Children learn language at different rates, but most follow a general timeline (though premature babies may be off schedule by a few weeks or months). If your child doesn't seem to be meeting communication milestones within several weeks of the average, ask her pediatrician about it. It may be nothing, but if your child is delayed in some way, recognizing and treating the problem early will keep his later learning and communication skills from being compromised.

Keep in mind that the timetable for language development is broad, and your child may run into small difficulties along the way. As long as she can speak clearly by the time she's 7, your child's on track. But as a general rule, trust your instincts. Keep your eye out for any of the following possible warning signs. Print out this factsheet for a helpful reference for you and the doctor.

Call your child's doctor or a speech pathologist if your child:

• by 4 months, doesn't imitate the sounds her parents make.


• by 6 months, isn't laughing or squealing.


• by 8 or 9 months, isn't using sounds to get your attention.


• by 9 months, hasn't begun babbling.


• at 10 months, doesn't respond to her name.


• by 9 or 10 months, isn't letting you know when she's happy or upset.


• at 12 months, doesn't use gestures such as waving or shaking her head.


• by 12 months, isn't using at least a couple of consonants (c, b, etc.).


• by 12 months, isn't communicating to you when she needs help with something.


• at 15 months, doesn't understand and respond to words like "no" and "bye-bye".


• by 15 months, isn't using at least six different gestures (waving, pointing, etc.).


• by 15 months, can't say at least one to three words.


• at 18 months, isn't saying at least six to ten words.


• by 18 to 20 months, isn't pointing out things of interest, such as a bird or moving car.


• by 20 months, isn't making at least six consonant sounds.


• at 21 months, doesn't respond to simple directions.


• by 21 months, doesn't pretend with dolls or herself (brushing or feeding her doll, etc.).


• at 24 months, can't join two words together.


• at 24 months, doesn't know the function of objects — toothbrush, telephone, fork, etc.


• by 24 months, doesn't imitate actions or words of others.


• at 2 years, doesn't point to body parts when asked.


• at 30 months, can't be understood by anyone in her family.


• at 36 months, doesn't use simple sentences, ask questions, and can't be understood by strangers


• at 3, can't speak in short phrases.


• at 3, is unable to understand short instructions.


• at 3, has no interest in interacting with other children.


• at 3, has extreme difficulty separating from a parent.


• at 3½, consistently fails to add final consonant to words (for example, saying "ca" instead of "cat")


• at 4 years, still stutters frequently.


• at 4, isn't almost fully understandable.