How often does the child make sounds? Rarely makes any sounds Makes sounds but not to communicate Makes sounds specifically to get attention Uses sounds to ask for or show something How does the child react to interaction? Avoids interaction with others Tolerates interaction if initiated by others Enjoys and participates in interaction Starts and initiates interaction on their own

Does the child copy your sounds? Does not copy sounds at all Sometimes copies sounds Copies sounds when actively helped Copies sounds spontaneously on their own Does the child use the same sound for the same thing? Rarely uses consistent sounds Sometimes uses a consistent sound Often uses the same sound for the same object Uses consistent sounds in many different places

How many words does the child use? Very few words (less than 5) Some words (5 to 20) Many words used at home Many words used in different environments Does the child use one name for many things (e.g., all animals are “dog”)? No, this hasn’t started yet Sometimes (starting to categorize) Often (Strong category learning – Normal) Rigidly uses only one name for one thing

What is the child’s sentence length? Uses single words only Sometimes uses two words together Uses short, simple sentences Uses longer, more complex sentences What happens when the child makes a mistake? Stops talking immediately Repeats the same mistake over and over Tries different ways to say it Sometimes fixes the mistake alone

Can the child take turns in conversation? Rarely able to take turns Can take one turn Can take a few turns back-and-forth Can have a full back-and-forth conversation Does the child talk about feelings? Does not express feelings with words Starting to name basic feelings Can explain how they feel Talks about feelings easily and naturally

Where does the child talk? Only in therapy sessions Only at home In a few different places Talks almost everywhere (School, Park, Shop) How much help does the child need to speak? Needs constant help/prompting Needs some help to get started Needs very little help Talks independently without help