CDC changes milestone on speech development for toddlers

[Anonymous]

For generations the standard has been 50 words by 24 months to indicate typical speech development. Now suddenly, quietly, the CDC is revising that to 50 words by 30 months, to ensure that more toddlers fall within normal range.

So, who still believes that masking does not have a negative effect on young children who are learning to speak?

[Anonymous]

No, I think its so the government doesn't have to provide as much early intervention for kids that will naturally catch up. Many of us have kids who had speech issues before covid. Kids don't mask 24/7 so if they are getting stimulation at home, masking should not be an issue at school.

[Anonymous]

Have you actually read what the CDC says about why they made the changes?

Because it has nothing to do with masking. It has to do with turning the milestones into a useful tool for pediatricians to use to identify children to refer to possible intervention, so they moved the milestones from the median to the 25th percentile, since a tool that identifies 59% of kids is clearly not helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you actually read what the CDC says about why they made the changes?

Because it has nothing to do with masking. It has to do with turning the milestones into a useful tool for pediatricians to use to identify children to refer to possible intervention, so they moved the milestones from the median to the 25th percentile, since a tool that identifies 59% of kids is clearly not helpful.

The government pays for early interventions, so so of it is money based as well.

[Anonymous]

This is just so wrong! I absolutely believe it has to do with masking. It is one of the reasons that in Europe and many Asian countries they said NO masking kids under 5. I believe in masking and vaccines, but not for toddlers!

My son was language delayed and I remember looking at the percentile rank of kids who know 50 words by 24 months. It is NOT the 50th percentile rank. Around 90 percent of toddlers know 50 words by 24 months. This is written by a speech therapist:

Approximate Words in Expressive Vocabulary in Typically Developing Toddlers

By 12 months a child says 2-6 words other than Mama or Dada?

By 15 months a child says 10 different words.

At 18 months toddlers with typically developing language use 50 different words.

At 24 months a child with typically developing language says 200-300 words.

By 30 months a toddler says 450 words.

At 36 months a child with typically developing language uses 1,000 different words.

**LinguiSystems Guide to Communication Milestones cites sources as Child Development Institute at www.childdevelopmentinfo.com. Nicolosi, Harryman, Kresheck (2006). Owens (1996).

Contrast this information with milestones used in common speech-language assessments for infants and toddlers.

Most assessment tools include the skill, “Child says 50 words by 24 months.”

What’s the discrepancy here?

Even those of us who aren’t great with math can see that a child who is using 50 words by 24 months lags behind his or her typically developing peers who are using 200 to 300 words.

Remember that the milestones on speech-language tests are based on when 90% of all children have mastered the skill.

This means the majority of toddlers, usually 90%, are using 50 different words by 24 months.
It does not mean that a toddler with “average” skills says 50 words by 24 months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is just so wrong! I absolutely believe it has to do with masking. It is one of the reasons that in Europe and many Asian countries they said NO masking kids under 5. I believe in masking and vaccines, but not for toddlers!

My son was language delayed and I remember looking at the percentile rank of kids who know 50 words by 24 months. It is NOT the 50th percentile rank. Around 90 percent of toddlers know 50 words by 24 months. This is written by a speech therapist:

Approximate Words in Expressive Vocabulary in Typically Developing Toddlers

By 12 months a child says 2-6 words other than Mama or Dada?

By 15 months a child says 10 different words.

At 18 months toddlers with typically developing language use 50 different words.

At 24 months a child with typically developing language says 200-300 words.

By 30 months a toddler says 450 words.

At 36 months a child with typically developing language uses 1,000 different words.

**LinguiSystems Guide to Communication Milestones cites sources as Child Development Institute at www.childdevelopmentinfo.com. Nicolosi, Harryman, Kresheck (2006). Owens (1996).

Contrast this information with milestones used in common speech-language assessments for infants and toddlers.

Most assessment tools include the skill, “Child says 50 words by 24 months.”

What’s the discrepancy here?

Even those of us who aren’t great with math can see that a child who is using 50 words by 24 months lags behind his or her typically developing peers who are using 200 to 300 words.

Remember that the milestones on speech-language tests are based on when 90% of all children have mastered the skill.

This means the majority of toddlers, usually 90%, are using 50 different words by 24 months.
It does not mean that a toddler with “average” skills says 50 words by 24 months.

Right, and now they are pushing it to 30 months to hide some of the damage done to this age cohort in the last two years, when they literally have not been able to watch others talk and properly develop their own speech habits. It's disgraceful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you actually read what the CDC says about why they made the changes?

