It can also include a visual form used in, for example, sign language^​1​.

Very active toddler not talking could be due to either or both of these conditions.

Here are some statistics for speech and language delay

• Speech delays are a fairly common developmental problem. It affects anywhere from 3% to 10% of preschool children^​2​.
• It is one to four times more common in boys than in girls^​3​.
• Children with all three of the following risk factors are 7. 7 times more at risk of language delays than those who have none of them – low maternal education, male gender, and family history of developmental communication disorder^​4​.
• Behavioral issues may also accompany language disorders. 40-75% exhibit challenging behaviors^​5,6​. These children may become easily frustrated when they can’t express what they need or want. 

Baby speech developmental milestones

As children start learning to talk, they progress from cooing to babbling, echolalia, jargon, words, and word combinations. Typical speech development patterns are as follows^​7​:

Age	Language Development milestones
6 months	Coos reacting to a voice
9 months	Babble
11 months	Imitate sounds and say things like “Mama/Dada” without knowing the meaning
12 months	Say “Mama/Dada” and know their meanings. Imitate words with two or three syllables
15 months	Have a limited vocabulary of around 4 to 7 words
18 months	Have a vocabulary of around 10 words
21 months	Have a vocabulary of around 20 words
24 months	More than 50 words in vocabulary. Can make two-word phrases and most of the speech can be understood by strangers
2.5 years	Know more than 400 words. Can form phrases with 2 to 3 words. Most of the speech can be understood by strangers
3 years	Know how to use plurals and past tense, object counting words and can form sentences with up to 5 words.
4 years	Form long sentences with 3 to 6 words. Ask questions and tell stories. Speech can be easily understood.
5 years	Long sentences can contain up to 8 words. Can name colors, count money, etc.

If your 18-month-old is not talking, the following signs could indicate a speech delay^​8​.

• Your child does not babble, point, or gesture
• They do not use at least three words, such as “mama” or “dada”
• They cannot point to a few parts of the body when asked (like hands, head, feet)
• They don’t understand simple commands (like “Roll the ball”)
• They don’t respond to simple questions with words or gestures (like “Where’s your shoe?”)
• They don’t enjoy simple stories, songs, or rhymes
• They cannot use one or two-word questions (such as “Where mama?” or “Bye-bye”)
• They have trouble putting two words together (like “More milk”)
• They cannot imitate different speech sounds

What Causes speech delay in toddlers

Speech delays are caused by different factors in different children. There is no single underlying issue for everyone. However, there are some common conditions that could delay language skill development. Here’s a closer look at some of the more common causes.

Maturation delay

Many late-talking toddlers are often the result of developmental delays. It occurs when the central neurologic process required for producing speech is delayed. It is more common in boys and in families with late bloomers. 

The majority of these children do not ultimately have language disorders^​9​. These children usually have normal speech development by the time they enter school.

Hearing Loss

The ability to hear plays a significant role in our ability to speak. A child’s ability to speak, use language effectively, and understand others will be severely impacted if their hearing is impaired.

Hearing issues can be the result of congenital defects, but they can also be temporary due to, for example, an ear infection.

Auditory processing disorder can also cause some children to struggle with understanding speech in noisy environments^​10​. 

Intellectual Disability

According to one research, approximately 50% of children’s speech/language delays are caused by this condition^​2​.

Intellectual disability (also known as general learning disability and formerly called mental retardation) is a significant impairment of a child’s cognitive skills and adaptive functions^​11​.  Speech delay is a common symptom of intellectual disabilities.

Neurological differences

A number of neurological disorders are associated with difficulties with speech, including Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and cerebral palsy. 

Autism – Autism is a neurologically based developmental disorder. Among the symptoms of autism is difficulty with language development.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder – Language disorders are more common in children with ADHD. Inattention and impulsivity can hinder opportunities to learn and practice spoken language skills. 

