Language development in infants and toddlers.

Speech and language problems constitute the nation's number one handicapping condition. Nurse practitioners are in a unique position to observe the language development of a young child and the social-communicative interaction between parents and child. They need to be aware of the early milestone information regarding language development so that a problem can be identified. It is imperative that these problems be noted early and managed correctly in order to insure the development of adequate communication skills.