Speech and Language Milestones of Development

 

Speech and Language Development In Children

This page presents information on the development of language in children. The chart below presents typical language development. There is a wide range of normal development. Most children will not follow the chart to the letter. It is presented so you will know what to expect for your child. If your child seems significantly behind in language development, you should talk with your child’s physician regarding your questions and concerns.

Speech and Language Development Chart

Age of Child	Typical Language Development
6 Months	Vocalization with intonation Responds to his name Responds to human voices without visual cues by turning his head and eyes Responds appropriately to friendly and angry tones
12 Months	Uses one or more words with meaning (this may be a fragment of a word) Understands simple instructions, especially if vocal or physical cues are given Practices inflection Is aware of the social value of speech
18 Months	Has vocabulary of approximately 5-20 words Vocabulary made up chiefly of nouns Some echolalia (repeating a word or phrase over and over) Much jargon with emotional content Is able to follow simple commands
24 Months	Can name a number of objects common to his surroundings Is able to use at least two prepositions, usually chosen from the following: in, on, under Combines words into a short sentence-largely noun-verb combinations (mean) length of sentences is given as 1.2 words Approximately 2/3 of what child says should be intelligible Vocabulary of approximately 150-300 words Rhythm and fluency often poor Volume and pitch of voice not yet well-controlled Can use two pronouns correctly: I, me, you, although me and I are often confused My and mine are beginning to emerge Responds to such commands as “show me your eyes (nose, mouth, hair)”
36 Months	Use pronouns I, you, me correctly Is using some plurals and past tenses Knows at least three prepositions, usually in, on, under Knows chief parts of body and should be able to indicate these if not name Handles three word sentences easily Has in the neighborhood of 900-1000 words About 90% of what child says should be intelligible Verbs begin to predominate Understands most simple questions dealing with his environment and activities Relates his experiences so that they can be followed with reason Able to reason out such questions as “what must you do when you are sleepy, hungry, cool, or thirsty?” Should be able to give his sex, name, age Should not be expected to answer all questions even though he understands what is expected
48 Months	Knows names of familiar animals Can use at least four prepositions or can demonstrate his understanding of their meaning when given commands Names common objects in picture books or magazines Knows one or more colors Can repeat 4 digits when they are given slowly Can usually repeat words of four syllables Demonstrates understanding of over and under Has most vowels and diphthongs and the consonants p, b, m, w, n well established Often indulges in make-believe Extensive verbalization as he carries out activities Understands such concepts as longer, larger, when a contrast is presented Readily follows simple commands even thought the stimulus objects are not in sight Much repetition of words, phrases, syllables, and even sounds
60 Months	Can use many descriptive words spontaneously-both adjectives and adverbs Knows common opposites: big-little, hard-soft, heave-light, etc Has number concepts of 4 or more Can count to ten Speech should be completely intelligible, in spite of articulation problems Should have all vowels and the consonants, m,p,b,h,w,k,g,t,d,n,ng,y (yellow) Should be able to repeat sentences as long as nine words Should be able to define common objects in terms of use (hat, shoe, chair) Should be able to follow three commands given without interruptions Should know his age Should have simple time concepts: morning, afternoon, night, day, later, after, while Tomorrow, yesterday, today Should be using fairly long sentences and should use some compound and some complex sentences Speech on the whole should be grammatically correct
6 Years	In addition to the above consonants these should be mastered: f, v, sh, zh, th,1 He should have concepts of 7 Speech should be completely intelligible and socially useful Should be able to tell one a rather connected story about a picture, seeing relationships Between objects and happenings
7 Years	Should have mastered the consonants s-z, r, voiceless th, ch, wh, and the soft g as in George Should handle opposite analogies easily: girl-boy, man-woman, flies-swims, blunt-sharp short-long, sweet-sour, etc Understands such terms as: alike, different, beginning, end, etc Should be able to tell time to quarter hour Should be able to do simple reading and to write or print many words
8 Years	Can relate rather involved accounts of events, many of which occurred at some time in the past Complex and compound sentences should be used easily Should be few lapses in grammatical constrictions-tense, pronouns, plurals All speech sounds, including consonant blends should be established Should be reading with considerable ease and now writing simple compositions Social amenities should be present in his speech in appropriate situations Control of rate, pitch, and volume are generally well and appropriately established Can carry on conversation at rather adult level Follows fairly complex directions with little repetition Has well developed time and number concepts

http://childdevelopmentinfo.com

Hearing Impairments: Did you know?

Deaf Culture/Community

What is it?

It is a community specifically for the deaf who use sign language.

 Why does it exist?

·       To relax and enjoy life with others who can talk to them through sign language. They take leadership, have sports, and have community events.

·       The culture consists of language, values, traditions, norms and identity. 

Language: Every deaf culture has their own visual language, grammar and forms, and social rules.

Values: Includes the importance of communication through expressions and comprehension. The deaf schools are an important part of teaching values as the schools provide a social aspect that is needed. 

