Main – Developmental Milestones2021-11-30T12:17:36+00:00

Developmental Milestones

0-3 Months

Language/ Communication

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

    • Appears to recognize your voice and smiles or quiets
    • Makes pleasure sounds (cooing)
    • Smiles reflexively as newborn then develops social smile by 3 months

    • Turns head to each side
    • Rolls side to back
    • Lift head 45 degrees

4-6 Months

Language/ Communication

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

    • Moves eyes toward sound source
    • Babbles using more consonant-like sounds sounds (p,b,m)
    • Vocalizes excitement and displeasure
    • Begins to play – “peek a boo” and other games
    • Imitates some movements and sounds

    • Holds self with forearms (Lifts chest from surface)
    • Holds head steady in supported sitting
    • Actively moves head in supported sitting
    • Bears some weight on legs in supported standing
    • Rolls prone to supine/supine to side

7-9 Months

Language/ Communication

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

    • Exhibits resistive behaviors
    • Shouts for attention
    • Imitates play
    • Plays vocally
    • Recognizes some words
    • Uses social gestures
    • Uses jargon

    • Sits independently
    • Belly crawls
    • Bears almost all weight on legs
    • Pulls to stand on furniture
    • Rolls supine to prone

10-12 Months

Language/ Communication

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

    • Shows moods
    • Uses objects appropriately (ex., spoon to pick up food)
    • Obeys simple commands and directions
    • Speaks one or more words
    • Recognizes own name

    • Walks, holding furniture
    • Walks with two hands held
    • Creeps on hands and knees

12-18 Months

Language/ Communication

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

    • Responds to simple requests (“get your toy”)
    • Points to common objects
    • Uses simple gestures (e.g. waving)
    • Says “mama” and “dada” and exclamations like “uh-oh”
    • Imitates non-speech sounds
    • Says one or two words
    • Vocalizes with intent

    • Finds hidden things easily
    • Explores things in different ways (e.g. shaking)
    • Puts things in/out of a container
    • Pokes with index finger
    • Uses things correctly
    • Walks with one hand held

18-24 Months

Language/ Communication

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

    • Demonstrates pretend play
    • Follows simple directions without gestures
    • Points to show others something interesting
    • Uses several single words (e.g. no)
    • Puts some two words together (“more cookie,” “no juice,” “mommy book”)

    • Points to body parts
    • Scribbles on his own
    • Walks alone
    • May walk up steps and run
    • Pulls toys while walking
    • Can help undress herself
    • Drinks from a cup
    • Eats with a spoon

2 Years

Language/ Communication

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

    • Copies others
    • Enjoys playing with other children
    • Points to common objects/pictures
    • Follows 2 step directions
    • Knows the name of familiar people, common objects and body parts
    • Puts 2-4 words together to form sentences
    • Says things heard in conversation

    • Sorts shapes and colors
    • Completes rhymes
    • Builds towers by stacking blocks
    • Stands on tiptoe
    • Kicks a ball
    • Begins to run
    • Walks up and down stairs holding on
    • Climbs onto and down from furniture without help
    • Throws ball
    • Makes straight lines and circles

3 Years

Language/ Communication

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

    • Takes turns in games
    • Shows concern for others
    • Understands possessives (e.g. mine, his/hers)
    • Understands prepositions (e.g. in and on)
    • Follows 2-3 step directions
    • Can name most familiar things
    • Uses pronouns (e.g. I, we) and plurals (e.g. cats)
    • Can have a conversations using 2-3 sentences

    • Dresses and undresses self
    • Completes puzzles
    • Copies a circle
    • Turns pages one at a time
    • Screws and unscrews jar lids
    • Climbs well
    • Runs easily
    • Pedals a tricycle
    • Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step

4 Years

Language/ Communication

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

    • Creative with make-believe play
    • Recalls parts of a story
    • Names colors and numbers
    • Understands “same” and “different”
    • Talks about what he likes
    • Tells stories
    • Sings songs
    • Uses pronouns (e.g. I, we), possessives (e.g. his/hers) and plurals (e.g. cats)

    • Starts counting
    • Understands time
    • Draws a person with 2-4 body parts
    • Uses scissors
    • Starts to copy capital letters
    • Plays board and card games
    • Hops and stands on one foot up to 2 seconds
    • Pours, cuts with supervision and mashes own food
    • Catches a bounced ball most of the time

5 Years

Language/ Communication

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

    • Likes to sing, dance and act
    • Can tell what’s real and make-believe
    • Shows more independence
    • Speaks very clearly
    • Tells stories using full sentences
    • Uses future tense
    • Says name and address

    • Counts 10 or more things
    • Can draw a person with at least 6 body parts
    • Copies a triangle and other shapes
    • Can print some letters or numbers
    • Stands on one foot for 10 seconds or longer
    • Hops
    • Can do a somersault
    • Can use toilet on his own
    • Swings and climbs

****Note to parents: Developmental milestones can vary slightly depending on each individual child.
If you are concerned, speak to your pediatrician about a referral to receive a thorough occupational and/or speech therapy evaluation.

