1 1/2 Year (18 Months) Milestones
Language Development is the process by which children come to understand and communicate language during early childhood. From birth to age five, children develop language at a very rapid pace. The stages of language development for humans are universal, however the age and the rate at which a child reaches each developmental milestone can vary greatly among children. A child’s development should not be compared to that of other individual children but rather be compared to norms. Generally girls develop language at a faster rate than boys. More than any other aspect of development, language development reflects the growth and maturation of the child’s brain. For a child after the age of five it becomes much more difficult to learn language. Early Intervention is critical. A typically developing child usually develops receptive language development (the ability to understand language) faster than expressive language (ability to communicate).
If your child is missing any of the items in the appropriate age milestones, please complete the “Referral Form” or contact us. Early intervention is vital to your child’s speech and language development.
Social/ Emotional
- Likes to hand things to others
- May have temper tantrums
- May be afraid of strangers
- Shows affection to familiar people
- Plays simple pretend, suck as feeding a doll
- May cling to caregivers in new situations
- Points to show others something interesting
- Explores alone but with parent close by
Language/ Communication
- Says several single words
- Say and shakes head “no”
- Points to show someone what he wants
Cognitive (Learning, Thinking, and Problem-solving)
- Knows what ordinary things are for (e.g. telephone, brush, spoon)
- Points to get the attention of others
- Shows interest in a doll or stuffed animal by pretending to feed
- Points to one body part
- Scribbles on own
- Can follow one-step verbal commands without any gestures, for example, sits when you say “sit down”
Movement/ Physical Development
- Walks alone
- May walk up steps or run
- Pulls toys while walking
- Can help undress self
- Drinks from a cup
- Eats with a spoon