CSD 2230 HUMAN COMMUNICATION DISORDERS Topic 2 Normal Communication Development and Communication Across the Lifespan--Toddlers

Some General Characteristics Explosion of speech production and expressive/receptive language skills Comprehension improves Conversation becomes more exciting because they are more responsive Attention span improves

Some General Characteristics Parents use more adult-like linguistic forms 50 word vocabulary by 18 months Girls tend to develop faster than boys, overall Articulation

Some General Characteristics Major hallmark of the period is the combination of words

Use The power of each individual word in the toddler’s vocabulary is strong The purpose and meaning of these words is much broader than an adult’s, and they tend to have multiple purposes and multiple meanings

Content and Form The toddler lexicon Personal and unique Definitions Rules for combining words Some examples: 1. Agents come before action “mommy go” “kittie drink” 2. Objects come after action “more cookie” “go car”

Toddler Phonological Rules Deletion of final consonants Reduces CVC forms to CV Dad becomes Da Deletion of unstressed syllable Reduces the number of syllables in a word Telephone becomes tefone Reduplication Syllables in multisyllabic words repeat Baby becomes bebe Reduction of consonant clusters Reduces CCV+ structures to CV Tree becomes te Assimilation One consonant becomes another to simplify the form Doggie becomes goggie Substitution Difficult sounds are replaced by easier ones This becomes dis face becomes pace

To Summarize… By the age of two most toddlers Understand simple questions and commands Point to body parts Ask questions Use 2-3 word utterance consistently Refers to self by name, but may confuse I and me Are intelligible about 2/3 of the time, but volume and pitch are not well controlled Have about a 300 word speaking vocabulary Follow and understand simple rules of conversation