Comprehension

• During infants’ first year of life, the brain develops rapidly, taking in a constant stream of sensory information. Even before infants have any comprehension of language, they quickly learn that crying will communicate hunger, loneliness or discomfort. Babies listen to the words spoken around them until they figure out the basic sounds that make up that language, a process that begins within the first six months.
  
  

Milestones

• NIDCD states that during the first five months of life, infants typically display a reaction to loud noises and will turn their heads in the direction of the sound. They will watch the face of a speaking adult and respond with their own collection of cooing sounds. Infants at this age level will also laugh, cry, giggle or display other emotions vocally. During the following six months, babies try to mimic speech sounds and use gestures to communicate; during this period, they also start to understand the word “no.”
  
  

Speech

• While crying comes easily to an infant from birth, the progression toward controlled speech takes several months. Speech comes from a highly coordinated effort between the brain, tongue, lips and jaw, all of which must grow and develop to a point that makes forming words possible, even as the brain figures out what the words mean. This developmental stage sees infants go from the “cooing” phase to a period of using babble or nonsense syllables that imitate the words of adults. This repetition of sounds, combined with a growing understanding of how adults react to them, leads infants to master their first few words by their first birthday.
  
  

Nonverbal Methods

• During infants’ cultivation of speech skills, their nonverbal skills develop as well. Dr. Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P., points out that the very word “infant” originates from the Latin for “not speaking.” Infants learn to convey a wide range of emotions through facial expressions. They also learn the meaning of these facial expressions by observing other faces. Children with autism display a marked difficulty in this particular ability, finding it difficult to understand what others feel or communicate their own emotions as a result. Infants also use their arms and hands to reach for things they want.
  
  

Challenges

• Parents concerned with their child’s communication skills can consult a specialist known as a speech-language pathologist to address their concerns and examine the child’s current stage of development. Since some developmental delays stem from hearing disorders, the pathologist will include a hearing test as well as language and speech evaluations. A developmental psychologist may aid the child with other developmental issues.