Because it has nothing to do with masking. It has to do with turning the milestones into a useful tool for pediatricians to use to identify children to refer to possible intervention, so they moved the milestones from the median to the 25th percentile, since a tool that identifies 59% of kids is clearly not helpful.

I think it was a bad move to change it. I don’t think too many people qualified before. If anything - not enough are able to early intervention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you actually read what the CDC says about why they made the changes?

Because it has nothing to do with masking. It has to do with turning the milestones into a useful tool for pediatricians to use to identify children to refer to possible intervention, so they moved the milestones from the median to the 25th percentile, since a tool that identifies 59% of kids is clearly not helpful.

They should have waited - the implication is too easy to draw. Waiting six months would have been better accepted.

[Anonymous]

Even if you think that mask wearing causes speech delays, wearing masks beginning at age 2 wouldn't impact a 24 month milestone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even if you think that mask wearing causes speech delays, wearing masks beginning at age 2 wouldn't impact a 24 month milestone.

It's not the kids themselves. It's that all adults around them are masked and they cannot watch faces to learn to talk. Think about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you actually read what the CDC says about why they made the changes?

Because it has nothing to do with masking. It has to do with turning the milestones into a useful tool for pediatricians to use to identify children to refer to possible intervention, so they moved the milestones from the median to the 25th percentile, since a tool that identifies 59% of kids is clearly not helpful.

They should have waited - the implication is too easy to draw. Waiting six months would have been better accepted.

Oh, right. Because they wouldn't want to try to fool anyone.

Are you always this observant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is just so wrong! I absolutely believe it has to do with masking. It is one of the reasons that in Europe and many Asian countries they said NO masking kids under 5. I believe in masking and vaccines, but not for toddlers!

My son was language delayed and I remember looking at the percentile rank of kids who know 50 words by 24 months. It is NOT the 50th percentile rank. Around 90 percent of toddlers know 50 words by 24 months. This is written by a speech therapist:

Approximate Words in Expressive Vocabulary in Typically Developing Toddlers

By 12 months a child says 2-6 words other than Mama or Dada?

By 15 months a child says 10 different words.

At 18 months toddlers with typically developing language use 50 different words.

At 24 months a child with typically developing language says 200-300 words.

By 30 months a toddler says 450 words.

At 36 months a child with typically developing language uses 1,000 different words.

**LinguiSystems Guide to Communication Milestones cites sources as Child Development Institute at www.childdevelopmentinfo.com. Nicolosi, Harryman, Kresheck (2006). Owens (1996).

Contrast this information with milestones used in common speech-language assessments for infants and toddlers.

Most assessment tools include the skill, “Child says 50 words by 24 months.”

What’s the discrepancy here?

Even those of us who aren’t great with math can see that a child who is using 50 words by 24 months lags behind his or her typically developing peers who are using 200 to 300 words.

Remember that the milestones on speech-language tests are based on when 90% of all children have mastered the skill.

This means the majority of toddlers, usually 90%, are using 50 different words by 24 months.
It does not mean that a toddler with “average” skills says 50 words by 24 months.

Right, and now they are pushing it to 30 months to hide some of the damage done to this age cohort in the last two years, when they literally have not been able to watch others talk and properly develop their own speech habits. It's disgraceful.

It's not just masking. Everything is closed. People are in hermit mode. Some strange adult or older kid is going to make you work harder to be understood than your parents who understand your baby speech nonsense, and you will have to work harder to understand them. My 20 month old daughter gets 60% of her speech modelling from me, 25% from her four year old brother, 14% from dad, 1% from strangers and screens.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the CDC. One of my children was developmentally delayed and needed intense speech therapy, the other took her time but caught up without special support.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t make the connection between this and COVID at all. The CDC milestones have always been too far ahead for half of babies. For it to be a milestone, at least 80-90% of babies should be able to do it and my ped told me at least half or more of her patients would come in and worry about CDC milestones in the past. Not everything is about masking and Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you actually read what the CDC says about why they made the changes?

Because it has nothing to do with masking. It has to do with turning the milestones into a useful tool for pediatricians to use to identify children to refer to possible intervention, so they moved the milestones from the median to the 25th percentile, since a tool that identifies 59% of kids is clearly not helpful.

They should have waited - the implication is too easy to draw. Waiting six months would have been better accepted.

Just in time for the next lockdown.