Language Milestones & Red Flags
3-6 months
Produces vowel sounds and cooing
Social smile, giggles, shows pleasure
Enjoys interactions with caregivers
Makes eye contact with people talking to them
Takes turns vocalizing
Red Flags Limited eye contact
No joyful interactions with caregiver
6-9 months
Beginning to understand phrases such as “want more?” & “come here”
Tries to imitate some actions and sounds
Babbles using repeated consonant-vowel syllable (mamama)
Vocalizes with eye contact to communicate
Responds to name and looks at family members when they’re named
Red Flags No consonant sounds/ babbling No back and forth interactions of sounds, smiles, facial expressions
9-12 months
Says first word
Babbling now consists of combining various vowels and consonants with rhythmic pattern
Points and uses gestures more purposefully to influence the behavior of others
Imitates actions, sounds, and dancing
Follows highly routine directions with cues
Understands 50 words and phrases including “no”
Red Flags No gestures Not responding to name No babbling No joint attention
12-15 months
Says about 10 words
Uses 10 or more gestures (shakes head “no,” waves, blows kiss, etc.)
Follows 1 step directions with prompts
Imitates sounds in play (animal sounds, environmental sounds
Answers “where” questions by looking toward an object/person or pointing in book
Red Flags No words Not following routine directions Uses gestures more than verbal attempts
15-18 months
Says 15-50 single words
Follows 1-step directions without gestures
Speech is ~25% intelligible
Points to common objects, body parts, and to what he/she wants
Answers yes/ no questions verbally or with nod/shake
Red Flags Says fewer than 10 words Unable to identify familiar vocabulary Not following routine directions
18-24 months
Says 200 words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, social phrases)
Understands 300 words
Follows 2 simple step directions
Speech is ~50% intelligible
Puts 2-3 words “more juice”
Uses words more than gestures to communicate
Verbally makes a choice when offered 2 options
Red Flags Says fewer than 50 words Does not follow 1 step directions Not combining 2 words together
24-30 months
Says 450 words
Follows more complex commands
Speaks in 2-3 word phrases most of the time
Asks and answers who, what, and where questions
Uses verb+ing and pronouns (I, me, my, mine, it)
Red Flags No back and forth conversational turn-taking
Says fewer than 100 words
Does not answer who, what, where questions
Does not combine 2 words together
30-36 months
Says nearly 1000 words
Speech is 75% intelligible
Asks and answers why questions
Speaks in 4-5 word sentences
Talks about events/objects not presetn
Uses more pronouns (he, she, we)
Red Flags Says fewer than 200 words
Not following 1-2 step directions
Does not speak in phrases
Sources: ASHA https://www.asha.org/slp/schools/prof-consult/norms/ , Language Milestones, AKP Speech, https://www.akpspeech.com