3 Major Cognitive Milestones and How They Relate to Language Development
If I asked you to name the three major cognitive milestones we see babies and toddlers acquire just before they begin to talk, I bet you could come up with those!
Let’s see how you do.
Take a minute and think about it before you keep scrolling.
Before I relieve your suspense and tell you what they are, I want to ask you an even more important question.
How do each of these milestones relate to learning to talk and use words to communicate?
It’s an important piece of early language development that every therapist who works in early intervention and pediatrics should be able to explain to parents and teachers.
Parents and teachers value cognitive development and are teaching young children these concepts, but most of the time, they don’t understand the connection and how each of these milestones plays a vital part in early language development.
In case you need a refresher so that you can explain this better, here goes…
Learn how to explain the 3 Major Cognitive Milestones and How They Relate to Language Development.
The 3 Major Cognitive Milestones are:
Object Permanence
Cause & Effect
Simple Problem Solving
Here’s how each one relates to learning first words:
Understanding object permanence signals an important development in an infant’s working memory, as it means they can now form, and retain, a mental representation of an object. This is the beginning of learning to think “abstractly.” He can hold a symbol – the visual picture of the object – in his mind as he searches to find it. The visual picture (and desire!) drive him to search for an item that’s seemingly gone. Once a child understands object permanence, he’s ready to learn a label for that object. Now he’s ready for the word.
Cause & effect means that a child can use ‘directed groping’ to see what will happen next as he maneuvers an object. Eventually, babies make connections by manipulating objects during play… “When I do this, this happens.” This skill is an important cognitive milestone because through this kind of play, babies and toddlers learn communicative intent. Without intentionality, purposefully directing your behavior so that another specific event will occur, a child doesn’t learn to do something to get something. Isn’t that what early requesting, whether it be with gestures or words, is all about?
In this same developmental period, a child continues to learn and begins to move beyond cause and effect to solve simple problems. During play, a child learns through trial and error to pursue different options and produce new outcomes. If we put it into an adult’s words, babies begin to think something like … “The block does not fit in this hole. Where does it fit?” or…“Uh oh! My sippy cup rolled under the couch. How can I get it?”
During play and everyday routines, babies and toddlers learn to move on and try various ways of doing something when their initial attempts don’t work. This ability to generate a new idea is the hallmark of cognition. This may be one of the reasons we learn to talk in the first place! We learn that we can use our voices and then words, rather than crying or gesturing, to explain to someone what we want. It’s much more efficient. As we learn more vocabulary and can say new words, it gets even easier.
SUMMARY
These milestones should be included in all our speech therapy treatment plans when a child is not talking yet. If you’re working with a child who has significant delays, this is also your starting point. Therapists should teach parents how to work on these three areas at home, primarily in play. I’ve compiled a post with toys and very brief descriptions for how/why to use the toys, but if you want to know more, I’d recommend the following resources:
Teach Me To Talk: The Therapy Manual… there’s a whole chapter on teaching early cognitive skills with pages and pages of activities and ideas to walk you through a detailed therapy plan to address these milestones which can be done in therapy sessions or at home by parents.
#450… I linked this podcast below that explains receptive language skills and cognitive skills by 12 months. Listen or watch for a longer discussion. Even if a child is older than 12 moonths and not talking, we should work on these goals until they are STRONG and STABLE. Scroll to to watch this course. If you’re working with a child who has significant delays, this is also your starting point. The recommended toys post is at this link for implementing the therapy ideas in the podcast.
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First, I would like to thank you for all you do for us moms who are lacking support in the autism community, and thank you for providing tons of information and resources to help our bright children. I myself benefited so much from watching your videos and reading your daily emails. I cannot stress enough how much all this information helped my toddler. Of course, getting an autism diagnosis for your child is extremely scary (she was diagnosed at 2 years old) and I was depressed and did not know what autism was, how it affected children, and how to teach children struggling with this condition. However, your videos helped me to find light in my child and now I am your biggest fan! I rewatch your videos over and over again to make sure I didn't miss anything that can help my daughter. I even purchase two books- Autism workbook and Teach me to Play. My toddler was completely non-verbal, she didn't know how to imitate, no eye contact, no pointing.. you name it she didn't have any skills and I didn't know how to teach her! And that is until I discover ed You- my toddlers (Fairy: smiling_face_with_3_hearts:)!
Now she is little sweet 2.5 years old and she says "mama" (I cried when she said that magic word), she waves bye bye or hi, she points, she gives "high 5", her joint attention is great and overall she is doing so much better! And that's all because I have been doing everything you described in your books and videos! I. My mind I always play "repetition, repetition and repetition", teaching her everything through play that she so much enjoys!!! I can write forever explaining how much I taught her through yr videos and books! And the most amazing thing is that her speech therapist is a big fan of yours as well so it worked out perfectly since we understand each other and work based on your teachings! The therapist even owns the same books I own ...I am so grateful that my toddler has such an amazing therapist; especially the one that understands autism and is ready for a real challenge! God bless you for all you do and I cannot wait for my toddler blossom.. you gave me hope and lit the light inside me. And I'm determined to work with my girl :)"
"Dear Laura Mize and Team,
Thank you so much for all your hard work and publishing books! Our 17-month-old toddler suddenly exploded into speaking and imitating everybody's gestures and sounds, just a week or two after we 'completed' all activities that are listed under 11 pre-linguistic skills! Your method really works!"