Cerebral palsy – difficulty with coordination or spasticity of tongue muscles, hearing loss, coexisting intellectual disability, or a defect in the cerebral cortex can affect various aspects of language use.

Receptive aphasia

Receptive aphasia is characterized by difficulties comprehending spoken language, leading to speech delay. Despite their disability, receptive aphasic children respond normally to nonverbal auditory stimuli.  

Expressive aphasia (Expressive language disorder)

Expressive language disorder, a less common disorder, can show symptoms of late language emergence. These children may have normal IQs, receptive language skills, emotional relationships, and articulation skills. Brain dysfunction appears to be the primary cause of the inability to translate ideas into speech.

Psychosocial deprivation

Deprivation, both physical (e.g., poverty, malnutrition) and social (e.g., child neglect) has an adverse effect on a baby’s speech development. Early childhood is the sensitive period for language development. Children living in abusive conditions are less likely to use verbal communication with their parents. They tend to develop speech/language disorders and lack any verbal communication skills in extreme cases^​12​.

Elective Mutism

Elective mutism occurs when children do not speak in specific environments, i.e., at school but not at home or only with familiar people. Speech/language issues often co-occur with selective mutism, which is conceptualized as an anxiety disorder^​13​.

Bilingual environment

Children who live in bilingual households may experience temporary delays in learning both languages. However, bilingual toddlers have a normal understanding of both languages at their age, and they usually become proficient in both languages before their fifth birthday.

How Many Words Should A 18-Month Old Say?

Each child develops at their own pace, and every child is different. Therefore, there are no hard and fast rules regarding the number of words an 18-month-old should say. 

Generally, 18-month-olds know at least 10 words in their vocabulary.

Interestingly, 18 months also marks a time of dramatic increase in the number of words acquired by some children^​14​. It is not unusual for a child to have a “language explosion” and their vocabulary to grow from 10 words to 250 words overnight. 

Do Late Talkers Catch Up?

Many late talkers do catch up on their own. By the time they are ready for school, approximately 70 to 80% of them will be on par with their peers^​15​ while approximately 20 to 30% of them continue to struggle with reading, writing, and language^​16​.

However, if a child’s speech delay is related to neurological differences, then intervention and treatment should be applied as soon as possible so that it will not develop into further language difficulties.

How Can Parents Help When Their 18-Month-Old Is Not Talking?

If your 18-month-old is not talking, there are some things you can do to help them with their speech delay.

Keep Talking 

Talking to your baby during everyday activities not only helps them learn the language but also plays a key role in their brain development. The more your child is exposed to the language, the more words they’re likely to pick up^​17​.

Caretakers naturally speak differently to children than to other adults. This type of “baby talk” has been found to play a critical role in language development.

More importantly, don’t just talk to your baby, talk with them, as if you are having a conversation with them.

Studies find that engaging in “conversational duets” can significantly help improve a child’s speech development^​18​.

Encourage peer pretend play

Role-play or pretend play has been found to help language development in preschool children^​19​.

You can invite other families with young children over or enroll your child in a daycare that offers plenty of free time for kids to engage in simple pretend play.

Encouraged imitation of sounds

A study suggests that children learn to speak by imitating others’ speech. Encourage your child to repeat after you to learn new words. Be sure to praise your child often to reinforce their effort.

Should You Worry If Your 18 Month Old Not Talking?

When it comes to developmental milestones, kids often learn at their own pace, whether it’s walking, talking, or potty-training.

It is normal that a toddler makes sounds not words. Some 18 month old screams instead of talking. A 16 month old not saying words is also not unusual.

But it can be worrisome if your 18-month-old is not talking at all.

Be sure to bring up this issue with your child’s doctor during their regular well-child checkup and get a referral to a speech-language pathologist for evaluation. It may also help to mention whether your 18 month old is not talking but understands your words.

A comprehensive evaluation is essential when a child does not meet expected speech and language milestones. Abnormal language development is often a secondary manifestation of other physical and developmental problems. The earlier the intervention, the better. 

