The parents of a 30-month-old child ask the nurse during a well-child visit what language skills they should expect their toddler to have. The child's medical chart shows no prior developmental concerns. The parents mention their child uses about 40 words but rarely combines them into phrases. What should the nurse tell the parents about the typical language development milestones for a 30-month-old child?
- Language development at this age is highly variable; no referral is needed unless the child is not speaking at all by age 3.
- The child's language is within normal limits; most children begin combining words around 36 months.
- A vocabulary of 40 words is advanced for this age; most 30-month-olds use 10 to 20 words.
- By 30 months, a child is typically expected to use a vocabulary of at least 50 words and combine two or more words into short phrases.