By 12 Months – Speech and Language development

By 12 months

One of the most common questions we hear is, “Is my child developing normally?” (or something to that effect).  It’s important to remember that between the ages of 12-24 months there is some room to move in terms of what is considered “normal”.  For example, some children by the age of 12 months will have multiple first words, while others may not start using words until a couple of months later.  While there is a relatively large span of what is considered “normal”, children generally develop within certain timeframes, and there are things you should be on the lookout for.

Below is a table that outlines some of the language and play skills a child should be developing by the age of 12 months.  Below the table are some ‘red flags’ to be wary of!

Receptive Language (Understanding)	Expressive Language(Talking)
Responds to human voices without visual cues by turning his/her head and eyes  Responds to his/her name Responds appropriately to friendly and angry tones Recognizes the names of common objects and phrases (e.g. bye bye, dog, shoe). Looks for familiar family members or objects when they hear the name. Understands simple instructions (especially if accompanied by physical/gesture cues)	Vocalization with intonation Uses and practices inflection or different speech patterns.  This may being to sound similar to adult prosody.  Sounds and vocalisations may sound more like either a question or an exclamation. Using a variety of early sounds which may include; t, d, n, b, p, w, m (and later sounds including; h, y, g, k) First words may occur at around this age.  Words may be approximations and usually require some context to understand meaning (e.g. “Doh” for ‘Dog’).
Play & Pragmatics
Begins to imitate simple gesture or action Shouts to attract attention Points in order to learn new vocabulary Laughs and coos when playing with objects Engages with and enjoys simple games (peek-a-boo, This is the way the horsey rides) Explores toys and objects by handling and mouthing Tends to explore toys alone May begin to respond to music with their whole bodies to rhythm, beat and melody

If you are worried about your baby’s communication, it is advisable to contact a speech pathologist.  Some things to watch out for are in your 12 month old are:

• Baby doesn’t seem to listen or attend to you.
• Limited responsiveness to smiles and facial expression (post 9 months).
• Limited or no sharing of gesture (e.g. reaching, waving, pointing).
• Baby doesn’t enjoy sounds or respond to them.
• Baby does not babble, vocalise or coo.
• Baby does not respond to their name (e.g. turn head).

Contact us for results focused speech therapy

This article was written by our speech pathologist Jenna Butterworth who is a Speech Pathology Australia member.

If you have questions about speech pathology or for results focused speech therapy, contact your local doctor who will arrange for you to see a speech pathologist in Sydney. Contact us today!

Sources

American Speech-Language Hearing Association Website (2011). How does your child hear and talk? Birth to one year. Accessed from Birth to One Year – American Speech-Language-Hearing Association on 27/08/2013

Lanza, J.R. & Flahive, L.K. (2008). LinguiSystems guide to communication milestones: 2009 Edition. East Moline, IL: LinguiSystems, Inc. Retrieved from LinguiSystems Guide to Communication Milestones (9-1-2012)

Paul, R. (2006).  Language Disorders: From Infancy through Adolescence (3^rd Ed). St Louis: Mosby Inc.

Speech Pathology Australia (2013). Helping your baby talk. Accessed from Helping your baby to talk – Speech Pathology Australia on 27/08/13.