Auditory Developmental Milestones
Here at My Family ENT, Dr. Naberhaus is able to test patients of all ages! After a thorough case history is taken, testing begins. Depending on the patient and their age, Dr. Naberhaus completes specific testing based on best practices. The patient will be placed into a soundproof booth where testing is completed. For older children and adults, sound will be played through headphones to determine how the patient is hearing. For young children, sounds may be played through speakers in the booth to determine hearing sensitivity. Typically, the overall process of getting your hearing tested takes about 10 to 15 minutes.
PRE-NATAL
- 24 weeks gestation: auditory system is fully developed; fetus can hear mother’s voice en utero
0-3 MONTHS
- Startle response to sudden loud noises
- Reflexive response to sound (e.g. eye widening, brow furrowing, cessation of movement)
- Recognizes / prefers mother’s voice
- Begins cooing
4-5 MONTHS
- Side to side auditory localization begins to emerge for close sounds
6 MONTHS
- Side to side auditory localization should be well developed, even for sounds that are far away
- Begins babbling
- Begins repeating sounds
9 MONTHS
- Auditory localization to sounds above and below the infant emerges
- Responds to name
12 MONTHS
- Receptive vocabulary emerges; baby begins to understand simple language (nouns and verbs); understands about 50 words
- Responds to simple commands (e.g. play pat-a-cake, wave bye-bye, where’s Mommy?)
- Interested in environmental noises
- Babbles in response to human voice
18 MONTHS
- Understands about 150-200 words
- Understands simple sentences
- Follows one-step directions
- Points to body parts on request
- Points to objects and pictures when named
- Begins to combine two-word phrases
2 YEARS
- Understands about 300 words
- Follows two step directions
- Able to identify five body parts
- Listens to and understands simple stories
- Understands and answers simple yes / no and “wh” questions
- Begins to speak in short sentences
2½ YEARS
- Understands about 500 words
- Understands nearly all sentence structures
- Speaks in sentences
3 YEARS
- Understands about 900-1200 words
- Follows three step directions
- Recognizes several melodies
- Enjoys hearing favorite books repeatedly
- Remembers three details of a story
- Understands conversational turn-taking
- Understands most common adjectives
- Is interested in and understands explanations of “why?” and “how?”
4 YEARS
- Understands about 2800-13,000 words
- Remembers five details of story
- Understands and responds correctly to complicated sentences
6 YEARS
- Understands about 20,000 words
- Remembers six details of a story