Building a Strong Foundation Language

At Deaf Children's Society of BC, we believe that early language development is essential for every child's cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Tracking language milestones ensures that children are progressing with communication using American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken/written English.

📈 Language Milestones by age

Ages 0-3 Months
  • Looks at caregiver’s face during interactions
  • Focuses on movement (hand gestures, facial expressions)​
  • Cries to express needs
  • Smiles and uses facial expressions in response to attention
​Ages 3-6 Months
  • Shows excitement by moving arms and hands when engaged
  • Imitates simple facial expressions (e.g., happy face, surprised face)
  • Begins to babble manually (random hand movements)
  • Tracks caregiver’s hands and face during signing
​Ages 6-9 Months
  • Responds to familiar signs (e.g., "milk", "mom", "more")
  • Recognizes caregiver’s signing routines (e.g., wave for goodbye)
  • Points, reaches, or gestures to request objects
  • May attempt early handshapes or gestures resembling signs
Ages 9-12 months
  • Follows simple signed commands paired with gestures (come here, sit)
  • Recognizes signed names of family members and familiar objects
  • Uses isolated signs (e.g., "milk") intentionally
  • Combines gestures and early signs to communicate needs
Ages 12-18 Months
  • Understands simple yes/no questions
  • Identifies familiar people, objects, and actions in signed stories
  • Uses 5–10 consistent signs meaningfully
  • Combines gestures with facial expressions to expand meaning
Ages 18-24 Months
  • Understands 50+ signs
  • Follows two-step signed directions (Pick up your toy and give it to dad)
  • Combines two signs to form simple phrases (MORE EAT, MOM HELP)
  • Asks basic signed questions using non-manual markers (facial expressions)
Ages 2-3 Years
  • Understands short signed stories
  • Answers "what" and "where" questions in ASL
  • Uses 2–3 sign combinations
  • Begins storytelling with signs and facial expressions
Ages 3-4 Years
  • Follows more complex signed conversations
  • Understands "why" and "how" questions in sign
  • Tells simple stories using complete signed sentences
  • Expands use of classifiers, role shifting, and visual spatial grammar
Ages 4-5 Years
  • Understands detailed explanations and discussions in ASL​
  • Uses full ASL grammar (classifiers, non-manual markers, spatial referencing)
  • Engages in extended conversations and storytelling

🛠️ How to Support Your Child’s Visual Language Growth

  • Face-to-Face Interaction: Always sign where your child can see your hands and face clearly.
  • Model Natural ASL: Use real ASL sentence structures, facial expressions, and movements.
  • Interactive Play: Use gestures, hand movements, pretend play, and storytelling daily.
  • Expose to Fluent Signers: Connect your child to fluent ASL users regularly.