There are many milestones but there is also a great deal of normal variability. Children should look at you when you talk to them within the first 5 months of life and should also begin babbling (e.g. “ba-ba” and “da-da”) around 6 months of age. By 11 months they should imitate or repeat some sounds they hear and try to communicate with gestures (e.g. pointing) to indicate things they want (e.g. a bottle) or want to draw your attention to (e.g. a doll).

It is important to allow these things to happen naturally, and not forcefully.

Around their first birthday many children begin saying their first clear words. Some normally developing children do not speak their first words until around 18 months or later. It also typically takes children several months after they begin speaking their first words before they have as many as 10 or more words.

Nevertheless, they may understand a large number of words at the same time because language comprehension typically precedes language production. By the end of the second year of life a typically developing child will produce 50 words or more and combine some words into short sentences.

There are many different developmental milestones that occur during the language acquisition process. Achieving a milestone a few months later than other children is typically of no consequence. For example, some children begin talking at one year and some at 18 months and both are within normal expectations.

However, a delay of six or more months may be cause for serious concern and for some milestones even a delay of a few months may be problematic. For example, the failure of an infant to begin responding socially (e.g. smiling or babbling) between the ages of 6 – 12 months should be cause for concern.

Not necessarily. There are many different causes of language delays. Many of these result in transitory problems that resolve during the first few years of life with or without direct treatment. Other delays disappear as a result of early intervention, and still others may persist for years or beyond. Perhaps the single most important thing that will benefit all children, whether they are typically developing or have a delay, is the long term engagement for many hours every day in an environment rich in social language interaction, reading, and other stimulating and challenging activities.

I would advise parents who have any concerns or questions about any aspects of language development to visit the website of the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (www.nidcd.nih.gov) and click on “Voice, Speech, and Language” under the “Health Information” tab. From there, click on “Speech and Language: Developmental Milestones.” This site provides excellent, authoritative, and easy to read advice for parents.