Today we are going to talk about language milestones for 19 – 24 months. These milestones are taken from ASHA’s updated communication milestones (2023).
What Counts as a Word?
How many words at 2 years? By the time they turn 2, toddlers should be able to use and understand at least 50 words. Honestly, they probably understand way more than 50 words by the time they’re 2. However, it can be difficult to determine what they know vs. don’t know because their expressive skills are continuing to develop.
What counts as a word? A word is an expression that a toddler uses consistently and intentionally. Animal sounds, environmental sounds, exclamatory words, partial words, sign language, and whole words all count as words.
Language Development 2 Years Old
At 2 years old, toddlers should also be putting 2 words together to form short phrases such as “daddy go”, “puppy woof” or “go out”. Using sign language also counts, so if a toddler signs eat and says “nana,” it actually counts as “eat a banana.”
Early words in phrases may not be whole words. During this age, toddlers are also experiencing developmental phonological processes.
Possessives come into form during this stage in gestures and verbal speech (me, mine, and you)- if you’ve hung around a toddler, you know their life motto: “What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is mine. In fact, yours is probably better than mine so I’m gonna take it instead.” Toddlers label other’s possessives such as “daddy’s shoe” (although it initially will sound like “da-de tu”)
At 2 years old, toddlers should also know how to follow simple 2 step directions like “pick up the ball and bring it to me”, “find the horse and put it in the barn” or “get your shoes and hand them to me”. Sometimes these directions will have to be repeated and may even require a gesture to complete.
Speech Therapy Evaluation
When it comes to speech therapy evaluation for toddlers- what are we looking for?
Often the biggest concern and reason for referral for speech therapy for toddlers is parent/caregiver concern with a toddler’s lack of verbal skills. “They’re just not talking” may also be paired with concerns with behaviors and aggression.
When you see the referral come across for a two-year-old with behavior issues- go in with an open mind. Remember, they’ve only been on the earth for [maybe] 24 months. They’re just trying to communicate and figure out their world. The speech therapy evaluation is about helping them learn to navigate their world.
The main goal of speech therapy for toddlers is always going to be functional communication. We want to make sure their needs are being met while encouraging the development of other skills.
For more information about speech therapy evaluations for toddlers, be sure to listen to the podcast episode for this post!