Will Speech Therapy Help An 18-Month-Old Who’s Not Talking?

Studies show that speech therapy can help kids with speech delays improve significantly, especially when given early.

However, before receiving speech therapy, be sure to check with your child’s pediatrician and a language therapist.

Depending on the reason why your 18 month old is not talking, the best type of therapy may vary. Once the cause and best type of therapy are identified, look for a speech therapist who specializes in it.

References

1. 1.

   McLaughlin M. Speech and language delay in children. Am Fam Physician. 2011;83(10):1183-1188. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21568252

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   Leung A, Kao C. Evaluation and management of the child with speech delay. Am Fam Physician. 1999;59(11):3121-3128, 3135. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10392594

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   Shriberg LD, Tomblin JB, McSweeny JL. Prevalence of Speech Delay in 6-Year-Old Children and Comorbidity With Language Impairment. J Speech Lang Hear Res. Published online December 1999:1461-1481. doi:10.1044/jslhr.4206.1461

4. 4.

   Campbell TF, Dollaghan CA, Rockette HE, et al. Risk Factors for Speech Delay of Unknown Origin in 3-Year-Old Children. Child Development. Published online March 2003:346-357. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.7402002

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   Silva PA, Williams S, McGee R. A Longitudinal Study Of Children With Developmental Language Delay At Age Three: Later Intelligence, Reading And Behaviour Problems. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. Published online November 12, 2008:630-640. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.1987.tb08505.x

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   Stevenson J, Richman N. Behavior, language, and development in three-year-old children. J Autism Dev Disord. Published online September 1978:299-313. doi:10.1007/bf01539633

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   Schwartz ER. Speech and language disorders. In: Schwartz MW, Ed. Pediatric Primary Care: A Problem Oriented Approach. Mosby; 1990:696–700.

8. 8.

   .. Speech and Language Developmental Milestones. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/speech-and-language

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   Rescorla L. Late Talkers: Do Good Predictors of Outcome Exist? Dev Disabil Res Rev. Published online November 2011:141-150. doi:10.1002/ddrr.1108

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    Dawes P, Bishop DVM, Sirimanna T, Bamiou DE. Profile and aetiology of children diagnosed with auditory processing disorder (APD). International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. Published online April 2008:483-489. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2007.12.007

11. 11.

    Battaglia A, Carey JC. Diagnostic evaluation of developmental delay/mental retardation: An overview. Am J Med Genet. Published online January 30, 2003:3-14. doi:10.1002/ajmg.c.10015

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    Allen R, Wasserman GA. Origins of language delay in abused infants. Child Abuse & Neglect. Published online January 1985:335-340. doi:10.1016/0145-2134(85)90029-8

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    STEINHAUSEN HC, JUZI C. Elective Mutism: An Analysis of 100 Cases. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Published online May 1996:606-614. doi:10.1097/00004583-199605000-00015

14. 14.

    McMurray B. Defusing the Childhood Vocabulary Explosion. Science. Published online August 3, 2007:631-631. doi:10.1126/science.1144073

15. 15.

    Ellis EM, Thal DJ. Early Language Delay and Risk for Language Impairment. Perspect Lang Learn Educ. Published online October 2008:93-100. doi:10.1044/lle15.3.93

16. 16.

