Developmental Milestones in Early Childhood

Early childhood is a time of significant growth and development. Watching children evolve can be an incredibly rewarding experience. However, there are certain crucial points in your child’s life that lead to a normal, healthy life. Passing these milestones indicates that your child is following the right developmental path. These experiences also serve to show which areas in your child’s growth need more support or guidance.

Missed milestones can indicate a number of social and behavioral concerns, including autism spectrum disorders, speech and language pathologies, and learning disabilities. The earlier these conditions are noticed, the easier it is to find ways to overcome or treat them. If there is ever a concern that your child is missing a developmental marker, notify your pediatrician for more information and guidance.

Milestones occur through the development of skill sets. These include fine and gross motor skills, language and communication skills, cognitive skills, and social skills. It is important to remember that every child is unique and will have strengths and weaknesses in each of these areas, and some may develop these skills at slightly different times. There are, however, some general milestones to be aware of that are essential in determining a child’s developmental progress. These include:

1. By three months old, a child should be able to grasp an object, turn his or her head from side to side, respond to human voices, smile, and communicate hunger, fear or discomfort.
2. By six months, a child should be able to gold his or her head steady when seated, roll over, open his or her mouth for food, babble, and laugh.
3. By one year, a child should be able to drink from a cup with some help, crawl, begin to stand, copy a parent’s actions or sounds, speak a Word or two, and raise his or her arms to indicate that he or she wants to be picked up.
4. By a year and a half, a child should be able to turn the pages in a book, scribble with a marker, walk without assistance, identify objects from a book, speak eight to ten Words, act out familiar activities, and seek attention.
5. By two years, a child should be able to drink from a straw, feed him or herself, have a vocabulary of a couple hundred Words, and enjoy looking at picture books.