Baby's First Words - FAQs about speech in babies and toddlers

Baby's First Words - FAQs about speech in babies and toddlers

Since language is central to the development of intelligence and social skills, most parents take active interest in this area of parenting. The average healthy toddler's speech is considerably influenced by his environment in terms of language stimuli and exposure. Despite the chronological milestones put forth by the experts, not every toddler achieves them according to the timeline stated. There are situations where toddlers just refuse to talk or cannot talk. Below are some questions and answers dealing with language acquisition in your little one, which may be of interest to you.

How does language development take place in babies?

What is the typical pattern one can expect in the way babies develop their language skills?

When do babies first start to speak proper words?

What is baby's first speech like?

What is expressive speech and receptive speech?

How do you differentiate speech disorder from language disorder and can it be overcome with age?

What causes speech delay and when should I be concerned enough to visit the doctor?

Does gender impact language development? Is there a difference in the time frame when boys and girls acquire language skills?