When does development of speech start in babies?!

Did you know that development of speech in children starts at birth? From the moment that a child is born, their brain begins to develop speech patterns. Crying, for instance, is the main way young babies communicate their needs. They also communicate with others by using sounds and gestures- pointing a finger at an item, smiling and cooing and babbling. Usually, by 12 months, their attempts to form first words become much clearer.

By the ages of 3 – 4 years, the speech of most children will be clearer and they tend to ask many questions, repeat statements out of curiosity. This is part of the speech development process.

As Dr. Louis noted, it is important to check your child’s hearing and notice any disparities in their hearing / speech early in their childhood. Once a cochlear implant operation is performed on a child, they begin to hear for the first time and as such, their speech development begins after the implant. The earlier a child receives an implant, the quicker it will be for them to develop speech and language.

• ← KASCentre performs two successful Cochlear Implant surgeries
• KASCentre on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities →