Praxis SLP Licensure Exam

A child exhibiting vocal play, raspberries, and trills during an evaluation is likely in which stage of linguistic development?

1. Exploration/expansion stage

2. Coo and goo stage

3. Canonical babbling stage

4. Phonation stage

The correct answer is: Exploration/expansion stage

In the context of linguistic development, the exploration/expansion stage is characterized by a variety of vocalizations, including vocal play, raspberries, and trills. During this phase, children experiment with their vocal apparatus as they begin to produce sounds with greater control and complexity. This stage typically occurs around 4 to 6 months of age and involves a range of playful sounds that help children explore their ability to manipulate pitch, volume, and tongue movements. While the coo and goo stage does involve cooing sounds and some rudimentary vocal play, it is primarily characterized by prolonged vowel sounds rather than the more varied and complex vocalizations seen in the exploration/expansion stage. Canonical babbling, occurring slightly later, involves the repetitive consonant-vowel combinations (like "baba" or "dada") and is a critical milestone in speech development, but it does not encompass the full range of vocal play being referenced here. The phonation stage, which typically occurs earlier, consists of reflexive cries and vegetative sounds, lacking the playful exploration evident in the exploration/expansion stage. Overall, the presence of vocal play, raspberries, and trills strongly aligns with the characteristics of the exploration/expansion stage, making