• Developmental Milestones Checklist

    Developmental Milestones Checklist

  • Developmental milestones are important skills children achieve at each stage of life. Each child is an individual, so it is important to remember that some variation is okay and a milestone checklist is only a guide for growth and development. Developmental milestones can help caregivers become aware of what skills are expected at what ages and acknowledge what the child is accomplishing.

     

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  • Developmental Checklist

    Developmental Checklist

    For babies 0-3 months old
    • 0-3 Months Motor Skills 
    • Tolerates being on the stomach with help from a rolled towel or Boppy for at least 10 minutes
    • Opens and closes hands
    • Starts to lift head up when placed on stomach with gradual increase in control and support on the arms
    • Brings hands to his/her mouth
    • When placed on back, demonstrates symmetrical movements of the arms and legs
    • 0-3 Months Motor Skills Recommendations  

    • From 0-3 months, gross and fine motor skills develop gradually as the baby transitions from reflexive movement to intentional movement patterns. Trunk strength in the back and front muscles will emerge out this time. Trunk strength and core stability is the key to smooth and coordinated movements of the arms and legs developing over time.

      - To increase trunk strength and toleration of being on the stomach, practice after diaper changes on table/elevated surface/wedge pillow so baby is motivated to look at you (when kneeling).

      - Place baby on back and sing songs while gently moving arms and legs in towards midline.

      - Practice holding rattles that baby can grasp while providing gentle resistance to encourage muscle activation. Stroke baby’s hands gently to elicit voluntary grasp on toys.

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months. 

    • 0-3 Months Sensory Skills 
    • Baby tolerates and enjoys gentle movement in different planes and being in different positions (up/down, sideways, rotation, head being inverted, lying on stomach, side lying, on back).
    • When fussy, can calm down in response to rocking, touch, or sounds (voices, music).
    • Demonstrates head being centered at midline when positioned on back.
    • Will visually follow and reach for a toy when positioned on back.
    • The startle reflex begins to fade away starting around 6 weeks.
    • 0-3 Months Sensory Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • From 0-3 months, the baby is just starting to understand their own body and environment. Sensory stimulation in small and specific doses will help improve this understanding. In addition, being able to soothe and calm happens in response to different forms of sensory stimulation such as being snuggled, using a pacifier, receiving gentle touch, being rocked, or a caregiver softly whispering “sh, sh, sh”.

      - To encourage emotional regulation, introduce a small security object that the baby will start to associate with a familiar smell.

      - Swaddle if upset to provide gentle and calming pressure.

      -Swaddle for sleep until baby shows signs of rolling.

      - Introduce non-nutritive sucking with a pacifier.

    • 0-3 Months Communication Skills 
    • Baby makes eye contact and shows interest in faces positioned close, between 12 to 24 inches with increasing ability to focus over times.
    • Baby can communicate needs with different cries/sounds.
    • Begins “baby talk” with coos, sounds, and smiles.
    • Will quiet in response to sounds or voices.
    • Can localize where sounds come from by turning head.
    • 0-3 Months Communication Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Since babies are unable to talk, they communicate by making sounds, body posturing, or making facial expressions.  Early communication starts with visual and auditory stimulation. Observations made by the caregiver let us know if the baby is calm and comfortable, hungry, tired, or needs a diaper change.

      - Use books that have black and white patterns/silhouettes to encourage visual development with communication development.

      - Talk to your baby often, narrating what you are doing during routines and using varying volume and pitch.

      - Practice visual tracking by moving interesting objects slowing in front of baby’s face (12 inches) in all directions.

       

    • 0-3 Months Feeding Skills 
    • Baby is able to successfully feed from bottle or breast with effective latch and sucking pattern.
    • Baby is able to coordinate 2 to 3 sucks with swallowing and breathing during feedings.
    • Baby is showing growth at well visits and drinks approximately 2 to 6 ounces per feeding 6 times per day.
    • Baby responds to touch in and around the mouth.
    • Begins to place hands on bottle/breast during feedings around 2 months of age.
    • 0-3 Months Feeding Skills Recommendations 

    • Feeding skills reflexively begin to develop immediately following birth as the baby turns to suck when stroked on the cheek (rooting reflex). Feeding difficulties can impact growth as well as the bonding experience between parent and child.  It is important to communicate challenges to your pediatrician and seek out assistance by a lactation consultant, if trying to breastfeed, sooner rather than later. If left unaddressed, oral difficulties can lead to ongoing feeding challenges and can impact the development of speech skills.

      - Help baby with coordinating suck/swallow/breathe by counting sucks and removing breast or bottle.

      - Consult with a lactation consultant or pediatrician to assess/rule out tongue tie or other oral motor issues impacting feeding ability.

      - With lactation consultant, track feeding schedule and amount consumed to determine possible breast milk production issues or insufficient consumption from bottle feedings.

    • Practice our suggested recommendations on a daily basis.  Make sure to report these areas to your baby’s pediatrician so that progress can be monitored at well visits or at least on a monthly basis.  Check back in to complete our screening tool when your baby is 4-6 months of age to determine if a free developmental consultation or an evaluation at our office is needed. Remember, early intervention is key!

    • Your responses indicate that your child may not be meeting all his or her developmental milestones at this time. This survey is merely a snapshot in time and is in no way diagnostic. As a first step, we encourage parents to collaborate with their pediatrician to discuss any immediate areas of concern. Additionally, please contact our office to schedule a free developmental consultation or evaluation with one of our developmental specialists. Remember, early intervention is key! Our staff is uniquely trained to provide you with recommendations and tools for supporting your child's overall motor, sensory, and cognitive development at home and in the community. We look forward to serving your family.

