Developmental Milestones

"The development of communication skills begins in infancy, before the emergence of the first word. Any speech or language problem is likely to have a significant effect on the child's social and academic skills and behavior. The earlier a child's speech and language problems are identified and treated, the less likely it is that problems will persist or get worse. Early speech and language intervention can help children be more successful with reading, writing, schoolwork, and interpersonal relationships" ASHA, 2015.  Developmental charts can be found at www.ASHA.org

Is my child ready for Kindergarten?

This is a question that is often asked of me in the schools.  Some of the language milestones they should have reached by five years of age are noted below. This advice comes from a professional organization (ASHA, 2015).

• Understands words for order, like first, next, and last.
• Understands words for time, like yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
• Follows longer directions, like "Put your pajamas on, brush your teeth, and then pick out a book."
• Follows classroom directions, like "Draw a circle on your paper around something you eat."
• Hears and understands most of what is said at home and in school.

• Says all speech sounds in words. May make mistakes on sounds that are harder to say, like l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, th.
• Responds to "What did you say?"
• Talks without repeating sounds or words most of the time.
• Names letters and numbers.
• Uses sentences that have more than 1 action word, like jump, play, and get. May make some mistakes, like "Zach got 2 video games, but I got one."
• Tells a short story.
• Keeps a conversation going.
• Takes in different ways depending on the listener and place. May use short sentences with younger children or talk louder outside than( inside.

Is my child delayed?  

Signs of a Language Disorder

Here are some general signs of a language delay.  

*    Doesn't smile or interact with others (birth–3 months)

*    Doesn't babble (4–7 months)

*    Makes few sounds (7–12 months)

*    Does not use gestures (e.g., waving, pointing) (7–12 months)

*    Doesn't understand what others say (7 months–2 years)

*    Says only a few words (12–18 months)

*    Doesn't put words together to make sentences (1½–3 years)

*    Has trouble playing and talking with other children (2–3 years)

*    Has problems with early reading and writing skills—for example, may not show an interest in books or drawing (2½–3 years) (ASHA, 2015).


If you have specific concerns contact an SLP who has earned the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the ASHA.