Speech and Language Development

1- 1½ years

Articulation/Speech:

  • Uses sentence-like intonations (jargon)
  • Some echolalia
  • Uses most vowels and consonants in jargon
  • Omits final consonants and some initial consonants
  • Basically unintelligible with exception of a few words
  • Words produced with consonant vowel-structure (bo/boat) emerge
  • Accurately imitates some words

Receptive Language:

  • Follows simple one-step commands
  • Points to recognized objects (emerging nomination)
  • Begins to claim certain objects (emerging possession)
  • Points to one to three body parts on command
  • Identifies 2 or more objects or pictures from a group
  • Perceives others emotions
  • Recognizes own name
  • Understands “no”
  • Waves good-bye

Expressive Language:

  • Uses 3 to 20 words
  • Vocalizes with gestures
  • Says “all gone” (emerging negation)
  • Answers question, “what’s this?”
  • Asks for “more” (emerging recurrence)
  • Imitates familiar words
  • Makes some environmental noises, familiar animals and machines
  • 50% of utterances are nouns
  • Average length of responses are 1 to 2 words

Play:

  • Solitary or onlooker play – self play
  • Continual walking activities
  • Begins running – stiff and awkward
  • Scribbles spontaneously with crayon
  • Can remove mittens, socks, hat
  • Puts object in and out of containers
  • Can figure out ways to overcoming some obstacles (opening doors, reaching high places)
  • Imitates many things (sweeping, combing hair – self-use)
  • Pulls toys; carries or hugs doll, teddy bear
  • Very rapid shifts in attention- especially expressed by gross motor shifts

Social Skills/Pragmatics:

  • Bring objects to show an adult
  • Requests objects by pointing, vocalizing, or using word approximation
  • Solicits another’s attention vocally, physically and possibly with a word (“mommy”)
  • Gesturally request action/assistance (may give back wind-up toy to request activation)
  • Says “bye” and possibly a few conversational words such as “hi”, “thank-you” and “please”
  • Protests by saying “no,” shaking head, moving away, frowning or pushing objects away
  • Comments on object/action by directing listener’s attention to it
  • Acknowledges another’s speech by eye contact, vocally responding or repeating a word
  • Teases, scolds and warns using gestures plus a vocalization or word approximation