  • Developmental Checklist

    Developmental Checklist

    For babies 3-6 months old
    • 3-6 Months Motor Skills 
    • Tolerates being on stomach with help from a rolled towel or Boppy for at least 10 minutes
    • Opens and closes hands
    • Starts to life head up when placed on stomach with gradual increase in control and support on the arms
    • Brings hands to mouth
    • When placed on back, demonstrates symmetrical movements of the arms and legs legs
    • 3-6 Months Motor Skills Recommendations  

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • From 3-6 months, gross and fine motor skills develop gradually as the baby transitions from reflexive movement to intentional movement patterns. Trunk strength and core stability is the key to smooth and coordinated movements of the arms and legs developing over time.

      - To increase trunk strength and toleration of being on stomach, practice after diaper changes on table/elevated surface/wedge pillow so baby is motivated to look at you (when kneeling).

      - Place baby on back and sing songs while gently moving arms and legs in towards midline.

      - Practice holding rattles that baby can grasp while providing gentle resistance to encourage muscle activation. Stroke baby’s hands gently to elicit voluntary grasp on toys.

    • 3-6 Months Sensory Skills 
    • Baby tolerates and enjoys gentle movement in different planes and being in different positions (up/down, sideways, rotation, head being inverted, lying on stomach, side lying, on back).
    • When fussy, can calm down in response to rocking, touch, or sounds (voices, music).
    • Demonstrates head being centered at midline when positioned on back.
    • Will visually follow and reach for a toy when positioned on back.
    • The startle reflex begins to fade away starting around 6 weeks.
    • 3-6 Months Sensory Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • From 3-6 months, sensory stimulation impacts the baby’s processing and responses toward sensory information in the environment and within the body.  Understanding movement and having body awareness are just as important as the familiar senses of taste, touch, hearing, smell, and seeing. In addition, being able to soothe and calm happens in response to different forms of sensory stimulation such as being snuggled, using a pacifier, receiving gentle touch, being rocked, or a caregiver softly whispering “sh, sh, sh”.

      - To encourage emotional regulation, introduce a small security object that the baby will start to associate with a familiar smell.

      - Swaddle when upset to provide gentle and calming pressure. We also want to encourage free movement during the day. 

      - Introduce non-nutritive sucking with a pacifier.

    • 3-6 Months Communication Skills 
    • Baby makes eye contact and shows interest in faces positioned close, between 12 to 24 inches with increasing ability to focus over times.
    • Baby can communicate needs with different cries/sounds.
    • Begins “baby talk” with coos, sounds, and smiles.
    • Will quiet in response to sounds or voices.
    • Can localize where sounds come from by turning head.
    • 3-6 Months Communications Skills Recommendations 

    • Since babies are unable to talk, they communicate by making sounds, body posturing, or making facial expressions.  Early communication starts with visual and auditory stimulation. Observations made by the caregiver let us know if the baby is calm and comfortable, hungry, tired, or needs a diaper change.

      - Use books that have black and white patterns/silhouettes to encourage visual development.

      - Talk to your baby often, narrating what you are doing during routines and using varying volume and pitch.

      - Practice visual tracking by moving interesting objects slowing in front of baby’s face (12 inches) in all directions.

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • 3-6 Months Feeding Skills 
    • Baby is able to successfully feed from bottle or breast with effective latch and sucking pattern.
    • Baby is able to coordinate 2 to 3 sucks with swallowing and breathing during feedings.
    • Baby is showing growth at well visits and drinks approximately 2 to 6 ounces per feeding 6 times per day.
    • Baby responds to touch in and around the mouth.
    • Begins to place hands on bottle/breast during feedings around 2 months of age.
    • 3-6 Months Feeding Skills Recommendations 

    • Feeding skills reflexively begin to develop immediately following birth as the baby turns to suck when stroked on the cheek (rooting reflex). Feeding difficulties can impact growth as well as the bonding experience between mother and child.  It is important to communicate challenges to your pediatrician and seek out assistance by a lactation consultant sooner rather than later. If left unaddressed, oral difficulties can lead to ongoing feeding challenges and can impact the development of speech skills.

      - Help baby with coordinating suck/swallow/breath by counting sucks and removing breast or bottle.

      - Consult with a lactation consultant or pediatrician to assess/rule out tongue-tie or other oral motor issues impacting feeding ability.

      - If you are breastfeeding, with a lactation consultant, track the feeding schedule and amount consumed to determine possible breast milk production issues or insufficient consumption from bottle feedings.

    • Practice our suggested recommendations on a daily basis.  Make sure to report these areas to your baby’s pediatrician so that progress can be monitored at well visits or at least on a monthly basis.  Check back in to complete our screening tool when your baby is 4-6 months of age to determine if a free developmental consultation or an evaluation at our office is needed. Remember, early intervention is key!

    • Your responses indicate that your child may not be meeting all his or her developmental milestones at this time. This survey is merely a snapshot in time and is in no way diagnostic. As a first step, we encourage parents to collaborate with their pediatrician to discuss any immediate areas of concern. Additionally, please contact our office to schedule a free developmental consultation or evaluation with one of our developmental specialists. Remember, early intervention is key! Our staff is uniquely trained to provide you with recommendations and tools for supporting your child's overall motor, sensory, and cognitive development at home and in the community. We look forward to serving your family.

  • Developmental Checklist

    Developmental Checklist

    For babies 6-9 months old
    • 6-9 Months Motor Skills 
    • Begins to place hands on bottle/breast during feedings around 2 months of age.
    • Rocks back and forth on hands and knees, sometimes crawling backward before moving forward
    • Begins army crawling: pulling with forearms across the floor when standing, supports weight on legs and might bounce
    • Reaches with one hand for nearby objects and transfers object from hand to hand
    • Picks up small objects with thumbs and fingers
    • 6-9 Months Motor Skills Recommendations 

    • Gross and fine motor skills develop gradually as the baby transitions to exploring her environment with increased independence.  Trunk strength and core stability are the keys to your baby learning how to move in and out of different positions and beginning to sit without support. All of your baby’s new activities and movements will strengthen her muscles for crawling, a skill that is usually mastered around this time. Not all babies crawl, but they do learn how to coordinate their bodies and use each arm and leg equally. This is all so important as they explore their surroundings and gain strength in preparation for walking!