    Sharma M, Purdy SC, Kelly AS. Comorbidity of Auditory Processing, Language, and Reading Disorders. J Speech Lang Hear Res. Published online June 2009:706-722. doi:10.1044/1092-4388(2008/07-0226)

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    Romeo RR, Leonard JA, Robinson ST, et al. Beyond the 30-Million-Word Gap: Children’s Conversational Exposure Is Associated With Language-Related Brain Function. Psychol Sci. Published online February 14, 2018:700-710. doi:10. 1177/0956797617742725

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    Hirsh-Pasek K, Adamson LB, Bakeman R, et al. The Contribution of Early Communication Quality to Low-Income Children’s Language Success. Psychol Sci. Published online June 5, 2015:1071-1083. doi:10.1177/0956797615581493

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    Andresen H. Role Play and Language Development in the Preschool Years. Culture & Psychology. Published online December 2005:387-414. doi:10.1177/1354067×05058577

About Pamela Li

Pamela Li is an author, Founder, and Editor-in-Chief of Parenting For Brain. Her educational background is in Electrical Engineering (MS, Stanford University) and Business Management (MBA, Harvard University). Learn more

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Early speech development of young children

"... in the community, under guidance, with the help of a child can always do more and solve the most difficult problems than on their own." A.V. Zaporozhets, a well-known Russian psychologist.

I want to draw the attention of parents to a very important period in the development of the baby, which we call "pre-speech". It is during this period that the baby is preparing for further speech development, which is not yet noticeable, but is already very actively taking place. From my many years of experience, I know that many mothers pay little attention to the cooing and babbling of the baby, many do not even know what it is and how they differ.

But the first symptoms of trouble can manifest themselves precisely during this period, when the child's nervous system is still very plastic and pliable to therapeutic effects. You should also not make preliminary diagnoses, because we are adults too, very different. Someone is talkative, someone is called a "silent person", one cannot live without communication, and the other likes to be alone. And our children are ours and, of course, they look like us. Along with the norm, I give examples that, in combination with other symptoms, should alert parents.

Often there is nothing serious behind these symptoms, only a slight correction is needed. Mothers with perfectly healthy children come to see me, who had features of babbling and cooing. Yes, not everyone who had deviations in pre-speech development later developed problems with speech and reading, very often everything returned to normal. But all children with speech difficulties necessarily had violations of early speech and pre-speech development.

