What speech and hearing development should I watch for in my child?
Here is a list of some things an infant with normal hearing should be able to do:
Around Two Months of Age:
- Startles to loud sound
- Quiets to familiar voices
- Makes vowel sounds like "ohh," "ahh"
Around Four Months of Age:
- Looks for sound sources
- Starts babbling
- Uses a variety of voice sounds, squeals and chuckles
Around Six Months of Age:
- Turns head toward loud sound
- Begins to imitate speech sound
- Babbles ("baba," "mama," "gaga")
Around Nine Months of Age:
- Imitates speech sounds of others
- Understands "no-no" or "bye-bye"
- Turns head toward soft sounds
Around 12 Months of Age:
- Correctly uses "mama" or "dada"
- Gives toy when asked
- Responds to singing or music
- Readily turns toward all sounds