SPEECH DELAY AND HEARING LOSS

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIO N: DOES HEARING AFFECT SPEECH DEVELOPMENT? Many people debate whether hearing is related to speech delay. This question is similar to whether do we hear first or talk first? It has a very simple answer, to learn to talk we must have a good hearing first. Let's refer to the speech development milestone. Age Achievement 1 to 6 months Coos in response to voice 6 to 9 months Babbling 10 to 11 months Imitation of sounds; says “mama/dada” without meaning 12 months Says “mama/dada” with meaning; often imitates two- and three-syllable words 13 to 15 months Vocabulary of four to seven words in addition to jargon; < 20% of speech understood by strangers 16 to 18 months Vocabulary of 10 words; some echolalia and extensive jargon; 20% to 25% of speech understood by strangers 19 to 21 months Vocabulary of 20 words; 50% of speech understood by strangers 22 to 24 months Vocabulary > 50 words; two-word phrases; dropping out of jargon; 60% to 70% of speech understood