Normal language and social communication — branching viva

Stem

You are in clinic with a toddler and caregiver discussing language and social development. ^[1]

Examiner: What domains do you assess beyond word count? ^[4]

Strong answer: Receptive language, expressive language, speech sounds, and social communication including joint attention, gesture and name response. ^[4]

Examiner: Give age-banded red flags you would not ignore. ^{[1] [2]}

Strong answer: No babble by 12 months; no words by about 16 months; no two-word phrases by 24 months; any language or social regression. ^{[1] [2]}

Examiner: The child points and understands well but talks late. Plan? ^{[2] [4]}

Strong answer: Document domains, exclude hearing risk, give language-rich strategies, timed review; escalate if lag persists or social skills weaken. ^{[2] [4]}

Examiner: Mother has limited English proficiency. ^[8]

Strong answer: Professional interpreter for history and counselling; never the child as interpreter; assess total bilingual exposure. ^[8]

Examiner: Why mention hearing if newborn screen passed? ^[6]

Strong answer: Newborn screening is not lifelong clearance; language concern warrants hearing reassessment and early intervention if hearing loss is found. ^[6]