What changed
Until February 2022, the US CDC set developmental milestones at the age by which about half of children reach a skill. Since the revision, milestones are set at the age by which 75 per cent of children reach it.
The practical consequence: “fifty words” moved from 24 to 30 months, and combining two words is listed at 30 months. Pointing, as an early communication skill, was removed from the list.
Why that caused debate
Part of the speech therapy community warned that looser guides may encourage waiting rather than referral. ASHA holds to the earlier threshold: fewer than 50 words at 24 months is a reason to assess a “late talker”, and a typical two-year-old has a vocabulary of 200 to 300 words.
How to use milestones
- They are a prompt for a conversation with a professional, not a test the child passes or fails.
- If something is missing, a check costs one conversation — waiting sometimes costs more.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends developmental screening at 9, 18 and 30 months, and autism screening at 18 and 24 months.
Sources
- CDC — Learn the Signs. Act Early. (revised checklists, February 2022), cdc.gov
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association — Late Blooming or Language Problem?
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Developmental Surveillance and Screening.
This article is an informational summary of published research and does not replace an individual assessment.