It's time for a development update

It seems that every time Duck gets sick, about a week later, he has an all-out verbal explosion. so, here goes. The following was taken from the Arnold Palmer Hospital Howard Phillips Center for Children Development Center website (click here) to see the full outline.

I've changed all the things he CAN do to blue.

18 - 24 months of age - Receptive Language Skills

• Recognizes body parts and clothing articles in large pictures
• Understands simple yes/no questions
• Understands differences in personal pronouns (me, you)
• Follows a series of two - three simple relations commands with the same object
• Appears to listen to meaning of languarge, not merely words
• Recognizes many common objects and pictures as they are named

Expressive Language

• Replaces jargon with meaningful words
• Imitates animal sounds and other environmental sounds in play
• Refers to self by name
• Uses "no" frequently
• Uses "my" to declare ownership
• Begins combining words to form two-word phrases
• Asks questions by raising pitch of voice at end of word or phrase

2 - 3 years of age - Receptive Language Skills

• Understands actions in pictures
• Recognizes names of smaller body parts (chin, knee, elbow)
• Understands functions of objects
• Understands size concepts big and little
• Understands quantity concepts one, more, all
• Understands spatial concepts in, on, under
• Becomes aware of a sequence and organization for daily routines
• Understands question forms who, where, what doing
• Understands genders (boy/girl)
• Likes to listen to short stories

Expressive Language

• Combines words to express: - Possession: "my coat"
  - Recurrence: "more juice"
  - Action: "go outside"
  - Location: "want up"
  - Negation: "no eat"
• Usually uses two- to four-word phrases
• Asks for help with personal needs
• Uses I, me, mine, you
• Can say first and last name when asked
• Can repeat two numbers in squence
• Talks about an event that has just happened
• Uses many commands ("go get it")
• Uses here, there
• Begins using "is" verb form
• Speech is understood by others 70 - 80 percent of the time

3 - 4 years of age - Receptive Language Skills

• Understands concepts hard/soft, rough/smooth
• Understands spatial concepts front/back
• Understands question forms, "What do you do when you're hungry? Sleepy?"
• Follows two-step directions involving two different actions

Expressive Language

• Asks many who, what, where, why questions
• Uses four- to five-word sentences most of the time
• Engages in detailed conversations
• Uses language in imaginative play
• Imitates whispering
• Relates two events in correct sequential order
• Completes simple verbal opposites
• Uses verb forms is, am, are
• Uses regular plural forms consistently ("blocks")
• Uses possessives ("mommy's car")
• Begins using "because" as an explanation