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)
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