Allied Agencies: Developmental Milestones

By age 2 months, most children…

• Roll part way to side
• Briefly watch objects
• Occasionally imitate or respond to a smiling person
• Make sounds of discomfort

By 4 months, most children…

• Take an object held near their hands
• Follow a moving person with their eyes
• Enjoy play, laugh aloud, and smile
• Vocalize when talked to

By 6 months, most children…

• Sit with minimal support
• Roll over
• Turn and look at sounds
• Reach out for objects

By 9 months, most children…

• Sit alone & change positions
• Transfer object from hand to hand
• Respond to their name and familiar people
• Say “mama” and “dada”
• Should eat and swallow without difficulty

By 12 Months, most children…

• Pull themselves to standing and may step with support
• Pick things up with thumb and one finger
• Can nod their head to signal “yes”
• Vocalize and make their voice go up and down.

By 15 months, most children…

• Walk without support
• Do some self feeding
• Drink from a cup held by someone
• Use four or five words

By 18 months, most children…

• Walk (may run a bit)
• Climb up or down one stair
• Mark on paper with crayons
• Use five to ten words
• Understand simple directions

By 2 years, most children…

• Give toys on request
• Kick large ball
• Turn pages in a book (two or three at a time)
• Ask for items by name
• Use two or three words together

By 3 years, most children…

• Walk up stairs holding railing
• Stand momentarily on one foot
• Open doors
• Unbutton large buttons
• Stack objects graduated in size

By 4 years, most children…

• Can hop in place,
• Copy a circle
• Know own sex, age, last name
• Point to six basic colors when asked
• Ride a tricycle
• Wash hands unassisted
• Begin to play with other children
• Answer verbally to “Hi” and “How are you?”

By 5 years, most children…

• Run on tiptoe, Can skip
• Print a few capital letters
• Recognize their name in print
• Play cooperatively with others
• Understand “yesterday” and “tomorrow”
• Use sentences with correct grammar

 

RED FLAG OBSERVATIONS
 

MOTOR                                                                                                    

• Unusual motor movements or lack of movement (birth +)
• Low, high muscle tone (birth +)
• Lack of use of one side of body (birth +)
• Aversion to prone position (birth +)
• Aversion to touch (birth +)
• Inability to turn head/unusual head position (birth +)
• Oral Motor/tone or poor sucking reflex (birth +)
• Unusual arching and thrusting backwards (2 months +)
• Sits, but must be placed in this position (6 months  +)
• Twirling, spinning (16 months +)
• Drooling (inhibited by 12 months +)

LANGUAGE

• Does not turn to find sound (5 months + )
• Does not respond to common words:  “bye-bye” (8 months +)
• “Own” Language  (18 months +)
• Lack of verbal language (18 months +)
• Repeats (echoes) speaker’s last words: Echolalia (24 months +)
• Unusual articulation errors ( 24 months +)

APPEARANCE

• Placement of ears: too high/too low (birth +)
• Spacing between eyes: too close/too wide (birth +)
• Smooth area above upper lip:  philtrum (birth +)

ADAPTIVE

• Unusual feeding behaviors (12 months +)
• Aversion to textures (12 months +)
• Aversion to food textures (12 months +)
• Aversion to use of spoon (18 months +)

SOCIAL EMOTIONAL

• Lack of eye contact (3 months +)
• Repetitive behaviors (12 months +)
• Obsession with object or toy (12 months +)
• Extreme tantrums, frustration (18 months +)
• Inability to transition from activity to activity (18 months +)
• Prefers being alone to parallel play (24 months +)

 

Every Child Is Unique!

Please remember that every child is unique.  Most of the time, differences between children of same age are not uncommon, but for some the difference may require further assessment.  If you have questions about your child’s development contact your medical professional or Child and Family Connections.

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