Language development: 12-24 months

Below highlights the milestones of a language development in sign language (American Sign Language) from 12 to 24 months old.

12-18 months: one-word stage

Referential one-word utterances begin to gradually expand at this stage. These one-words are not conventional adult words but babies can convey them consistently to express meaning.

For example in English speech, the baby says "mu" every time she/he is offered a bottle of milk. Or, the baby utters "open handshape tapping on torso" to express for a bath.

Like English-speaking people, ASL-speaking adults use regular ASL words with babies. They don't adapt nor simplify these ASL words.

Infants will adapt some difficult handshapes themselves. For examples, they may use an index finger instead of the "J" handshape for "juice". As they develop physically, they would evolve their handshapes to regular handshapes of the ASL words. Parents should continue to "pronounce" ASL words properly.

Despite baby's limited expression, a study at the University of California, San Diego, shows that babies can understand what adults are saying.

18-24 months: two-word utterances

At this two-word stage, toddlers are able to utter words more identifiable as adult words.

The toddler can express over 50-200 words and make two-word combinations (e.g. "Where ball?", "More pull", "daddy car", "where dog", "water on").

For example in this video, the toddler "Juli" produced fire hot and yummy burger.

17-20 months: personal pronouns

Linguistic pointing (apart from gestural pointing) for the first person ("me") emerges at 17-20 months.

The pronoun "you" in ASL emarges at 22-24 months. And, the third-party pointing (she/he) at 24 months.

Three-word stage (2-3 years)

At this stage, the toddler has a word for almost everything and can utter two or three words long. She/he also uses pronouns (e.g. I, you, he, she, they, me) and prepositions (e.g. on, in).

E.g. "mummy make cake", "daddy kiss mummy", etc.

Four-word stage (3-4 years)

From about 34 months, the preschooler can combine between four to six words in any one utterance.

There is greater use of contrast between prepositions such as "in", "on", and "under", and adjectives such as big and little. E.g. "mummy on little bike", "mummy playing with the big spoon".

They can talk about what have happened away from home. Most of the time, other people can understand what the child is saying.

In speech and signlan, a child speaks clearly and fluently.

Complex utterance stage (4-5 years)

At this stage, the child can produce longer and detailed utterances of over six words in length. She/he can speak/sign clearly and fluently.

The concept of past and future time develops.

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