Receptive language refers to the way children understand language. Starting at birth, children begin to understand what is being said to them and asked of them. As they grow, they learn to follow directions and ask questions. Expressive language is the ability to effectively communicate thoughts and feelings. Communication can include words, gestures, signs or symbols. Children learn to use a variety of words and grammatical structures.

Articulation involves the ability to move the tongue, lips, teeth, and jaw to produce speech sounds. Sounds are sequenced to make up a variety of words and sentences. Speech production develops from 18 months to 6 years old. Certain sound substitutions or omissions/deletions can occur and are expected to be eliminated at approximate ages. Children can also demonstrate speech sound distortions/errors that may be considered atypical.

Social play (pragmatics) refers to the way children use language within social situations. Children begin to develop social play skills in the early weeks of life. Babies engage non-verbally by gesturing and pointing. Kids learn to take turns, ask questions, and initiate conversation. As language complexity increases, children also learn to maintain conversation, stay on topic, use conversational repair skills, and participate in cooperative play.