Age-Appropriate Hearing, Speech and Language Milestones
An unborn baby's hearing starts to develop early. And at birth, a baby's hearing is fully functioning. The ability to hear is vital for correct speech and language development. Children do respond differently at different stages of growth and development. But hearing problems may be suspected in children who are not responding to sounds. They may also be suspected in children who are not developing their language skills correctly. Below are some age-related guidelines that may help to determine if your child is having hearing problems.
It's important to remember that not every child is the same. Children reach milestones at different ages. Talk with your child's healthcare provider if you think your child is not hearing correctly. Here are the age-appropriate hearing milestones for most babies and toddlers.
Milestones related to speech and hearing
Age | Milestone |
Birth to 3 months |
|
3 months to 4 months |
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4 months to 6 months |
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6 months to 9 months |
|
9 months to 12 months |
|
12 months to 15 months |
|
15 months to 18 months |
|
18 months to 24 months |
|
24 months to 30 months |
|
30 months to 3 years |
|
3 years to 4 years |
|
4 years to 5 years |
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