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Language development and processing begins before birth. Evidence has shown that there is language development occurring antepartum. DeCasper and Spence [44] performed a study in 1986 by having mothers read aloud during the last few weeks of pregnancy. When the infants were born, they were then tested.
Early childhood development is the period of rapid physical, psychological and social growth and change that begins before birth and extends into early childhood. [1] While early childhood is not well defined, one source asserts that the early years begin in utero and last until 3 years of age.
Babbling can be seen as a precursor to language development or simply as vocal experimentation. The physical structures involved in babbling are still being developed in the first year of a child's life. [3] This continued physical development is responsible for some of the changes in abilities and variations of sound babies can produce.
Language development is viewed as a motive to communication, and the communicative function of language in-turn provides the motive for language development. Jean Piaget uses the term "acted conversations" to explain a child's style of communication that relies more heavily on gestures and body movements than words. [ 128 ]
At 3 months, children employ different cries for different needs. At 6 months they can recognize and imitate the basic sounds of spoken language. In the first 3 years, children need to be exposed to communication with others in order to pick up language. "Normal" language development is measured by the rate of vocabulary acquisition. [21]
From birth, babies are learning to communicate. The communication begins with crying and then begins to develop into cooing and babbling. Infants develop their speech by mimicking those around them. Gestures and facial expressions are all part of language development.
Sign language, such as American Sign Language (ASL), is a well known form of communication that is linguistic for both hearing and deaf individuals. [17] Deaf children learning a sign language such as ASL go through a series of language milestones from birth through one year of age. These milestones are similar to those of spoken language.
The process of language acquisition is varied among deaf children. Deaf children born to deaf parents are typically exposed to a sign language at birth and their language acquisition follows a typical developmental timeline. [1] [2] [3] However, at least 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents who use a spoken language at home. [4]