5 Years

• Speak in long, complete sentences 
• Ask 'why', 'who' and 'how come' 
• Tell and retell detailed stories 
• Understand long verbal directions

4 Years 

• Speech is 100% clear to an unfamiliar listener
  
• Use adult-like grammar 
  
• Can make simple rhymes (cat-hat) 
• Follow 3-step directions

3 Years 

• Use 5-8 word sentences 
• Tell simple stories 
• Speech is 75% clear to an unfamiliar listener
  
• Understand simple questions 
• Follow 2-3 step directions

2 Years 

• Say at least 100-150 words 
  
• Speech is 50% clear to an unfamiliar listener (eg. somebody outside of the family) 
  
• Combine words in to 2-word phrases 
• Follow 2-step directions

18 Months   

• Use 10-20 words 
• Imitate new words and gestures  
• Point to body parts 
• Point to pictures in books when asked 
• Understand 'in/out', 'on/off' 
• Can pretend play with toys (ex. give teddy a drink) 
• Enjoy being read to 
• Make at least 4 different sounds (p,b,m,n,d,h,w)

12 Months 

• Say first words 
  
• Point as if to say "Look at that"
  
• Look to where you are pointing 
• Combine sounds (ex. abada) 
• Follow one-step directions 

9 Months  

• Respond to name 
• Understand "no" 
• Babble (ex. bababa, dadada) 
• Play peek-a-boo 
• Gesture to indicate wants or needs(ex. reaches up) 

6 Months

• Make cooing sounds (ah-ee-oo) 
• Imitate cough & some sounds (ex.buh)
• Turn head toward a sound

Did You Know?

• 20-30% of 2-3 year-olds are late-talkers
• 30-50% of these late-talkers will NOT simply 'outgrow' this problem without intervention
  
• Without therapy, these children may have long-term academic, language, social, and behavioural challenges throughout their schooling

Don't wait!  Help your child today!​

SPEECH AND LANGUAGE MILESTONES

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