      - Provide ample space for your baby to move and explore a safe area.

      - Place toys and intriguing objects just beyond her reach to encourage movement.

      - Sit on the floor with your baby and roll a ball to your baby. Encourage them to use two hands so they have to balance!

      - As the baby is crawling, watch to make sure both arms and both legs are pulling an equal amount of weight in movement. 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months. You'll also want to watch for consistent movement in both directions when baby rolls. 

    • 6-9 Months Sensory Skills 
    • Explores and examines an object using both hands and mouth and visually focuses on objects near and far
    • Turns several pages of a chunky (board) book at once and experiments with the amount of force needed to pick up different objects
    • Investigates shapes, sizes, and textures of toys and surroundings
    • Observes environment from a variety of positions – while lying on back or tummy, sitting, crawling, and standing with assistance
    • Enjoys a variety of movements – bouncing up and down, rocking back and forth
    • 6-9 Months Sensory Skill Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Sensory processing helps babies make sense of the world around them. They use their senses to take in sensory information, organize the information and then use it for success in their desired activities. During this stage of growth and development, it is important that parents stimulate the baby’s senses by promoting active exploration of their environment where they can exercise their curiosity and creativity and learn about the world and their own bodies!

      - Let baby explore outside safely. Introduce your baby to new sights, smells, and sounds. 

      - If baby can sit up, try pushing them gently on a swing at the park.

      - Expose your baby to different types of movement. Try the swing at the park, play airplane on your legs or place baby facing out and away from you when holding/carrying him.

      - Encourage water play! Make bath time fun by letting them splash and push objects underwater. *Never leave your baby alone in the water.

      - Ensure your baby has a variety of toys to play with such as activity tables, recycled containers with balls or tunnels where baby can explore independently.

      - Explore music – give a toy or musical instrument and show baby how to use it.

    • 6-9 Months Communication Skills 
    • Responds to sounds by making sounds (imitates sounds) and makes sounds to show joy and displeasure
    • Strings vowels together when babbling and begins to say consonant sounds
    • Recognizes sound of their name
    • Follows some routine commands when paired with gestures
    • Demonstrates simple gestures (e.g. shaking head for “no”)
    • 6-9 Months Communication Skills Recommendations 

    • Your budding baby may continue to communicate using gestures, sounds and facial expressions. They will also begin developing receptive (receiving and understanding messages) and expressive (conveying a message) communication skills. You can continue to encourage communication skills by smiling, talking, playing and reading with your baby every day.

      - Encourage two-way communication. When your child communicates something, be sure to respond and take turns talking right back.

      - Talk about what your baby wants when she points at something.

      - Copy your baby’s sounds and words.

      - Read and talk to your baby.

      - Describe your actions to baby throughout the day as you bathe, dress and feed your baby. 

       

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • 6-9 Months Feeding Skills 
    • Holds own bottle and drinks small amounts from a cup with help
    • Begins to eat thicker pureed and mashed table foods, gums teething foods, and starts to feed self finger foods
    • Stays full longer after eating
    • Starts to look and reach for food that is nearby
    • Shows strong reaction to new smells and tastes
    • 6-9 Months Feeding Skills Recommendations 

    • Your baby is growing and good nutrition will help them grow big and strong. As you begin transitioning to solid foods, feeding difficulties can impact growth as well as the bonding experience between parent and child.  It is important to communicate challenges to your pediatrician and seek out assistance by a specialist sooner rather than later. If left unaddressed, oral difficulties can lead to ongoing feeding challenges and can impact the development of speech skills.

      - Offer baby a variety of foods with different tastes, textures and shapes.

      - When first introducing thicker purees, you can mix them with a thin puree for a gradual change. 

      - Give baby soft, mashed or well-cooked foods that are easy to swallow.

      - Allow your child to play with food and get messy. Let baby try to feed himself!

    • Your responses indicate that your child may not be meeting all his or her developmental milestones at this time. This survey is merely a snapshot in time and is in no way diagnostic. As a first step, we encourage parents to collaborate with their pediatrician to discuss any immediate areas of concern. Additionally, please contact our office to schedule a free developmental consultation or evaluation with one of our developmental specialists. Remember, early intervention is key! Our staff is uniquely trained to provide you with recommendations and tools for supporting your child's overall motor, sensory, and cognitive development at home and in the community. We look forward to serving your family.

    • Practice our suggested recommendations on a daily basis.  Make sure to report these areas to your baby’s pediatrician so that progress can be monitored at well visits or at least on a monthly basis.  Check back in to complete our screening tool when your baby is 9-12 months of age to determine if a free developmental consultation or an evaluation at our office is needed. Remember, early intervention is key!

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

  • Developmental Checklist

    Developmental Checklist

    For babies 9-12 months old
    • 9-12 Months Motor Skills 
    • Crawls on hands and knees and rolls independently to both sides of the body
    • Pulls to a standing position on furniture or caregiver and begins independent standing for short periods of time
    • Cruising: walking with hands supported along couch/coffee table
    • Lets go of objects into a container with a large opening
    • Uses thumb and pointer finger to pick up small objects and is able to clap hands
    • 9-12 Months Motor Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Gross and fine motor skills develop gradually as the baby transitions to exploring her environment with increased independence.  Trunk strength and core stability are the keys to your baby learning how to move in and out of different positions and sit without support. All of your baby’s new activities and movements will strengthen her muscles for crawling, a skill that is usually mastered around this time. Not all babies crawl, but they do learn how to coordinate their bodies and use each arm and leg equally. This is all so important as they explore their surroundings and gain strength in preparation for walking!

