7 Questions Pediatricians should be asking Parents at 24-36 Months

1. Does your child understand differences in meaning of words (e.g., in/out, go/stop, big/little, up/down, etc.)? 2-year old toddlers should begin to grasp these basics concepts.

2. Does your child follow two requests (e.g., “Get the book and put it on the table.”)? Be aware of the child is unable to follow 1-step directions or questions by 24 months of age.

3. Does your child have a word for most everything? A red flag is the lack of a language explosion by 30 months of age.

4. Does your child use 2-3 words to talk about and ask for things? A red flag is lacking simple 2-word combinations by 27 months of age.

5. Is your child understood by familiar listeners, such as family and friends, most of the time? In general, a child of this age is intelligible to familiar listeners, such as close friends and family members.

6. Does your child ask for or direct attention to objects by naming them? The language explosion should be evident, as babbling, pointing or gesturing are generally mastered by 12 months of age.

7. Does your child participate in back and forth conversational turn taking? This is a skill that is usually seen at 30 months of age.