Child Development in the First Year of Life

In the first year of life, a child experiences intensive development. This is a time when they acquire new skills and develop dynamically. It is important to understand that each child's development is individual, although there are some general developmental norms.

Eye Contact in Child Development

1. At 2 months of age, a baby responds to a smile with a smile.
2. Around 4 months, distinguishes familiar people from strangers.
3. At 6 months, he begins to reach out to others.
4. In the 7th month, the game of peek-a-boo begins.
5. Around 10 months of age, babies begin to follow other people with their eyes.

Eye contact is important for learning to speak, share attention, recognize emotions, and imitate. If a child does not make eye contact, it is recommended to consult an ophthalmologist.

The Pointing Gesture: The Foundation of Communication

The pointing gesture appears around 9 months of age and is important for language development. It is an important part of communication that can indicate a request, statement, or question. The absence of this gesture between 9 and 14 months of age may require consultation with a specialist.

Speech Development in the First Year of Life

1. Melody Period (0-12 months): First sounds, screaming, crying, laughing, grunting, squeaking, smacking. At 2-3 months, cooing appears, and around 5-6 months, babbling.
2. Expression Period (1-2 years): Baby begins to combine syllables to form first words.
3. Sentence Period (2-3 years): Development of the ability to create simple sentences.
4. The Specific Childhood Speech Period (3-7 years): Further development of language skills.

Babbling is a key stage in speech development and should occur by 10 months of age. Failure to babble at this time requires consultation with a speech therapist.

I Eat and Speak: The Role of Movement Experiences

Food-related motor experiences such as sucking, spooning, drinking from a cup, biting and chewing are important for articulation and speech development. Breastfeeding and the use of appropriate feeding accessories such as pacifiers help to train articulation movements. Broadening the diet after 6 months of age supports learning to chew and bite, which is crucial for speech development.

Skills of One-Year-Old Children

• Making eye contact.
• Responding to own name and pointing.
• Drinking from an open cup.
• Walking independently between 8 and 18 months of age.
• Imitating adult actions and following simple commands.
• Saying first words.

Possible Developmental Concerns

Consult a specialist if your one-year-old child:

• Does not babble.
• Does not make eye contact.
• Does not respond to his name.
• Does not follow simple commands.
• Has difficulty biting and chewing.

Stimulation of Speech Development

1. Talk to your baby from the first moments of life.
2. Make sure your child can see your face while you talk.
3. Use counting rhymes and finger games.
4. Read to your child regularly, which develops communication skills, enriches vocabulary and supports the process of developing linguistic hearing.

These activities are crucial in supporting your child's speech and communication development, which contributes to their overall development.