MILESTONES OF AUDITORY DEVELOPMENT

PRE-NATAL

• 24 weeks gestation:  auditory system is fully developed; fetus can hear mother’s voice en utero

0-3 MONTHS

• Startle response to sudden loud noises
• Reflexive response to sound (e.g. eye widening, brow furrowing, cessation of movement)
• Recognizes / prefers mother’s voice
• Begins cooing

4-5 MONTHS

• Side to side auditory localization begins to emerge for close sounds

6 MONTHS

• Side to side auditory localization should be well developed, even for sounds that are far away
• Begins babbling
• Begins repeating sounds

9 MONTHS

• Auditory localization to sounds above and below the infant emerges
• Responds to name

12 MONTHS

• Receptive vocabulary emerges; baby begins to understand simple language (nouns and verbs); understands about 50 words
• Responds to simple commands (e.g. play pat-a-cake, wave bye-bye, where’s Mommy?)
• Interested in environmental noises
• Babbles in response to human voice

18 MONTHS

• Understands about 150-200 words
• Understands simple sentences
• Follows one step directions
• Points to body parts on request
• Points to objects and pictures when named
• Begins to combine two word phrases      

2 YEARS

• Understands about 300 words
• Follows two step directions
• Able to identify five body parts
• Listens to and understands simple stories
• Understands and answers simple yes / no and “wh” questions
• Begins to speak in short sentences

2½ YEARS

• Understands about 500 words
• Understands nearly all sentence structures
• Speaks in sentences

3 YEARS

• Understands about 900-1200 words
• Follows three step directions
• Recognizes several melodies
• Enjoys hearing favorite books repeatedly
• Remembers three details of a story
• Understands conversational turn-taking
• Understands most common adjectives
• Is interested in and understands explanations of “why?” and “how?”

4 YEARS

• Understands about 2800-13,000 words
• Remembers five details of story
• Understands and responds correctly to complicated sentences

6 YEARS

• Understands about 20,000 words

Remembers six details of a story