Stages of pre-speech development

• The first year of life is called the period of pre-speech development, during which preparation for mastering speech takes place. From the very first day of life, the child is preparing for speech. From the moment of birth, there are voice reactions - screaming and crying. With these signals, the baby reports that he is ill, he is hungry, sick. A healthy newborn makes separate sounds, intermediate between "a" and "e".
• Pay attention if the baby sobs on sigh, with a characteristic nasal tint, or there is a piercing, painful, continuous cry, which is commonly called "brain". If these symptoms do not go away, you should consult a specialist.
• Gradually, the child learns to listen to his speech and the speech of others. From the 1st month, the baby calms down when he hears a lullaby. An increased interest in human speech in the form of a concentration reaction appears at 4-5 weeks. When an adult leans over a child, gently talks to him, he stops crying and moving, “listens”. At 5-8 weeks, in response to the speech of an adult, the child smiles, from 8 weeks - a real smile, by 9-12 weeks laughter appears. Starting from 6-8 weeks, in response to an attempt by an adult to make contact, the baby utters separate sounds - cooing (initial cooing). True humming or melodious humming appears on the 2-3rd month. The child, being in a calm state, makes long vowel sounds.
• With certain pathologies of the nervous system, the child may not show interest in the speech of an adult, not respond to surrounding objects. In children in such cases, negative reactions usually predominate (monotonous crying, prolonged crying on one tone), a smile is extremely rare, and there is no cooing.
• By 5-6 months, the nature of the sounds becomes more complicated. Combinations appear: “baaa, maaa”, “taaa, paaa”. Observing the child, it can be noted that at the moment of pronouncing sounds, he slows down his vocal movements, as if listening and imitating himself, pronounces sounds in the form of chains. By about the 5th month of life, sound and syllabic pronunciation begin to acquire some semblance of words. By 5-6 months, the cooing gradually turns into clear and distinct speech sounds, babble appears. The first babble consists of short chains of syllables: ba-ba-ba, ma-ma-ma. Parents sometimes take such babble chains for meaningful speech, but these, of course, are not words yet.
• Children with a lack of cooing, low expressiveness of speech, and a lack of imitation deserve special observation. A child with initial signs of early childhood autism may be clearly non-contact, passive, orienting reactions will be reduced or, conversely, physical activity, anxiety, negative emotional reactions to new objects (crying, screaming) will prevail.
• By 9 months babbling is enriched with new sounds, intonations, develops into long rows of syllables. Babble becomes a constant response to the adult's voice appeal and accompanies various actions with objects and toys. AT 9months, the child demonstrates understanding of the speech addressed to him, reacts to his name, perceives some simple verbal instructions and responds to them with an action: “open your mouth”, “give a pen”, press your cheek to the mother at the request “kiss mom”, raise your head and eyes to the lamp to the question “where is the light?”, they are looking for a toy hidden in front of their eyes, at the word “no” they stop reaching for any object, or stop pulling it into their mouth, etc. Children 9-10 months old are characterized by active babbling, consisting of 4-5 syllables or more. The child repeats new syllables after the adult, which he himself has not previously pronounced, copies the intonation well, accompanying it with expressive facial expressions and gestures. By 9-10 months he pronounces separate words consisting of the same paired syllables (mom, dad).
• A child of 11-12 months is increasingly paying attention to the face of the speaker, begins to nod his head as a sign of affirmation and shake it as a sign of denial. The syllables included in the babbling become components of the words: ma-ma-ma - “mother”. The kid begins to designate certain objects with sound combinations, for example: a car - “beep”, etc. At the same time, children of this age usually show a new interest - looking at picture books. Recognizing familiar objects in pictures or showing them at the request of an adult, children designate them with babble words.
• By the year, the dictionary usually reaches 8-10, and sometimes more "words" (baba, kitty, mu, be, etc.) that have a specific meaning. By the age of 1, the child understands and follows 5-10 simple instructions: “bring this and that”, “close the door”, “give me a cup”, etc. Thus, in the first year of life, the child’s speech apparatus is being prepared for the pronunciation of sounds. At the same time, there is an active process of developing speech understanding.

What to do for a mother

"Infecting" the baby with positive emotions, the mother stimulates his interest in the outside world, and since the satisfaction of this interest is associated with the expenditure of physiological resources, she stimulates in a certain direction both metabolic processes and differentiation of tissues in the body of her baby . On the contrary, by conveying negative emotions to an infant, we suppress not only his interest in the outside world, but also certain biological processes in his body. It is not better when the adults around the child "infect" him with too strong affective emotions.

These energy-intensive emotions drain the child's nervous system and can lead to somatic illnesses. The adult's mechanical fulfillment of routine moments, his indifferent, indifferent attitude towards a small child excludes the possibility of any kind of emotional contact at all. With such an adult, the child does not have the need to communicate, and therefore the cognitive experience does not develop and the necessary communicative and cognitive means are not formed. There is a threat of mental retardation and a disorder in the further interaction of the child with an adult. The child's brain develops incorrectly or is delayed, in the absence or deficiency of external stimuli.

And vice versa: interest in an adult, curiosity about the outside world and communicative-cognitive activity are caused and supported, as we have seen, by positive emotions emanating from an adult. Therefore, we can repeat once again that for infancy, the emotional communication of a child with an adult is not a luxury, but a prime necessity, a condition for the formation of his psyche according to a human social type. Depriving the infant of the emotional attention of an adult leads at this early age primarily to abnormal development of the child's personality.

If parents have noticed trouble, and this is not one symptom, but several (lack of babbling, cooing, change in voice, behavior), then you should contact a specialist. And then, along with speech therapy correction (massage, articulatory gymnastics, stimulation of voice reactions), drug treatment, physiotherapy, etc. are prescribed.

How to stimulate speech development specialists, the better the results will be: the reserve capabilities of the brain are especially high at an early age, during the period when speech is actively developing.