(Source: ASHA and NBCOT)

0-3 Months

Language/ Communication

  • Appears to recognize your voice and smiles or quiets
  • Makes pleasure sounds (cooing)
  • Smiles reflexively as newborn then develops social smile by 3 months

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

  • Turns head to each side
  • Rolls side to back
  • Lift head 45 degrees

4-6 Months

Language/ Communication

  • Moves eyes toward sound source
  • Babbles using more consonant-like sounds sounds (p,b,m)
  • Vocalizes excitement and displeasure
  • Begins to play – “peek a boo” and other games
  • Imitates some movements and sounds

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

  • Holds self with forearms (Lifts chest from surface)
  • Holds head steady in supported sitting
  • Actively moves head in supported sitting
  • Bears some weight on legs in supported standing
  • Rolls prone to supine/supine to side

7-9 Months

Language/ Communication

  • Exhibits resistive behaviors
  • Shouts for attention
  • Imitates play
  • Plays vocally
  • Recognizes some words
  • Uses social gestures
  • Uses jargon

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

  • Sits independently
  • Belly crawls
  • Bears almost all weight on legs
  • Pulls to stand on furniture
  • Rolls supine to prone

10-12 Months

Language/ Communication

  • Shows moods
  • Uses objects appropriately (ex., spoon to pick up food)
  • Obeys simple commands and directions
  • Speaks one or more words
  • Recognizes own name

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

  • Shows moods
  • Uses objects appropriately (ex., spoon to pick up food)
  • Obeys simple commands and directions
  • Speaks one or more words
  • Recognizes own name

12-18 Months

Language/ Communication

  • Responds to simple requests (“get your toy”)
  • Points to common objects
  • Uses simple gestures (e.g. waving)
  • Says “mama” and “dada” and exclamations like “uh-oh”
  • Imitates non-speech sounds
  • Says one or two words
  • Vocalizes with intent

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

  • Finds hidden things easily
  • Explores things in different ways (e.g. shaking)
  • Puts things in/out of a container
  • Pokes with index finger
  • Uses things correctly
  • Walks with one hand held

18-24 Months

Language/ Communication

  • Demonstrates pretend play
  • Follows simple directions without gestures
  • Points to show others something interesting
  • Uses several single words (e.g. no)
  • Puts some two words together (“more cookie,” “no juice,” “mommy book”)

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

  • Points to body parts
  • Scribbles on his own
  • Walks alone
  • May walk up steps and run
  • Pulls toys while walking
  • Can help undress herself
  • Drinks from a cup
  • Eats with a spoon

2 Years

Language/ Communication

  • Copies others
  • Enjoys playing with other children
  • Points to common objects/pictures
  • Follows 2 step directions
  • Knows the name of familiar people, common objects and body parts
  • Puts 2-4 words together to form sentences
  • Says things heard in conversation

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

  • Sorts shapes and colors
  • Completes rhymes
  • Builds towers by stacking blocks
  • Stands on tiptoe
  • Kicks a ball
  • Begins to run
  • Walks up and down stairs holding on
  • Climbs onto and down from furniture without help
  • Throws ball
  • Makes straight lines and circles

3 Years

Language/ Communication

  • Takes turns in games
  • Shows concern for others
  • Understands possessives (e.g. mine, his/hers)
  • Understands prepositions (e.g. in and on)
  • Follows 2-3 step directions
  • Can name most familiar things
  • Uses pronouns (e.g. I, we) and plurals (e.g. cats)
  • Can have a conversations using 2-3 sentences

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

  • Dresses and undresses self
  • Completes puzzles
  • Copies a circle
  • Turns pages one at a time
  • Screws and unscrews jar lids
  • Climbs well
  • Runs easily
  • Pedals a tricycle
  • Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step

4 Years

Language/ Communication

  • Creative with make-believe play
  • Recalls parts of a story
  • Names colors and numbers
  • Understands “same” and “different”
  • Talks about what he likes
  • Tells stories
  • Sings songs
  • Uses pronouns (e.g. I, we), possessives (e.g. his/hers) and plurals (e.g. cats)

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

  • Starts counting
  • Understands time
  • Draws a person with 2-4 body parts
  • Uses scissors
  • Starts to copy capital letters
  • Plays board and card games
  • Hops and stands on one foot up to 2 seconds
  • Pours, cuts with supervision and mashes own food
  • Catches a bounced ball most of the time

5 Years

Language/ Communication

  • Likes to sing, dance and act
  • Can tell what’s real and make-believe
  • Shows more independence
  • Speaks very clearly
  • Tells stories using full sentences
  • Uses future tense
  • Says name and address

Cognitive/ Motor Skills

  • Counts 10 or more things
  • Can draw a person with at least 6 body parts
  • Copies a triangle and other shapes
  • Can print some letters or numbers
  • Stands on one foot for 10 seconds or longer
  • Hops
  • Can do a somersault
  • Can use toilet on his own
  • Swings and climbs

****Note to parents: Developmental milestones can vary slightly depending on each individual child.
If you are concerned, speak to your pediatrician about a referral to receive a thorough occupational and/or speech therapy evaluation.

(Source: ASHA and NBCOT)

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