      - Provide ample space for your baby to move and explore a safe area.

      - Place toys and intriguing objects just beyond her reach to encourage movement.

      - Sit on the floor and roll a ball to your baby. Encourage her to use two hands so she has to balance!

      - As baby is crawling, watch to make sure both arms and both legs are pulling an equal amount of weight in movement. 

    • 9-12 Months Sensory Skills 
    • Explores toys with fingers and mouth
    • Enjoys listening to music and songs
    • Crawls away from or to objects he sees in the distance
    • Freely explores textures and substances without becoming distressed when dirty
    • Does not show fear or discomfort when being tipped upside down in a playful manner by parent
    • 9-12 Months Sensory Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Sensory stimulation impacts your child’s processing and responses toward sensory information in the environment and within the body.  Understanding movement and having body awareness are just as important as the familiar senses of taste, touch, hearing, smell, and seeing. If your child becomes fussy with movement or exhibits extreme reactions to touch or new textures, this may indicate some difficulty processing sensory information. Please talk with your healthcare provider about ways you can support your baby’s sensory development.
       
      -Allow the infant to try and do things her/himself.
      -Provide a safe and stimulating environment. Spend time outdoors!
      -Offer a variety of movement experiences for your child including crawling over uneven surfaces or swinging on swings.  

    • 9-12 Months Communication Skills 
    • Makes a variety of different sounds like “mamamamama” and “bababababa”
    • Copies sounds and gestures of others and responds to “no”
    • Says one to two words
    • Uses fingers to point at things, pays attention when you are pointing and looking
    • Communicates wants and needs by using hand movements (ex. reaches to be picked up)
    • 9-12 Months Communication Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • As your baby approaches the end of his first year, he will begin communicating what he wants more readily. This may include gesturing, crawling or pointing towards desired targets. In time, non-verbal communication turns into messages shared through words. At this point, there is a lot of variance in the age when children begin to say words that are easily understood. Act early by talking to your healthcare provider if you suspect your child is not using or responding to meaningful modes of communication.
       
      -Describe your actions as you dress, feed, and bathe your child. Pairing the same words with routine activities is a great way to develop language.
      -Sing songs with repetitive language like “Old McDonald”
      -Read with your child every day. Let your child turn the pages and take turns labeling the pictures you see.

    • 9-12 Months Feeding Skills 
    • Baby begins eating an increasing variety of foods
    • Eats soft-cooked vegetables, soft fruits and finger foods
    • Feeds self easily with fingers
    • Begins self-feeding with spoon; spills are expected at this age
    • Holds cup with two hands and drinks from a straw
    • 9-12 Months Feeding Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Practice our suggested recommendations on a daily basis.  Make sure to report these areas to your baby’s pediatrician so that progress can be monitored at well visits or at least on a monthly basis.  Check back in to complete our screening tool to determine if a free developmental consultation or an evaluation at our office is needed. Remember, early intervention is key!

    • Your responses indicate that your child may not be meeting all his or her developmental milestones at this time. This survey is merely a snapshot in time and is in no way diagnostic. As a first step, we encourage parents to collaborate with their pediatrician to discuss any immediate areas of concern. Additionally, please contact our office to schedule a free developmental consultation or evaluation with one of our developmental specialists. Remember, early intervention is key! Our staff is uniquely trained to provide you with recommendations and tools for supporting your child's overall motor, sensory, and cognitive development at home and in the community. We look forward to serving your family.

    • Feeding and oral motor skills develop over time as your baby has increased exposure to varying tastes, textures, and temperatures of foods. Feeding difficulties can impact growth as well as the bonding experience between child and family.  It is important to communicate challenges to your pediatrician and seek out assistance by a lactation consultant sooner rather than later. If left unaddressed, oral difficulties can lead to ongoing feeding challenges and can impact the development of speech skills.
       
      -Have mealtime together so you can model feeding skills and offer new foods first while the baby is still hungry and serve snacks at consistent times so that your baby will be hungry for meals.


      -Offer baby different types of foods. Remember that it often takes several tries before the baby will learn to like a new food, and increased exposure will help. Do not force a baby to eat food that they do not like.


      -Allow baby to explore using the spoon – even if it’s messy.

  • Developmental Checklist

    Developmental Checklist

    For babies 12-18 months old
    • 12-18 Months Motor Skills 
    • Rolls a ball
    • Can stack two blocks or objects
    • Can climb stairs and squats to pick things up
    • Holds a crayon with their fist to make marks on paper or surface
    • Walks independently and can push things while walking
    • 12-18 Months Motor Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Gross and fine motor skills develop gradually as the baby transitions to spending more time in upright positions and freely using their arms to manipulate items and interact with their environment. Trunk strength and core stability are key to smooth and coordinated movements of the arms and legs developing over time. Early motor delays are terms used when children are not meeting milestones in their first years of life. It is important to talk with your health care provider if you aren’t sure that your child’s motor development is on track.  

      -Put toys in places that your child must crawl/cruise to play with and put your baby close to things that she can pull up on safely. 


      -Give baby push toys like a wagon or push a car to help with walking.


      -Play with blocks, shape sorters, and other toys that encourage your child to use his hands.

    • 12-18 Months Sensory Skills 
    • Is comfortable when lifted from the ground by a familiar adult
    • Has a regular sleep schedule
    • Eats a variety of different foods and explores foods with hands
    • Enjoys music and making sounds and is aware of stimuli in environment
    • Is able to be comforted through touch and cuddling/hugging
    • 12-18 Months Sensory Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Sensory stimulation impacts your child’s processing and responses toward sensory information in the environment and within the body.  Understanding movement and having body awareness are just as important as the familiar senses of taste, touch, hearing, smell, and seeing. If your child becomes fussy with movement or exhibits extreme reactions to touch or new textures, this may indicate some difficulty processing sensory information. Please talk with your healthcare provider about ways you can support your baby’s sensory development.  
       
