There are a number of milestone of a child that can be delays which can be a cause for concern for parents. These delays can be related to speech, movement, and learning. If you are concerned that your child may have a delay in one or more milestones, it is important to seek professional help. There are a number of different types of developmental disabilities that can cause milestone delays. Some of these causes may include medical conditions such as ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), or LD (Learning Disability). In some cases, delayed milestones may also be caused by environmental factors such as poverty or lack of access to early intervention services.
Early intervention is vital for children with developmental disabilities. Children begin to develop speaking ability at the age of just three months. Their speech development continues until the age of eight, and their language development continues well into adolescence. Your child’s first five years are critical for both speech and language development and it’s vital to watch for missed milestones that could indicate a developmental delay, particularly during the early stages. If you notice a problem, pediatric speech therapy can greatly impact your child’s development.
When do babies start talking? Late talkers?
When do babies start talking? It's a common question that parents often wonder about. Babies begin to laugh and coo around the age of three months. At the same time, they begin to experiment with different sounds, and they start to use hand gestures, too. These are the earliest speech development milestones, even though no words are formed. As your child grows, they’ll develop language – the ability to assign meaning to the sounds they make.
Here are some key speech and language development milestones :
12 to 18 months - Babies normally started interacting with their parents and other known people around them in short like 2 to 3 words sentences and able to understand what others are saying around them.
3 years old - Your child should be able to say many words correctly, and they should be able to form short, meaningful sentences that even strangers can understand. At age three, many children can speak while doing other activities such as coloring or playing.
3 - 5 years old - Children at this age typically engage in conversation. They develop curiosity about abstract subjects and they often use complex sentences. Many children start to tell stories during this period.
5 - 8 years old - Most children gain language ability by leaps and bounds. By the age of eight, many kids can carry on conversations with complex themes.
Children develop speech and language at different rates, and it’s completely normal for some to progress faster than others. If you're concerned that your baby may be a late talker, there are some things you can do to help encourage your child's speech development You can read to your baby, sing songs, and try to imitate the sounds your baby makes and check with your doctor to ensure that there are no underlying conditions.