Traditions: They will teach their young the traditions so that it can be passed down through generations. It also sets traditions on appropriate behaviours, such as how to get someone's attention and appropriate eye contact. 

Identity: Being proud of one’s deaf culture,

Other Interesting Facts:

• There are no communication barriers in the community, because no one is dependent on an interpreter. 
• It provides excellent social skills to all individuals. Children play together and play sports. 
• Deaf students who are in mainstream classrooms might miss out on the feeling of belonging. They are often singled out in mainstream classrooms, and have little or no friends. They may find it hard to communicate with others and the teacher. 
• Deaf children who were put in mainstream classrooms found it harder to belong in the deaf community.
• Residential deaf schools are the root of the deaf community. 

Questions to think about

1) Should deaf students be in their own community, or should they be mainstreamed? 

In our opinion, based on the facts above, deaf children should most definitely be in their own community. They will develop better socially, cognitively, and emotionally. If I went into the deaf community, I would feel inadequate, because I do not know sign language. Would a deaf child not have feelings of inadequacy if they are put into mainstream classrooms? They will be singled out, even though it would most likely be unintended. 

2) Should sign language be taught in schools? 

In my opinion, yes, teachers should use sign language in the classroom. It is beneficial to the whole classroom. Not only should it be taught in classrooms, it should also be taught in daycare's, because children tend to learn their own language, and other languages, by the age of three. There are babies that learn sign language, and if they continue to learn, they can also help advocate the need for sign language in the classroom.

A lot of times, deaf children are born to parents who have hearing. If sign language was taught in schools, these parents would already know the essentials of teaching their own children sign language.Schools can benefit from having ASL taught to both the deaf and hearing students, because this will provide communication within the school. If schools taught ASL, it would provide more social interaction between the deaf and hearing students.

High school would be a beneficial place to provide extra opportunity to learn sign language as well. Depending where you live, you have to learn another language. Is ASL not a type of language in itself?

 

References

http://www.deaflinx.com/resources/asl-classes-deaf-non-deaf.html 

http://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/70505

http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/the-benefits-of-american-sign-language.htm

http://lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/benefits_of_learning_how_to_sign.htm 

http://www.irishdeafkids.ie/2011/lipreading-for-children/ 

http://www.ssc.education.ed.ac.uk/courses/deaf/ddec05f.htmlhttp://www.tecear.com/About_FM_Assistive_Listening_Systems.htm 

Read, Watch, Critique Project

Read, Watch, Critique

 

Hey class, I really hope you enjoy my youtube video. If you laugh at me, it's all good. No feelings hurt. It was a lot of takes but I think I made the best one, your about to watch. Enjoy!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXhc0WLzeCA

Read, Watch, Critique- What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Film: What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

Director: Lasse Hallstrom

Date of Release: 1993

Possible Characteristics of a Person with Autism

Portrayal of Arnie Grape

seem not to care or notice when they are alone or in the company of others repetitive actions like hand flapping, rocking, humming self injurious behaviour (head banging, biting, hitting) often exhibited during times of frustration problems with communication- a complete lack of speech is not uncommon -some individuals repeat what they hear others say, known as echolalia keen ability in a specific area, like building spectacular model trains to completing impossible seeming puzzles in no time at all. “normal” in physical appearance limited, select food preferences most comfortable following a structured, predictable routine fixation on specific topics, subjects lack of imaginative, typical play

highly social with family members and people in the community enjoys the attention from a crowd of people overly comfortable approaching unfamiliar people with inappropriately personal conversation (ie telling a virtual stranger that he could “...go (die) at any time.”) self injurious behaviour- pulls at hair, hits head with fists when upset communication is verbally quite strong repetitive phrases (“We're not going anywhere. We're not going anywhere”) physically fit, healthy seeming sensory needs- touches objects just to feel them (ie the hood of a car) -comforted by physical affection follows daily routine structured by his family behaves at a much younger level than your typical eighteen year old

 

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a touching story about the struggles of a dysfunctional family, including a brother Arnie, who seemingly has autism. A loving and joyful character, Arnie is portrayed honestly and accurately, especially in scenes with high emotion. For instance, when Arnie is upset, he is self injurious, pulling at his hair and hitting himself in the head as a means to cope with what is going on. It is unfortunately not uncommon for people with autism to exhibit self injurious behaviour in times of crisis, frustration, or stimulation. One trait of Arnie's that I found less common of people with autism was his love of drawing a crowd for attention from people in the community. I would recommend this movie to everyone in our program, because of it accurately depicts an individual with autism in a moving and candid way.