      -Allow infant to try and do things her/himself.


      -Provide a safe and stimulating environment. Spend time outdoors!

      -Play with water!


      -Offer a variety of movement experiences for your child including crawling over uneven surfaces or swinging on swings.

    • 12-18 Months Communication Skills 
    • May use 5-10 words and shakes head and says "no"
    • Understands names of many objects and points to several body parts when named
    • Combines sounds and gestures
    • Enjoys music and making sounds and is aware of stimuli in environment
    • Is able to be comforted through touch and cuddling/hugging
    • 12-18 Months Communication Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • It is important to know that not all children are the same. Variability in communication skills is typical and developmental milestones account for an expected range in skills. If you have concerns regarding your child’s development, we encourage you to follow up with your health care provider.  
       
      -Read books and talk about pictures using simple words and name objects in pictures and body parts.


      -Copy your baby’s words.


      -Use simple and clear phrases and ask simple questions.

    • 12-18 Months Feeding Skills 
    • Baby is eating an increasing variety of foods including coarsely chopped table foods
    • Can hold and drink from a cup independently
    • Baby should be able to eat most foods and participate in family mealtime
    • Baby may begin to refuse foods and show some food preferences
    • Baby should demonstrate a “rotary chew” pattern by moving the jaw in a circular pattern instead of chomping up and down
    • 12-18 Months Feeding Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Your responses indicate that your child may not be meeting all his or her developmental milestones at this time. This survey is merely a snapshot in time and is in no way diagnostic. As a first step, we encourage parents to collaborate with their pediatrician to discuss any immediate areas of concern. Additionally, please contact our office to schedule a free developmental consultation or evaluation with one of our developmental specialists. Remember, early intervention is key! Our staff is uniquely trained to provide you with recommendations and tools for supporting your child's overall motor, sensory, and cognitive development at home and in the community. We look forward to serving your family.

    • Practice our suggested recommendations on a daily basis. Make sure to report these areas to your baby’s pediatrician so that progress can be monitored at well visits or at least on a monthly basis. Check back in to complete our screening tool when your baby is 4-6 months of age to determine if a free developmental consultation or an evaluation at our office is needed. Remember, early intervention is key!

    • Feeding and oral motor skills develop over time as your baby has increased exposure to varying tastes, textures, and temperatures of foods. Feeding difficulties can impact growth as well as the bonding experience between child and family. If left unaddressed, oral difficulties can lead to ongoing feeding challenges and can impact the development of speech skills. 
       
      -At mealtime, offer new foods first while your child is still hungry and serve snacks at consistent times so that your baby will be hungry for meals.


      -Offer baby different types of foods. Remember that it often takes several tries before your child will learn to like a new food.

      -Allow baby to eat as much or as little of a food as they would like.


      -Offer foods that can be picked up, chewed, or gummed and swallowed easily and encourage your child to drink from their straw or open cup and use a spoon, even if it’s messy.  
       

  • Developmental Checklist

    Developmental Checklist

    For babies 18-24 months old
    • 18-24 Months Motor Skills 
    • Walks while carrying large objects (balls, dolls, blocks), begins to run, and can stand on tip toes
    • Climbs onto and down from furniture without help and walks up and down stairs while holding on
    • Throws a ball and kicks a ball with either foot
    • Pours, fills and digs (e. g. sand, water) and takes linking toys apart and puts them back together
    • Scribbles and experiments with marks on paper
    • 18-24 Months Motor Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Gross and fine motor skills develop gradually as your child begins to spend more time in upright positions and his movements become smoother and more coordinated. Trunk strength and core stability are key to your child beginning to maneuver his body in new and interesting ways. Early motor delays are terms used when children are not meeting these milestones in their first years of life. These may become more evident as your child attempts to move more. It is important to talk with your health care provider if you aren’t sure that your child’s motor development is on track.  
       
      -Provide ample time outdoors. Take your child to the park to explore the play equipment or walk on nature trails. Practice kick a ball back and forth with your little one and stepping up and down from curbs.


      -Introduce painting, scribbling, and using Play-Doh while sitting at the table.


      -Encourage play with blocks! Build a tower and then knock it down.
       

    • 18-24 Months Sensory Skills 
    • Enjoys and seeks out various ways to move and play and is not fearful of tipping head back when moving from sitting to back
    • Enjoys bath time
    • Tolerates diaper changes without crying
    • Is usually able to calm self to fall asleep
    • Is able to tolerate and wear new and varied types and textures of clothing
    • Is able to tolerate and wear new and varied types and textures of clothing
    • 18-24 Months Sensory Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Sensory stimulation impacts your child’s processing and responses toward sensory information in the environment and within the body.  Understanding movement and having body awareness is just as important as the familiar senses of taste, touch, hearing, smell, and seeing.  If your child exhibits extreme reactions to touch or new textures or requires an excessive routine to calm, this may indicate some difficulty processing sensory information.  Please talk with your healthcare provider about ways you can support your baby’s sensory development.   
       
      -Offer your toddler new and interesting textures to explore (e. g. shaving cream, playdough, cotton balls, tape, bubble wrap, etc.).  


      -Provide a safe and stimulating environment. Spend plenty of time outdoors! 


      -Offer a variety of movement experiences for your child including crawling and walking over uneven surfaces or swinging on swings.  