At the stage of pre-speech development (1-3 months) it is necessary to encourage motor and communication functions, develop and reinforce the child's need to communicate with adults, strengthen the ability to fix the gaze and follow a moving object. Gradually move on to active stimulation of fine motor skills. In the absence of cooing at this stage, violation of voice reactions, the doctor may prescribe, along with the use of drug therapy, speech therapy correction (facial massage, breathing and articulation exercises). At the 3rd stage of pre-speech development (3-6 months), the baby manipulates toys, pulls them into his mouth, rolls over and crawls to an object that interests him, throws toys and follows their movement. In cases where there is a delay in pre-speech skills, it is advisable to conduct their purposeful stimulation. For example, create situations that cause a child to laugh, coo, as imitation reactions. If necessary, speech therapy correction may consist of active speech therapy massage, activities aimed at the development of babbling. At the 4th stage (6-9months) and the 5th stage (9-12 months), the possibilities of speech therapy assistance are expanding.

Along with active massage and gymnastics, tongue movements, chewing movements, and lip movements begin to be stimulated. Stimulate the ability to recognize the intonation coloring of addressed speech. Babble and initial syllable formation are stimulated with the help of appropriate imitative or imitative games (“Okay”, “Goodbye”, “Geese flew - sat down on their heads ..”, etc.) The effectiveness of speech therapy correction of pre-speech disorders cannot be carried out without active stimulation of mental development. After 6 months, the child is stimulated with purposeful actions with various objects, stimulation of repeated actions, object-effective communication with adults. From the second half of a child's life, they are taught to handle objects and manipulate them.

Sound pronunciation

• The pronunciation side of a child's speech can be judged only when he has accumulated a significant vocabulary. The time and order of the appearance of sounds in different children is not the same. In the third year of life, the child has the right to incorrect sound pronunciation. So, whistling sounds (S, Z, Z ', C), hissing (Sh, Zh, Ch, Shch) and sonorous (R, R ', L) he usually skips or replaces (S-S '; Z-S ' , V; C-T'; W-S', T'; W-S', D'; Ch-T'; SH-T'; R-L'; R'-L'; L-L')
• If any violations of the pronunciation side of speech are found in infants, it requires timely corrective measures, additional examinations by other specialists. The prospects for mental development, the success of teaching children with disabilities in neuropsychic development, their school and social adaptation depend on the early detection of disorders in cognitive activity. But often speech therapists in the clinic advise you to wait a bit - "don't come before 5 years." This can be explained by the fact that classes with a baby require a special individual approach, and not every specialist has the necessary knowledge, experience, and most importantly, the desire to work with young children. But a good speech therapist won't brush off anxious parents.
• In the absence of active speech in a 1.5-3-year-old child, it is necessary to arrange an appointment with competent specialists: a neurologist, psychologist, speech therapist, otorhinolaryngologist, and conduct a series of diagnostic studies. Parents should be alarmed by speech delays not only when the child does not have speech at two years old, but also in cases where development is delayed or there is a complete absence of cooing and babble. Observations of specialists and objective data from medical studies will clarify the nature of the violation, the degree of its complexity, suggest possible causes of occurrence and organize adequate assistance to the child.
• At any age, speech disorders limit cognitive activity and the possibility of social adaptation of a person. Consultations of competent specialists and remedial classes with speech pathologists will help to distinguish speech disorders from other disorders (mental retardation, mental retardation, hearing impairment, autism spectrum disorders), and make a more accurate diagnosis. Early correction, conducting systematic speech therapy classes, which in essence are a well-organized game, can completely compensate for a speech defect.
• The importance of speech development at an early age is great: speech, along with intelligence, is an important indicator of the development of the baby, and its violations are evidence of ill health in the mental sphere. Speech reflects the success (or failure) of mastering the native language, the main social acquisition of the child during this period.
• The speech of a young child reflects the development and lays the foundations for future higher mental functions: memory, attention, thinking, and hence all further education of the child, and ultimately his social adaptation and success. That is why in correctional and developmental work with young children, special attention is paid to the stimulation (formation) of speech activity.