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I absolutely LOVE all of your workbooks, especially your Autism Workbook. Starting with Social Games has been a game changer for many of my littles with ASD and their families. It's been the best way for them to finally connect and sustain shared attention and engagement, leading to longer social interactions, through play!"
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Thank you so much for the videos you have posted on your youtube channel. They are so direct, informative, and helpful. Thank you for being a resource for me to become a better therapist."
Dianne
"Hi Laura - I just wanted to say I received my copies of the Apraxia workbooks yesterday and I LOVED workbook 1 (not ready for 2). I'm on chapter 8 and going through the questions carefully so I'm prepared to help my son. I knew it was a great book when you acknowledged the fact that sometimes therapists and doctors don't bring a positive and supportive vibe when diagnosing. I remember being terrified at the mention of apraxia and ASD by both because they had these very concerned looks and made it seem like it was a death sentence. I know now (in LARGE PART, THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR VIDEOS) that it doesn't have to be!! I see a future for him now. You SINGLE-HANDEDLY, through your books and videos have empowered me to help my son after the doctors and therapists have gone home. You've given me strategies, play ideas, plans on how to keep moving forward. I don't always do things right, but I know I'm on the right track and I love that I can reference, and re-reference your books to help me keep going. As I was reading the book, I was so proud of myself because I've used strategies from your previous books and it felt good because I could check off a lot of the skills that you discuss. So, thank you for all your previous books as well!!"
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Thank you!
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I love your work! I am a professor of early childhood special education and a speech language pathologist! I have worked to help children learn to communicate and I know how valuable the information you share is for both early interventionists and pediatric speech language pathologists!
Thank you for systematically organizing and explaining essential steps for young children to learn and develop. You are having a great impact on our profession, the ECE profession and families!"
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David
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If this is Laura herself reading this email let me take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have put forth for us professionals. I own every manual (except the autism manual) and have watched every course on DVD. I have listened to countless podcasts. All of what I’ve come to be as an Early Intervention speech therapist was absolutely to your credit. With your resources at my side I have never needed to scramble for answers and strategies and above all the clear language I use when communicating with parents. My fun, animated affect and key phrases I use have been learned through watching your example. So….thank you! May you be blessed."
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Lauren
"Dear Laura,
What an inspiration!
Thank you for helping me be a better Developmental Therapist. I often listen to your podcasts which help me help families.
Your enthusiasm, professionalism and
the sheer volume of information is so great.
You are part of my team.
I just wanted you to know I appreciate you."
Margaret
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Thank you for your generosity in sharing so much knowledge in such a clear and enthusiastic way.
As a retired audiologist with a fabulous and language delayed grandson, I used your podcasts and outstanding publication, The Autism Workbook, to inspire and guide me over the past year.
It works!! He went from barely verbal, no gestures, didn't respond to his name etc etc to a verbal, social, curious, ready to imitate anything, fill in the blanks on familiar "set" speech, generate his own totally appropriate and mostly understandable sentences...not just short phrases anymore... full little paragraphs...about imaginary things, what he did during the day, what he wants. True communication!
You make a powerful difference in this world! ❤"
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"I purchased the book on autism and have watched the #400s series podcasts. Laura Mize has been more effective in teaching autistic tendencies, than many professors, shadowing professions, and the 100s of books, articles and classes or videos, or live workshop speakers, have been at teaching effective practices for a child with ASD. Some of the many lessons she has taught, which I will now use, to be a more effective Interventionist, include but are not limited to: red flags, typical behaviors, self-stimulating behaviors, not taking away toys, rather showing child to play with toy appropriately. She gives examples of child's actions, "inappropriate," explains the reason for: why the child is engaging in these behaviors and how they can be replaced with more appropriate, effective fuctional and age-appropriate skills."
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I’m a parent who bought the autism workbook and it’s the only clear resource I found to make a change in my son. I’m really thankful to Ms. Laura for helping out people like us all over the world."
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Girl…my son is 3 years old, and he NEVER asks for something using words. We were playing “Get Your Belly” (from Teach Me to Play WITH You), and after several times, he laughed and screamed "BEWIEEE!!!" It was a hoot. And I can't believe he said it! I have played with him like this before, but this time I took your advice and acted CRAZY!! I will act like a total lunatic if it will get him to talk to me! Now I can give him "the look" from across the room, and he will say it. That manual is so amazingly practical, and it is a GODSEND right now! Thank you SO MUCH!”
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Thank you so much, endlessly."
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SS
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BRITNEY
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ALLISON
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ANDREA
Laura thank you so much. Btw, you have transformed my therapy- I have become such a competent and strong therapist after watching probably like 350 of your videos and podcasts over the past few years. And I am a seasoned therapist with almost 25 years experience. (Yes prob 350 episodes ha!) But there was still a lot I learned from you. I have such a thorough understanding of birth to 3 development and how to properly incorporate appropriate therapeutic goals, techniques and strategies now, thanks to you. Kelly
Hi Laura,I want to thank you so much for the resources you provide, my daughter has delayed speech and though she qualifies for CDS. Honestly the most progress she has made in her speech/language development has been after I implemented your 5 top strategies for delayed talkers! She is now almost 2.5 and her vocabulary is well over 75 (I haven’t counted recently, could be over 100) words when at 2 she barely had four words. Honestly the last few months have been a transformation for her.
Ann
