When it comes to toddlerhood, a lot is going on. Communication development, motor skills, coordination, cognitive, and social-emotional skills come simultaneously. Toddlers are learning their preferences, developing personalities, and just loving life. In this post, we will talk about ASHA’s speech and language milestones for 3-year-olds to 4-year-olds, including speech development stages in toddlerhood.
These milestones were created so that we (clinicians and parents) have guidelines to measure toddler development. As clinicians, we use this information along with the standardized assessments to determine if a toddler qualifies- or would benefit from speech therapy intervention services; this information is resourceful for choosing and writing goals and helping us manage our expectations. It also provides an opportunity to educate parents/caregivers on ways they can encourage development in their toddlers.
Speech vs. Language
What’s the difference between speech and language in speech therapy? Here’s how the American Speech and Hearing Association [ASHA] distinguishes the two:
Speech is how we say sounds and words. Speech includes:
Language refers to the words we use and how we use them to share ideas and get what we want [communicate]. Language includes:
It’s important to distinguish these two concepts because between 3 and 4 years old, toddlers can present with a speech delay, language delay, or both.
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