Ages and Stages: Watch Your Child’s Speech and Language Grow
By 12 months most children will:
- Follow simple one-step directions – e.g. “Sit down”
- Look across the room to something you point to
- Consistently use 3-5 words
- Use gestures to communicate (e.g. waves “bye-bye”, shakes head “no”)
- Get your attention using sounds, gestures and pointing while looking at your eyes
- Bring you toys to show you
- “Perform” for attention and praise
- Combine lots of sounds as though talking – e.g. "abadabaduh abee”
- Show interest in simple picture books
What you can do to help:
- Follow your child’s lead by playing with toys that your child is interested in
- Use simple language 1 – 2 words in length when playing and interacting with your child
- Name objects, people, and actions your child shows interest in
- Repeat the same words over and over again as repetition is a powerful tool for teaching children new words
- Be animated when talking with your child and use natural gestures along with your words.
- Interact with your child at the same face-to-face level
- Show your child picture books and name the people, objects and actions while pointing to the pictures.
If you think your child is not meeting the developmental milestones as expected don’t ‘wait and see’. Contact Us to make a referral for a speech and language assessment.
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