Self-Evaluation Communication Check Lists

Between birth and three months, does your baby:

Make a "pleasure" sound?

Repeat the same sounds (cooing, gooing)

Cry differently for different needs?

Smile when he or she sees your face?

Between the ages of four to six months, does your child:

Make babbling sounds more speech-like with many different sounds, including p, b and m?

Tell you (by sound or gesture) when he wants you to do something?

Make gurgling sounds when left alone and when playing with you?

Between the ages of seven months and one year, does your child:

Babble using both long and short groups of sounds such as "tata upup bibibibi?"

Use speech or non-crying sounds to get and keep attention?

Try to imitate different speech sounds?

Have one or two words (bye-bye, dada, mama, no) although they may not be clear?

Between the ages of one and two years, does your child:

Say more words every month?

Use some one or two-word questions like "Where kitty?" "Go bye-bye?" "What' s that?"

Put two words together like "more cookie, "no juice," "mommy book?"

Use many different consonant sounds of the beginning of words?

Between the ages of two and three, does your child:

Have a word for almost everything?

Use short phrases or two-to-three word sentences like "I want my mommy" or "That is my truck?"

Speak so that he or she is understood by familiar listeners most of the time

Often ask for a direct attention to objects by naming them. Have a vocabulary of at least 100 words?

Between the ages of three and four, does your child:

Talk about activities at school or at friends' homes?

Talk easily without repeating syllables or words?

Speak well enough for people outside the family to usually understand?

Use many sentences that have four or more words?

Between the ages of four and five, does your child:

Have a voice that sounds as clear as other children's?

Use sentences that give lots of details like "I like to read my books?"

Tell stories that stick to a topic?

Communicate easily with other children and adults?

Say most sounds correctly except a few like l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, th ?

Use adult-like grammar?

Between ages two to adult, does your child:

Stutter?

Do you stutter?

Have you noticed hoarseness, changes in your voice or any discomfort speaking (in the absence of an allergy or cold)?

Do you have difficulty making yourself understood?

Do you have slurred speech, especially when you are tired?

Do people often ask you to repeat something you have said?

Do words often come out wrong (for example, you say shoe instead of sock or window when you meant door)?

Do you have problems in understanding people in a conversation?

Do you need people to repeat themselves on a regular basis?

Do you have difficulty reading out loud?

Do you have difficulty swallowing food or water?

Do you have persistent difficulty communicating or swallowing after having suffered a stroke or acquired brain injury?