To get a good idea of how well your child can hear, watch how they respond to your voice and other sounds.
Every child develops at their own pace. If you have questions about your child’s hearing, talk to your child’s doctor.
Babies and toddlers
The table shows common hearing milestones for most children.
|
Age |
|
Hearing milestones (For most children) |
|
| 0 and 3 months |
- recognize parents’ or caregivers’ voices and quiets down when spoken to
- stir or wake from sleep when someone talks or there’s a sudden noise
- respond to sound by startling, blinking, crying, quieting, or with a change in breathing
|
| 4 and 6 months |
- recognize familiar voices and quiets down when spoken to
- babble for attention and use vocal play (making sounds for fun)
- turn their head toward voices and interesting sounds
- enjoy musical toys or toys that make noise
|
| 7 and 12 months |
- enjoy musical or noise-making toys
- understand “no” and “bye-bye”
- imitate speech sounds
- turn towards nearby sounds
- make 4 or more
speech sounds
- make gestures to help communicate
|
| 12 and 18 months |
- sometimes startle when there’s a sudden loud noise
- follow simple directions (“Go get your coat.”)
- use single words (words may not be clear, but they know the meaning)
|
18 to 24 months
|
- use their own name
- say about 40 to 50 words and understand many more
- can combine words into short 2-word phrases (“All done,” or “My turn.”)
- point to body parts when asked
|
| By 24 months |
- use at least 50 words regularly and can use them in simple sentences
- can speak well enough so adults who don’t know them can understand at least half of what they’re saying
- can sit and listen to storybooks
|
| Over 24 months |
- respond to someone talking, even if they can’t see them (easier with no distractions)
- respond to voices on the phone
- keep learning new words and can use them to communicate
|
Older children
In an older child, the following could be signs of hearing loss:
- They carefully watch the face of the person speaking.
- They say “What?” or “Huh?” a lot.
- They say “I didn’t hear you” a lot, or they don’t respond when you talk to them.
- They have trouble understanding speech in group activities.
- They have trouble hearing the TV, radio, or music when others find it easy to hear.
If you think your child has a hearing problem
If your child is having problems with their speech and language development, it could mean they have a hearing problem.
If you have any concerns about your child’s responses to sound or their speech and language development, talk to your family doctor and ask for your child to see an audiologist or a speech-language pathologist.
Where to get help
To learn how speech-language pathologists and audiologists can help with speech, language, and hearing concerns, contact your child’s healthcare provider or visit
Pediatric Rehabilitation.