    • 18-24 Months Communication Skills 
    • Uses at least 50 words and repeats words overheard
    • Begins to understand simple prepositions (e.g., “in” vs. “out”, “up” vs. “down”) and follows simple instructions without gestures
    • Points to common objects and pictures when they are named
    • Says sentences with 1-2 words
    • Enjoys listening to stories
    • 18-24 Months Communication Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • It is important to know that not all children are the same. Variability in communication skills is typical and developmental milestones account for an expected range in skills. If you have concerns regarding your child’s development, we encourage you to follow up with your health care provider.  
       
      -Read books and talk about pictures using simple words while encouraging your child to say a word instead of pointing.


      -Teach your child to identify body parts and say other common things.


      -When your child says a word incorrectly, do not correct them. Rather say it correctly, for example, “That is a car”.

    • 18-24 Months Feeding Skills 
    • Your toddler is eating an increasing variety of foods including coarsely chopped table foods, meats and raw vegetables
    • Is able to hold and drink from a cup well without losing liquid
    • Scoops food with a spoon, with some spills and starts to stab food with a fork to get it to his/her mouth
    • Bites food well, chews food with mouth closed and shifts food in mouth, and swallows food well with little loss of food
    • Knows the difference between food and non-food items
    • 18-24 Months Feeding Skills Recommendations 

    • Feeding and oral motor skills develop over time as your baby has increased exposure to varying tastes, textures, and temperatures of foods. Feeding difficulties can impact growth as well as the bonding experience between child and family.  It is important to communicate challenges to your pediatrician and seek out assistance by a lactation consultant sooner rather than later. If left unaddressed, oral difficulties can lead to ongoing feeding challenges and can impact the development of speech skills. 
       
      -At mealtime, offer 3-4 healthy choices. Offer 2-3 healthy snacks a day. Serve snacks at consistent times so that your baby will be hungry for meals.


      -Offer child-sized utensils and provide help when needed. Encourage your child to drink from his cup and use a spoon, even if it’s messy.  


      -Eat together at the table for mealtimes whenever possible. 

    • Practice our suggested recommendations on a daily basis. Make sure to report these areas to your baby’s pediatrician so that progress can be monitored at well visits or at least on a monthly basis. Check back in to complete our screening tool when your baby is 4-6 months of age to determine if a free developmental consultation or an evaluation at our office is needed. Remember, early intervention is key!

    • Your responses indicate that your child may not be meeting all his or her developmental milestones at this time. This survey is merely a snapshot in time and is in no way diagnostic. As a first step, we encourage parents to collaborate with their pediatrician to discuss any immediate areas of concern. Additionally, please contact our office to schedule a free developmental consultation or evaluation with one of our developmental specialists. Remember, early intervention is key! Our staff is uniquely trained to provide you with recommendations and tools for supporting your child's overall motor, sensory, and cognitive development at home and in the community. We look forward to serving your family.

       

  • Developmental Checklist

    Developmental Checklist

    For children 2-3 years old
    • 2-3 Years Gross Motor Skills 
    • Walks while carrying large objects
    • Jumps with both feet and lands at the same time
    • Kicks a stationary ball with either foot
    • Runs easily
    • Walks up and down stairs placing one foot on each step
    • 2-3 Years Gross Motor Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Gross motor skill development is impacted by trunk strength and core stability, both of which lead to coordinated and skilled movements with the limbs. Motor delays can impact your child’s ability to participate in school academically, with peers in community settings, and when beginning to participate in sports activities.  It is important to talk with your health care provider if you aren’t sure that your child’s motor development is on track.  
       
      -When working on stairs, you can provide your child with support to start (handhold, railing) and encourage using a reciprocal pattern (one foot on each stair) rather than stepping both feet to the same stair


      -To work on jumping, you can give your child a visual to jump on or to (image on floor or rug, sidewalk chalk marks) or practice getting used to the feeling of jumping up and down by practicing on a trampoline or other springy surface


      -Create a simple obstacle course to work on various gross motor skills (you can carry an object from one place to another, jump on a marker, climb or crawl over items) using items you have at home (couch cushions, playground balls, blocks)
       

    • 2-3 Year Fine and Visual Skills 
    • Completes puzzles with 3 or 4 pieces
    • Builds towers of more than 6 blocks
    • Copies vertical/horizontal/circular lines with crayon or marker
    • Turns book pages one page at a time
    • Screws and unscrews jar lids or turns door handle
    • 2-3 Years Fine and Visual Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Fine and visual-motor skill development is influenced by trunk strength and core stability. The trunk needs to be stable so that the arms and hands can move with control and fluidity. Fine motor skills relate to dexterity and control within the hands needed to control and manipulate objects. Visual-motor skills involve the simultaneous coordination of what the eyes see/process with moving the hands to complete a task with precision such as drawing, cutting, and coloring. In addition, sustaining attention while working visually is also a prerequisite for development in this area.
       
      -To work on copying lines, you can start by having your child trace on a model, imitate you making lines, then copy and eventually drawing them independently
      -To work on screwing/unscrewing, make sure your child is stabilizing the jar or toy with one hand while manipulating it with the other hand. Practice stabilizing objects with other activities such as mixing in a bowl, drawing on paper or putting pieces in a puzzle
      -To work on visual motor skills when doing a puzzle, place puzzle pieces in different positions so your child has to find and orient each piece.

    • 2-3 Years Sensory Skills 
    • Can tolerate a variety of clothing (does not insist on certain clothing only - e.g., only long-sleeved shirts, tags must be cut out of clothing, etc)
    • Eats a variety of foods (not limited to certain color or texture)
    • Touches variety of art materials – brushes, sponges, stamps
    • Enjoys books with pictures & print, sun catchers, etc
    • Can participate in games that involve listening (Hokey Pokey, Head, Shoulders Knees & Toes, etc)
    • 2-3 Years Sensory Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Sensory stimulation impacts your child’s processing and responses toward sensory information in the environment and within the body.  Understanding movement and having body awareness is just as important as the familiar senses of taste, touch, hearing, smell, and seeing.  If your child exhibits extreme reactions to sensory inputs or requires or has challenges with attention, activity level, or emotional control this may indicate some difficulty processing sensory information.  Please talk with your healthcare provider about ways you can support your child’s sensory development.   
       
