Normal Speech and Language Development: Birth to 1 Year, Continued
Last week was the
first of my 8 weeks series on what normal typical development looks like in young children ages 0 to 5 years. In addition, I shared WHY I feel this series is especially important for parents, as knowledge is power and the more information available about what normal development looks like, the better. The first five years of development are critical and early intervention is crucial for children with special needs.
Today's post continues to explore and explain what normal speech and language development looks like for babies in their first year of life - 0 to 12 months. Below are some links to helpful websites, charts and articles regarding developmental milestones that can all serve as a resource for parents of young children:
- Kids Health by Nemours website explores what early speech and language development looks like. The site states that before 12 Months, "It's important for kids (this age) to be watched for signs that they're using their voices to relate to their environment. Cooing and babbling are early stages of speech development. As babies get older (often around 9 months), they begin to string sounds together, incorporate the different tones of speech, and say words like "mama" and "dada" (without really understanding what those words mean).
Before 12 months, children should also be attentive to sound and begin to recognize names of common objects (for example bottle, binky, etc.). Babies who watch intently but don't react to sound may be showing signs of hearing loss.
- Babycenter.com - this is a website that I personally love especially with having two young children. For new moms out there you can sign onto the site and create an account, as I did, that will walk you through not only your pregnancy but also the developing stages of the fetus and then your baby once they are born. There is a wealth of information readily available and the site looks at all areas of development. Here are four important links regarding speech and language development:
1. Developmental Milestone: Talking - great resource about talking and when and how it develops
2. Your Child's Talking Timeline - helpful month to month information about speech development, as well as a "red flag" indicator about when to call your doctor with concerns.
3. Baby Developmental Delays - numerous links and articles about when to have concerns about your child's development.
And Finally...
4. Many Babies with Developmental Delays May Go Untreated - This is an article published in May 2012 about a study done in California regarding a significant number of children who were in the NICU as infants; but were not always given referrals for early intervention services even though they would be considered at high risk for developmental delays. Issues such as state budget cuts in EI, a "wait and see" approach from doctors and a lack of parent interest were all considered as reasons for why these kids were not getting the necessary referrals. This article demonstrates how children can "slip through the cracks" which is why it is important to get this information out there and share it with both parents! Knowing what typical development looks like will help you to know when something isn't right
Join me next week as for WEEK 3 of Exploring Normal Typical Development in Young Child