When should I be concerned about my child's speech and language development?

Your 18 month old should be…

• using 10-15+ words.
• following familiar directions
• pointing to at least 3 body parts
• trying to use words more than gestures to request
• imitating new words

Your 24 month old should be…

• combining two words together
• using 50-200 words
• asking "what's that?"
• following two-step directions
• understanding about 300 words

Your 30 month old should be…

• combining 2-3 words in a sentence
• giving their first name upon request
• using past tense and plurals
• answering "where" questions
• beginning to understand action words
• trying to get adult attention
• using "p", "b", "m", "n", and "w"

Your 36 month old should be…

• using sentences of 3 to 4 words
• using 700-1,000 words
• producing speech that is 85% intelligible
• telling a story or past experience
• asking a variety of questions
• understanding prepositions (in, on, under)
• giving their name, gender, and age

These are general guidelines. We would be happy to provide more in-depth information and milestones for additional ages regarding speech, language, cognitive, and oral motor development.