      -Continue to present your child with a variety of textures during play – consider putting together bins of sensory materials such as beans and rice, water play, sand, shaving cream, etc.


      -Allow your child to use a utensil or other object to play with if he/she cannot tolerate the texture. This will allow him/her to participate and will help build up a tolerance to engaging with the material


      -Offer opportunities for playing with food to allow exposure to different textures and smells without the “pressure” of mealtime. Continue to offer foods that your child has refused.

    • 2-3 Years Self-Help Skills 
    • Eat his/her entire meal using a spoon without spills; begins to use a fork and drink from a cup without spilling
    • Puts on simple clothing (hats, t-shirts, pants/shorts with elastic)
    • Undo buttons, zippers, snaps and undresses self
    • Removes own plate from table; cleans up small messes
    • Becomes more consistent with staying dry throughout the day
    • 2-3 Years Self-Help Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Self-help skills for young children include self-feeding skills, hygiene & toileting, dressing & grooming, and participating in chores. Children have the drive to be independent and do things on their own. This is a healthy part of normal child development. As children grow, they learn to do more and more tasks. Parents and caregivers can help children become independent by allowing and encouraging them to take responsibility for themselves whenever possible. Although this can take longer and often be messier, the child is learning so much from attempting the task on his/her own. They are building their self-esteem and confidence in addition to learning important daily life skills.
       
      -Incorporate dress-up activities as part of the play routine.  Dress up dolls and stuffed animals


      -Encourage children to use utensils and other scooping tools as part of the sensory play (sandbox, bean bin, water table, etc). This will give extra practice using


      -Scaffold utensil and cup skills by supporting children as necessary so they can complete 1 part of the task. For example, use hand over hand to help the child scoop food and then allow them to bring food to mouth independently.

    • 2-3 Years Expressive Communication Skills 
    • Combines nouns and verbs to make simple phrases (e.g. “Mommy go”)
    • Uses 2-3 word phrases to communicate
    • Names common pictures, such as known animals, foods and snacks they like, toys they like etc.
    • Asks “What” and “Where” questions
    • Uses words like “in” “on” and “under” to describe location. (e.g. “Ball in” for putting a ball in a bucket)
    • 2-3 Years Expressive Communication Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • It is important to know that not all children are the same. Variability in communication skills is typical and developmental milestones account for an expected range in skills. If you have concerns regarding your child’s development, we encourage you to follow up with your health care provider. 
       
      -Repeat and add to a child’s phrases. For example: If your child says “Pretty Dolly!” Add by saying phrases such as” “Yes that is a pretty dolly. Dolly is wearing a red dress. She likes to dance. Can you dance with Dolly?”


      -Read with your child, naming objects in the pictures, and describing the pictures with various words. For example, if there’s a cup on the page- call it a “cup” a “glass” a “mug” a “drink” in order to expand vocabulary


      -Narrate daily activities and actions to help correlate them to vocabulary. This is easiest to do when playing (“Oh, Elsa is going to sing in the house, Elsa goes upstairs so she can sing. I wonder what Elsa is going to sing?”) and when cooking (“I’m going to add water. Now I’m going to stir” “Mix mix mix, mix the soup!”
       

    • 2-3 Years Receptive Communication  
    • Follows 1-2 step directions e.g. “Get the cup and put it on the table”
    • Understands basic colors (e.g. red, blue, yellow, green, orange)
    • Understands basic opposites (e.g. hot/cold, up/down, big/little, go/stop)
    • Notices sounds like a phone ringing and will correlate it to an action (answering and saying “hello?”)
    • Understands “What” and “Where” questions
    • 2-3 Years Receptive Communication Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • It is important to know that not all children are the same. Variability in communication skills is typical and developmental milestones account for an expected range in skills. If you have concerns regarding your child’s development, we encourage you to follow up with your health care provider. 
       
      -Use short phrases and speak clearly. Pause slightly between sentences to allow your child to process.
      -Talk about colors and shapes to help your child understand basic attributes
      -If your child is having difficulty understanding, try to find visuals and/or gestures that can help them understand what you are trying to say. For example, if it is meal time, and you are asking what they want to eat- have them in the kitchen, to help them understand the context, and even show them the choices of what to eat (show two snacks) when asking.

    • 2-3 Years Speech Production Skills 
    • Produces the sound “P” as in “pig”
    • Produces the sound “B” as in “bottle”
    • Produces the sounds “m” and “n” such as “mama” and “nana”
    • Produces the sound “t” such as “toy”
    • Produces the sound “d” such as “dada”
    • 2-3 Years Speech Production Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • It is important to know that not all children are the same. Variability in speech production skills is typical and developmental milestones account for an expected range in skills. If you have concerns regarding your child’s development, we encourage you to follow up with your health care provider. 
       
      -Emphasize the sound in the word, for example, if your child is excluding the “P” in “potato” you can emphasize by saying: “PUH-tay-toe"
      -If your child is struggling with a specific sound, see if they can produce it by itself before including it in a word. For example, “Puh puh puh” for “P”
      -Rather than correct your child, just produce the correct word in response. For example, if they day “Bah Bah” for Bottle- and you want them to produce “t” respond with “Oh, Bottle! Okay I’ll get bottle” Making sure to emphasize the letter.