About the organization of classes

The development of a child's speech occurs at every moment of his life. Everyday situations, including getting ready for bed, washing, eating take place almost in the same conditions. This helps to enrich the vocabulary of children and consolidate speech skills. Appeal to children on various occasions forms their need for communication. At the same time, it is necessary to actively use play and everyday situations that are pleasant for the child. For example, when washing or bathing a child, you can sing a composed song on the go, drawing the baby’s attention to the parts of the body and the face that it sings about with a gentle touch:0004

• Where, where, where, where, where, where are our pens? (2 times)
• Here they are, here they are, here are our pens. (2 times)
• Where, where, where, where, where, where are our legs? (2 times)
• Here they are, here they are, here are our legs. (2 times)
• Where, where, where, where, where, where is our tummy? (2 times)
• Here it is, here it is, here is our tummy. (2 times)
• Where, where, where, where, where, where are our eyes? (2 times)
• Here they are, here they are, here are our eyes. (2 times)
• Where, where, where, where, where, where are our cheeks? (2 times)
• Here they are, here they are, here are our cheeks. (2 times)

The gentle voice of the mother, pleasant stroking movements will stimulate the child's independent vocal reactions.

Just communication with the baby in everyday life is not enough for his development. It is necessary to use speech in subject and game activities. It is also desirable to conduct specially organized classes (games-classes). It is important to bear in mind that at an early age all the tasks that are given to the child should be offered as an entertaining and interesting game. Only against a positive emotional background does the baby himself want to pronounce a new word, repeat the combination of sounds or phrases he heard.

When learning new words, always use the toy or object first and then the picture. If a child easily recognizes and names familiar objects and toys, one should gradually move on to working with subject and plot pictures.

Speech therapist, neurodefectologist Elena Gennadievna Timoshchenko, author of the series of lectures of the Territory of Health "Early development of speech and intelligence of a child".

Early Childhood Speech Development Calendar

Early childhood is considered a very important period in a child's life.

This is the time of the most rapid and rapid changes in the mental and physical development of the baby, the child takes the first steps, learns to speak, begins to use gestures and other means of communication.

3 weeks - 1 month - there is a cry indicating emotional discomfort, pain or hunger. With physical stress, the child groans, making the sounds "a", "e".

2 - 3 months : the child has a cooing, he utters simple sounds - " a", "y", "s ", sometimes combined with " g ". This is an important stage in the development of speech in young children.

4 - 6 months - makes high melodious sounds, sounds of exclamation, reacts with joyful sounds to the faces of loved ones.

6 - 9 months - babbles, he repeats the same syllables (“ma-ma-ma”, “ba-ba-ba”, “dya-dya-dya”, “gu-gu-gu”).

9 - 11 months - the baby begins to imitate the sounds of adult speech.

11 – 14 months - the first meaningful words "mom", "dad", "woman", "uncle" appear, from 8 to 14 words. Correlates a word with an object

By the age of 2 years there are 100-200 words in the baby's vocabulary. He is already building a sentence of 2-3 words.

By the age of 3 the volume of the dictionary increases to 1000 words by enriching the child's life experience. Simple prepositions appear: in, on, under, for, with, at. The child remembers poems, children's songs.

By the end of 3 years , most children are able to construct sentences grammatically correctly, conduct dialogues, tell what they have seen and heard.

Important to know:

Do not listen to advice from other parents whose children started talking after 3 years, that the child will talk on his own. He will speak, the only question is what kind of speech it will be, its quality.

How to identify the signs of speech disorders in a child?

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By the end of the 5th month does not listen to sounds and music

By the end of the 7th month does not respond to the intonation of the voice, does not recognize the mother’s voice with a “complex of animation”

syllables for an adult