Infant/Toddler Checklist for Communication and Language Development 1998 Amy M. Wetherby & Barry M.

. Prizant Instructions for Healthcare or Child Care Practitioner

WHY USE THIS

Communication disorders are among the most prevalent disabilities in early childhood. Between 10% and 15% of kindergarten children have communication disorders, which include dyslexia, learning disabilities, stuttering, specific language impairments, hearing impairments, mental retardation, and autism. The Bad News: Some children who are late in learning to talk develop language normally, but at least half of late-talkers have persisting language problems. Language problems are associated with academic problems among preschoolers and with emotional disorders and behavior problems at school age. The Good News: Early identification may help to prevent a number of difficulties that are related to, and possibly result from, early language and communication disorders. It is generally assumed that the earlier language intervention begins the better the outcome. Language development is regulated by the maturation of the brain. The environment has the greatest potential to affect a childs developing brain during the first two years of life, when the brain is undergoing the most rapid rate of growth. This fact underscores the importance of identifying children with language problems as early as possible. The Bad News: Children with communication and language disorders are usually not identified until 3 years of age or later. Identification by professionals before age two years is rare, even though families may initially express concern to their pediatrician about their childs lack of language development during the second year of life. The Good News: Current research indicates that many aspects of communication that develop before words (e.g., use of eye gaze, gestures, sounds and objects) may indicate whether a child will have difficulty learning to talk. Rather than waiting to see if a child will be late in learning to talk, assessment of a childs preverbal communication can contribute to earlier identification of language and communication problems in infants and toddlers.

HOW TO USE THIS CHECKLIST This checklist is designed to identify infants and toddlers who are at risk for having communication and language disorders. A checklist should be completed by a caregiver when the child is between 9 and 24 months of age to determine whether a referral for a speech-language evaluation is needed. The checklist is designed for use in pediatricians offices during wellchild check-ups or routine visits and in child care centers or other facilities serving infants and toddlers and their families. The caregiver may be either a parent or other person who nurtures the child on a daily basis. WHEN TO REFER: It is expected that a healthy, typically developing two year old will receive sometimes or often responses to most items on the checklist. National field-testing is currently being conducted to determine when children ranging from 9 to 24 months of age should be referred for a speech and language screening.

Infant/Toddler Checklist for Communication and Language Development

1998 Amy M. Wetherby & Barry M. Prizant Childs Name: ________________________________________________________ Date of Birth: ____________________ Filled out by: _________________________________________________________ Date filled out: ___________________
Instructions for Caregivers: This checklist is designed to identify different aspects of development in infants and toddlers. Many behaviors that develop before children talk may indicate whether or not a child will have difficulty learning to talk. This checklist should be completed by a caregiver when the child isbetween 9 and 24 months of age to determine whether a referral for an evaluation is needed. The caregiver may be either a parent or other person who nurtures the child daily. Please check all the choices that best describe your childs behavior. If you are not sure, please choose the closest response based on your experience. Children at your childs age are not necessarily expected to be able to do all the behaviors listed.

Emotion and Use of Eye Gaze

1. Do you know when your child is happy and when your child is upset? 2. When your child plays with toys, does he/she look at you to see if you are watching? 3. Does your child smile or laugh while looking at you? 4. If you look at and point to a toy across the room, does your child look at it? Not Yet Sometimes Often

u u u u

u u u u

u u u u

Not Yet Not Yet Not Yet

Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes

Often Often Often

Use of Communication
5. Does your child let you know that he/she needs help or wants an object out of reach?
6. When you are not paying attention to your child, does he/she try to get your

Not Yet

u u u u

Sometimes

u u u u

Often

u u u u

Not Yet Not Yet Not Yet

Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes

Often Often Often

attention? 7. Does your child do things just to get you to laugh? 8. Does your child try to get you to notice interesting objects, not to get you to do anything with them but just to get you to look at them?

Use of Gestures
9. Does your child pick up objects and give them to you? 10. Does your child show objects to you without giving you the object? 11. Does your child wave to greet people? 12. Does your child point to objects? 13. Does your child nod his/her head to indicate yes? Not Yet Sometimes Often

u u u u u

u u u u u

u u u u u

Not Yet Not Yet Not Yet Not Yet

Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes Sometimes

Often Often Often Often

Use of Sounds
14. Does your child use sounds to get attention or help? 15. Does your child string sounds together, such as uh oh, mama, gaga, bye bye, bada? 16. About how many of the following consonant sounds does your child use: ma, na, ba, da, ga, wa, la, ya, sa, sha? None Not Yet

u u

Sometimes

u u

Often

u u

Not Yet 1 or 2

Sometimes 3 or 4 5 to 8

Often More than 8

Understanding and Use of Words

17. When you call your childs name, does he/she respond by looking or turning toward you 18. About how many different words or phrases does your child understand without gestures? For example, if you say wheres your tummy, wheres daddy, give me ball, or come here, without showing or pointing, your child will respond appropriately. 19. About how many different words does your child use meaningfully (such as baba for bottle; gaggie for doggie) that you recognize? 20 .Does your child put two words together (such as more cookie; byebye, daddy) ? None Not Yet Sometimes Often

1 to 3

4 to 10

11 to 30

More than 30

None

1 to 3

4 to 10

11 to 20

More than 20

Not Yet

Sometimes

Often

Use of Objects
21. Does your child show interest in playing with a variety of objects? 22. About how many of the following objects does your child use appropriately: cup, bottle, bowl, spoon, comb or brush, toothbrush, washcloth, ball, toy vehicle, toy telephone? 23. About how many blocks (or rings) does your child stack? None Not Yet Sometimes Often

u u

1 or 2

3 or 4

5 to 8

More than 8

u None u Makes tower of 2 blocks u Makes tower of 3 to 4 blocks u Makes tower of 5 or more blocks
Not Yet

24. Does your child pretend to play with toys (such as feed a stuffed animal, put a doll to sleep, put an animal figure in a vehicle)?

Sometimes

Often

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