children who cannot hear well need help early 19
This chart describes some of the communication skills children learn
and when most children learn them. Parents can
use the chart to decide which skills their children
already know, and which skills they need to
learn. To decide what activities to do first,
start by asking yourself, “Is my child doing
everything that other children his age are
doing?” For more information on the ages
and order in which children usually learn
new skills, see the Child Development
Charts on pages 231 to 238.
3 months
• responds to familiar
voices or faces
• reacts to sudden
sounds or
movements
6 months
• makes simple sounds or
gestures
• turns head
toward
movements
or sounds
1 year
• joins sounds together or
repeats hand shapes
• begins to name things
• understands and responds
to simple words or signs
• imitates single signs
ba-ba
ga-ga
2 years
My cup.
• uses simple words
or signs
• uses sentences with
2 and 3 words or signs
• knows 50 to 200 words
or signs
3 years
• understands most
simple language
• knows and uses
500 to 1000
words or signs
Where is the
biscuit?
I ate it.
5 years
• talks or signs
about what
he has done
• asks many
questions
What are
those people
doing?
Note: Some children who cannot hear well may have other problems. Their minds
and bodies could be slow to develop for other reasons. See the book Disabled Village
Children for more information on how to help a child whose mind and/or body are
slow to develop.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)