Stages to look for in your child's hearing development.

Birth to 3 months

• Quiets when sound approaches or when parents' voices are heard.
• Reacts to loud sounds by blinking, moving or crying.

3 to 6 months

• Looks to speaker's voice.
• Turns head to the source of a voice.
• Enjoys rattles and noise-making toys.

6 to 10 months

• Reacts to music by cooing.
• Responds to own name.
• Looks to the correct person when words like "Mommy" or "Daddy" are said.
• Shows understanding of common words ("no", "bye", etc.).
• Babbles with sounds like "ba", "da", "ma".

10 to 15 months

• Knows names of favorite toys and can point to them when asked.
• Likes rhymes and jingles.
• Imitates simple words and sounds.

15 to 20 months

• Can follow simple directions ("Go get your shoes").
• Asks for things by name ("blanket", "cookie", "teddy bear").
• Imitates simple words and sounds.
• Speaks with a vocabulary of 10 to 20 words.

20 to 24 months

• Begins combining words such as "More juice", "Mommy home?", or "Go bye-bye car".
• Refers to self by name.
• Enjoys being read to.
• Shows interest in the sounds of radio, television and stereo.

24 months to 3 years

• At 24 months: speaks with a vocabulary of about 270 words, increasing each day.
• Wants to communicate to express needs and interests and tell experiences.
• Is frustrated when adults don't understand.
• By age three, has a vocabulary around 1000 words, 80% of which should be intelligible to strangers. Some sounds will be mispronounced ("th", "r", "l").