The Language Explosion

2-3 years. Can't understand differences in meaning ("up" vs. "down"), follow two requests ("please pick up the bottle and give it to me"), string together two or three words or name common objects.

3-4 years. Does not answer simple "who," "what" and "where" questions. Cannot be understood by people outside the family, use four-word sentences or pronounce most phonemes correctly. If delays persist until kindergarten, most pediatricians recommend speech therapy.

Donna Foote in Los Angeles

© 1997