Read, Watch, Critique: The Gifted Person

Television Show: Bones: "The Death of the Queen Bee": Episode: Season 5, Episode 17
Director: Allan Kroeker
Original Air Date: April 14, 2010

Characteristics of a Gifted Person

Portrayal of Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan

Ø  Gifted refers to above-average endowment of intelligence ý         Falling within the 95th percentile of their peer group for intelligence or talent Ø  They are able to synthesize large amounts of diverse information into usable data Ø  They enjoy debating issues Ø  They take pleasure in working alone Ø  They may have strong decision making capabilities and leadership qualities Ø  Excellent problem solving skills Ø  Have a tendency to challenge the teacher or text book for accuracy Ø  They ask many questions which may be perceived as controversial or embarrassing Ø  May be talented at problem solving Ø  May have expectations of themselves and others that are too high and not always realistic Ø  They are inquisitive about the world around them; committed to finding out what happens when … (i.e. as in a  science experiment) Ø  Have excellent decision making capabilities and leadership qualities Ø  Students with very high IQ’s are less popular and have difficulty with peer relations than those in their age group who are perceived as ‘less intelligent’

Ø  Bones is very rational and logical Ø  She is quite exacting of herself and her colleagues – she expects them to perform on the same level she does Ø  Lacks skills in social nuances but she does try ý         Doesn’t understand common conversational ‘rules’ regarding gossip or how to engage others in a ‘normal’ interaction   Ø  Her peers considered her “creepy” as a teen, and continue to distance themselves from her and her ‘differentness’ Ø  Egotistical and rarely willing to concede that someone else may have a better idea than she does – she is convinced of her constant ‘rightness’ Ø  As a teenager, she preferred the company of the janitor to students in her own age group Ø  She speaks in technical jargon rather than on a “normal” level so others may understand Ø  Has a strong curiousity – continues to learn and excel in the field of forensics despite already being the top in her field

The portrayal of Dr. Temperance Brennan (AKA: "Bones") by Emily Deschanel is excellently rendered. The social awkardness of one who has spent their formative years being considered as 'different' is captured clearly as Bones encounters several old classmates and creates a conversational vaccuum where everyone involved feels uncomfortable and awkward as she attempts to impress them with her successes since graduating high school while all they continue to see is her 'differentness'.   Any idiosyncrasies between the portrayal of Dr. Brennan and any other gifted individual are slight. She is a talented, inquisitive and brilliant expert in the field of forensic anthropology and many associated sciences.
I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a police/crime serial, and have done so. The dynamic between Dr. Brennan and Agent Seeley Booth (an FBI agent of average intelligence) allows for some excellent byplay in dialogue and action as she is required to 'dumb down' her language on occasion for him; and he frequently acts as her teacher, showing her how to function in the 'normal' world and making her seem more 'human'. As well, the show is well written (I now know how to potentially get away with murder ;) ) and engaging. You WANT to see "Bones" begin to understand about day to day human interactions that she cannot currently comprehend.

Differential Skills Curriculum

Attention skills for Autism:

Students who are in need of acquiring more appropriate attention skills may often be off topic, have difficulty attending to a task or assignment and struggle with sitting still.  They may also be disorganized and have trouble controlling their impulses, resulting in frequent calling out or off topic talking in class.

Primary Level Strategies:

1.  Pair oral instructions with visuals.

2.  Provide a list of tasks that need to be accomplished during a set time frame, and allow student to decide the order.

Activity:

Use string and clothes pins to hang a visual schedule in the classroom.  Allow students to remove, and change the order of the tasks that must be completed.

 

 

1.  Provide frequent physical breaks and avoid sitting for long periods of time.

2. Alternate between sitting and engaging in classroom activities

Activity:

Use a visual timer such as a digital timer or egg timer to time activities.  Once the time for the activity is finished, allow the students to get up and " shake out their wiggles".  Once all the giggles and wiggles are out, start the timer again to start a new activity or return to the old one.

                                                                     
Junior/ Intermediate Level Strategies:

1.  Use graphic organizers for the student to collect or interpret information.

2.  Post the daily schedule and review it with the whole class.  For children who require more of a visual schedule, they can be given a picture exchange communication (PEC) board of the same daily schedule.
 
Activity:

1.  Reward on-task behaviours.  When a student is able to stay focused and complete a task, reward them with something they enjoy.  Perhaps time on the computer, doing a puzzle, colouring, listen to music, or a mobile activity like rolling a ball in the hallway.

2.  Give few instructions at a time; use numbering or cueing systems for instruction.  "First you, second you, third you" or " First...and then....." or " Do A and then B and then C and then FINISHED!        

Activity:                     

         
Secondary Level Strategies:   

1.  Chunk assignments into parts and provide feedback when each step is finished.

2.   Provide a "leadership" role for the student in class, so that he or she are responsible for repeating instructions or writing them on the board.  The student could also be given the opportunity to create tasks on the computer for the teacher.

Activity:
Have the student write on the board at beginning of the class,  tasks that need to be completed.  When the tasks are done, the student could return to the board and write the next set of instructions that need to be followed.

                                                                      


1.  Use various technology tools so the student can better follow the lesson.

2.  Use differentiated teaching methods frequently, with various media forms.

Activity:
Use the computer as a means for students to create videos and pictures with cameras and audio through microphones.