Baby and Toddler Milestones, Dr. Lisa Shulman

Summary

This video provides a comprehensive guide to understanding the key communication milestones of young children during their first two years. It focuses on three primary areas of development: social engagement, attention to language, and communicative effort. From babies engaging with eye contact and gestures at 7-8 months, to toddlers using words and complex communication by 24 months, the video offers valuable insights for parents to track and support their child's language development. Emphasizing the importance of early intervention, it encourages parents to seek advice if developmental concerns arise.

Takeaways

• 😀 Social engagement is a key milestone in communication development. At 7-8 months, babies begin making eye contact, sharing smiles, and imitating others.
• 😀 Babies at 7-8 months start paying attention to language, especially their name, and can follow basic commands with gestures.
• 😀 Communication efforts in 7-8 month olds include making eye contact, vocalizing, and using gestures to express needs even before they speak.
• 😀 At 12-15 months, babies engage in longer reciprocal exchanges, begin pointing to direct attention, and follow commands without gestures.
• 😀 Babies at 12-15 months start to understand language more and use gestures for common activities, like waving bye-bye.
• 😀 The first words often appear around 12-15 months, marking a major milestone in a child’s ability to communicate wants and needs.
• 😀 At 18 months, toddlers use pointing and showing to engage others socially and direct attention, improving social exchanges.
• 😀 By 18 months, toddlers can follow more complex commands and engage with picture books, showing increased language comprehension.
• 😀 At 18 months, toddlers begin to use simple words for pretend play, linking language with imaginative actions like car sounds or baby talk.
• 😀 At 24 months, toddlers understand complex directives and use language for various purposes, including making requests, commenting, and directing activities.

Q & A

What are the key areas used to assess a child's communication skills during the first two years?

The key areas used to assess communication skills are social engagement, attention to language, and communicative effort.

At what age do babies begin to show social engagement through eye contact and vocalization?

Babies as young as 7 to 8 months old begin to show social engagement by making strong eye contact, sharing smiles, and vocalizing.

What is 'referencing back' and why is it significant in early communication development?

'Referencing back' refers to babies looking back at someone to help make sense of a situation. It’s important because it shows the child is actively seeking social and communicative connections.

How does a 7 to 8-month-old baby begin to demonstrate attention to language?

At 7 to 8 months, babies start paying attention to language, often recognizing their own name and following simple commands with gestures.

What early communicative behaviors can be observed in a 7 to 8-month-old baby?

A 7 to 8-month-old baby can communicate through eye contact, vocalizations, and gestures directed at what they want or need, even before using words.

How do the social behaviors of 12 to 15-month-olds evolve?

At 12 to 15 months, babies engage in more reciprocal exchanges and start to initiate social interactions, such as pointing to direct attention and understanding others' points.

What is a significant milestone in attention to language for 12 to 15-month-olds?

At this age, babies can understand more language and follow commands without needing gestures, such as waving bye-bye when prompted.

How does communication develop in 18-month-olds in terms of social engagement and language?

At 18 months, children use pointing to direct attention, demonstrate pretend play, and can follow more complex commands. They also begin to use words to indicate their wants and needs.

What role does pretend play play in the communication development of 18-month-olds?

Pretend play becomes an important part of communication development at 18 months, as children start narrating or imitating actions like the sound of a car moving or a baby sucking.

By 24 months, how has a child's communication evolved?

By 24 months, a child's social engagement is more sophisticated, using language for various purposes like making requests, directing others' activities, and commenting. They also have a vocabulary of around 200 words and are using two-word combinations.

What signs might indicate developmental concerns if a child is delayed in communication milestones?

Developmental concerns could include hearing impairment, cognitive issues, language impairment, or signs of autism. Early intervention is crucial for better outcomes.