The infant has well-developed lungs, and he knows how to use them from the first day. His cries are his only sure way of making contact with his environment and drawing attention to his needs. When, in taking a case history, one is informed that baby screamed constantly, that the parents seldom had a good night’s rest, and that a doctor had finally to administer drugs, it is obvious that something is seriously amiss. The cause may be physical the baby may be ailing or have a weak digestion.
Usually the difficulty is psychological as well. Ill-health causes minor discomfort. This induces anxiety or emotional disturbance. Crying is an expression of acute discomfort, and is a form of attack directed towards the environment. The act of screaming can also be very painful to the child and increases his feeling of aggression.
Vocalizing is very different from crying. As the baby discovers that he can make different sounds by using his tongue and throat and speech mechanism in different ways, he experiments with his new-found faculty and produces a great variety of sound.
magickallyhuman.files.wordpress.com
ADVERTISEMENTS:
This usually produces a delighted response and much encouragement from adults, and he continues to try to win their approval. He also hears many different sounds around him, and as he grows older, he begins to imitate them.
By twelve months he can produce a recognizable word or two, and clearly understands a good deal of what is said to him. Vowels and labials are easiest to say, and gutturals and diphthongs the most difficult.
He needs much practice in the use of his speech organs before he can produce the required sounds at will, and it is not until the second year of his life that he seems prepared to spend time and energy on the business of learning to talk.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The baby seems to delight in noise that is, in the noise makes himself, banging spoons, throwing bricks, waving bells and knocking the fire-irons about, he is however, disturbed by very loud noises, especially if they are unfamiliar, and if he is not reassured by his mother’s presence.
He responds better to quiet, gentle voices than to loud, sharp ones. He is usually responsive to music and rhythm. He will listen to a tune on the piano or the radio with great pleasure, and will even beat time. He enjoys movement and is attracted by anything that moves.