Speech and Language Development (12 to 24 Months) – Esperanza Speech and Occupational Therapy, Dubai
This manual gives parents and other caretakers the knowledge they need to help their child’s speech and language development between the ages of 12 and 24 months. You can identify how your kid is doing and participate in events that promote additional growth if you are aware of the normal phases of communication development.
The experts at Esperanza Speech and Occupational Therapy in Dubai are here to help you if you have worries considering your child’s vocabulary and language growth. Speaking with a speech-language pathologist might deliver knowledge specific to your child’s requirements.
The Second Year: Crucial Phases of Improvement
Children progress through several milestones in their second year as they build speech and language skills. The following stages serve as a general guideline, recognising that each child develops at their own pace.
Phase Three (9-18 Months)
Recognising:
Normally operated terms like “mummy,” “daddy,” “ball,” and “teddy” beginning to make sense to your youngster.
Words are frequently best noticed when used in context, as in the case of “bath,” which knows when it’s time to take a bath.
According to estimations, children at this phase often learn up to five times as many words as they can verbalize, suggesting they usually understand considerably more than they can speak.
Talking:
Primary words, such as “mama” or “dada,” may occur, and the sounds become more conscious and harmonious.
Your youngster could start making sounds like “maba” or “gana.”
Indicating, “no” head shakes, and “bye-bye” waves are samples of gestures that are used in communication.
When a youngster begins to use words in a meaningful way, they frequently repeat them regularly (e.g., calling all four-legged creatures “woof”).
Phase Four (12 Months and Up)
Learning:
They will comply with brief, one-step directives like “Bring me your teddy.”
Your toddler will start to identify and react to fundamental queries such as “Where is Daddy?”
Every week, they will pick up new language and form pointing to body parts as they are named.
They initiate linking words to patterns and items, such as recognizing “dinner” or “yummy” when they see a plate or spoon.
Speaking:
Alongside word use, babble persists, continually mimicking natural speech habits.
By this age, kids usually use three distinct words, including “mama,” “dada,” and the name of a prominent item, like “car” or “drink.”
Your toddler could take pleasure in mocking familiar sounds, creating animal sounds, and duplicating words they are acquainted with.
Phase Five (18 Months and Up)
Identifying:
They start learning basic activity words like “come here” and “sit down.”
Two-step directions like “Give me the spoon and the book” will be comfortable for your toddler to follow.
They are now able to determine and label a large number of well-known items and pictures.
Gestures and pointing are commonly employed to attract attention and convey desires.
Speaking:
Ten to twenty new words, including names of individuals and possessions, are added to the vocabulary.
Children frequently say “no” and “mine” rather clearly around this age!
Youngsters still talk incoherently, but they are using more words.
Two-word expressions like “daddy bye-bye” and “all gone” start to appear.
Even though pronunciation could still be a little off, this is a typical developmental stage. A speech-language pathologist can evaluate your child’s needs if worries continue.
Many kids know and use 100–200 words by the time they are two years old, and they start to create simple phrases.
Promoting Language and Speech Improvement
Sound-Listening:
For example, use animal noises like “moo” for a cow or suggestive sounds like “uh-oh” when anything breaks.
Determinate and explain various noises in the surroundings, for example, “That’s the doorbell tolling.”
Taking Parts:
After posing a query, pause to give your junior an option to answer, with inspiring replies.
Do exercises that require taking turns, such as passing toys to one another or rolling a ball back and forth.
Classifying Words:
Name the foods your child is eating to introduce them to food groups during meals.
When playing, group things that are similar together (for example, “These are all toys – a car, ball, and teddy”).
Acquiring New Word Knowledge:
Sayings like “That’s a big truck” or “Your juice is cold” might aid children in learning descriptive terms.
Explain new terms through commonplace situations, such as labeling playground equipment (“swing,” “slide”).
Playthings to Do:
Use moving things, such as balloons or bubbles, to promote eye tracking.
Furnish a range of surfaces and items for inquiry, including bells, mirrors, and plush toys.
Engage in playful exercises such as acting with dolls, hide-and-seek, or peek-a-boo with toys.
Songs and Phrases for Children:
Your kid may fill in the blanks in well-known rhymes like “Head, shoulders, knees, and ___.”
Sing activity songs, such as “The Spins on the Bus,” and invite your youngster to experience by making movements and using words.
Promoting Interactions:
Give your child a clear example when they try a word (for example, “getty” for “spaghetti”) by asking, “Would you like more spaghetti?”
To make your youngster ask for their favorite things, put them just out of reach.
Examining the Books:
Select interactive books that have flaps, textures, or well-known themes.
Reading aloud every day while pointing to items and posing questions like, “Where is the teddy?”
We at Esperanza Speech and Occupational Therapy in Dubai believe fun, play-based learning is the best way to develop interpersonal abilities. We are here to assist if you have references regarding the speech and language evolution of your kid. Set up a session with us to discuss how we can support your kid in achieving their most prominent potential.
