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By 6 months - Ages and Stages

The developmental milestones listed below mark the progress of young children as they learn to communicate and develop their speech and language skills.

You will find:

• Milestones

• Things you can try at home

• Information on play development

• Teachable moments

• What to watch out for

If your child is not meeting one or more of the developmental milestones or if you are concerned about your child's speech and language development please contact us at:

1-888-503-8885

Milestones:

• Babbles using different sounds e.g. babababa, googoo

• Lets you know by voice sounds to do something again

• Makes "gurgling" noises

• Understands some words e.g. daddy, bye bye

• Smiles or laughs

• Vocalizes pleasure and displeasure e.g. squeals with excitement, grunts in anger

• Enjoys music, songs and rhymes

• Brightens to sound, especially to people's voices

• Smiles and laughs in response to parent/caregiver smiles and laughs

• Imitates sounds in his/her repertoire e.g. coughs or other sounds-ah, eh, buh

• Recognizes own name

• Smiles at self in mirror

• Is soothed by a calm, gentle voice

• Seeks attention using voice, body language and eye contact

• Reaches for, holds, and puts toys in mouth

Things to try at home:

• Name objects that your baby touches or looks at: "Oh toes, you've got your toes!"

• Sing songs and repeat nursery rhymes over and over again: Peek-A-Boo, Pat-A-Cake, When You're Happy and You Know it.

• Use actions such as waving bye or clapping hands and baby will learn to imitate them.

• Shake noise-makers in front of your baby, then stop. See if baby asks for more by looking at it, reaching for it, or by imitating the action. Then shake it again.

Play:

• Enjoys adult attention in games such as Peek-A-Boo, Pat-A-Cake and tickle games.

•  Likes noisy toys, that she can make crinkle, squeak, rattle and roll.

Teachable Moments:

• During a diaper change, talk about what you are doing. Name the things you are using and that baby looks at.

• During bath time, name each body part as you wash it. Play "This little Piggy Went to Market" or "Head and Shoulders Knees and Toes" while in the tub.

• Put a favorite toy in front of your child, just out of reach. Wait and see how she tells you she wants it.

• Sing lots of songs and nursery rhymes.

Watch out for:

• A child who is not looking towards a sound or is not startled by sound

• A child who has stopped babbling after having done so for a long time

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