Infants make their first attempts at communication soon after birth, when the only means of communication is crying. Word acquisition increases between age one and two. At age three, children speak in short sentences and begin to ask questions and engage in simple conversations and pretend play. By age four to five, a child can easily communicate with other children and adults. Sentences are longer and more complete.
Children also begin to grasp some basic rules of grammar.
While many children eventually catch up to their peers, others continue to lag behind. Youth With Disabilities estimates more than one million school children in the U.S. have some type of speech or language impairment. In some cases, speech problems run in the family. Parents who suspect a speech or language problem in their child should seek advice from a speech-language pathologist. These health professionals diagnose and develop treatment plans for patients of all ages.