    • 2-3 Years Feeding Skills 
    • Eat the same foods as the rest of the family
    • Feed themselves well with a spoon and fork
    • Have definite food likes and dislikes
    • Refuse certain foods
    • Possibly start to become a “picky eater”
    • 2-3 Years Feeding Skills Recommendations 

    • Feeding and oral motor skills develop over time as your baby has increased exposure to varying tastes, textures, and temperatures of foods. Feeding difficulties can impact growth as well as the bonding experience between child and family.  It is important to communicate challenges to your pediatrician and seek out assistance by a lactation consultant sooner rather than later. If left unaddressed, oral difficulties can lead to ongoing feeding challenges and can impact the development of speech skills. 
       
      -Have child participate in family mealtime. Mealtime is an opportunity for adults to model feeding skills for children


      -Continue to offer foods with a variety of textures even if you anticipate your child will refuse the food.


      -Maintain consistent feeding routine with predictable meals and snack times to encourage a steady hunger and satiation cycle. Do not allow grazing throughout the day as this will likely impact a child’s appetite for mealtime and may reduce his/her motivation for eating novel or less-preferred foods.

    • Practice our suggested recommendations on a daily basis.  Make sure to report these areas to your baby’s pediatrician so that progress can be monitored at good visits or at least on a monthly basis.  Check back in to complete our screening tool in 6 months to determine if a free developmental consultation or an evaluation at our office is needed. Remember, early intervention is key!

    • Your responses indicate that your child may not be meeting all his or her developmental milestones at this time. This survey is merely a snapshot in time and is in no way diagnostic. As a first step, we encourage parents to collaborate with their pediatrician to discuss any immediate areas of concern. Additionally, please contact our office to schedule a free developmental consultation or evaluation with one of our developmental specialists. Remember, early intervention is key! Our staff is uniquely trained to provide you with recommendations and tools for supporting your child's overall motor, sensory, and cognitive development at home and in the community. We look forward to serving your family.

  • Developmental Checklist

    Developmental Checklist

    For children 3-4 years old
    • 3-4 Years Gross Motor Skills 
    • Jumps down from a surface 8-18 inches high
    • Catches large ball and throws small ball 3-5 feet
    • Walks or stands on tip-toes when reaching for objects
    • Pedals a tricycle
    • Jumps down from a surface 8-18 inches high
    • 3-4 Gross Motor Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Gross motor skill development is impacted by trunk strength and core stability, both of which lead to coordinated and skilled movements with the limbs. Motor delays can impact your child’s ability to participate in school academically, with peers in community settings, and when beginning to participate in sports activities.  It is important to talk with your health care provider if you aren’t sure that your child’s motor development is on track.  
       
      -To work on jumping down, you can give them a visual to jump on or to (image on floor or rug, sidewalk chalk marks)


      -When working on throwing, it can be helpful to give them a visual target and encourage them to keep their eyes on the target (hoop, image, another person)


      -Create a simple obstacle course where they can work on various gross motor skills (hopping, jumping, throwing, reaching for an object on tip-toes) using items you have around the house (couch cushions, playground balls, stuffed animals)

    • 3-4 Years Fine and Visual Motor Skills 
    • Holds pencil in writing position (not in fists)
    • Self-feeds with a spoon or fork
    • Draws a person with 2 to 4 body parts
    • Uses scissors to snip paper
    • Starts to copy some capital letters
    • 3-4 Fine and Visual Motor Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Fine and visual-motor skill development is influenced by trunk strength and core stability.  The trunk needs to be stable so that the arms and hands can move with control and fluidity.  Fine motor skills relate to dexterity and control within the hands needed to control and manipulate objects.  Visual-motor skills involve the simultaneous coordination of what the eyes see/process with moving the hands to complete a task with precision such as drawing, cutting, and coloring. In addition, sustaining attention while working visually is also a prerequisite for development in this area.
       
      -Encourage the child to use “alligator fingers” when holding pen or pencil to begin to work towards tripod grasp, and have them “flip their grip” if they initiate a fisted grasp


      -When beginning to work on letter formation, you can provide visual anchors at the start and end of each letter (such as a dot, sticker or shape). You can also practice forming letters with different materials (blocks, drawing in sand, paint or rice)


      -When beginning to work on scissor skills, snipping along a thin strip of paper with visuals where to cut is the easiest. Encourage them to use one hand to stabilize paper while cutting with the other hand

    • 3-4 Years Sensory Skills 
    • Enjoys and seeks out various ways to move and play
    • Walks in heel-toe pattern, not primarily on toes
    • Walks through room without bumping objects or peers
    • Tolerates variety of textures of foods and clothes
    • Not startled by everyday sounds
    • 3-4 Sensory Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Sensory stimulation impacts your child’s processing and responses toward sensory information in the environment and within the body.  Understanding movement and having body awareness is just as important as the familiar senses of taste, touch, hearing, smell, and seeing. If your child exhibits extreme reactions to sensory inputs or requires or has challenges with attention, activity level, or emotional control this may indicate some difficulty processing sensory information. Please talk with your healthcare provider about ways you can support your child’s sensory development.   
       
      -Provide your child ample opportunity to explore movement in different ways through different playgrounds and movement activities


      -For children who tend to bump into objects or seek out intense movement or proprioceptive input, provide heavy work opportunities through the day (pushing, pulling, lifting heavy objects). This input helps improve body awareness and can improve self-regulation and attention by providing organizing sensory input.


      -For children who are sensitive to textures and different touch experiences, continue to present child with a variety of textures during play – consider putting together bins of sensory materials such as beans and rice, water play, sand, shaving cream, etc. Allow child to wipe hands as needed to encourage their participation and allow them to feel safe.

    • 3-4 Years Self-Help Skills 
    • Feeds self simple meals using fork and spoon
    • Toileting independently – distinguishes between urine and bowel movement
    • Brushes teeth independently
    • Cleans up toys independently
    • Dresses self with supervision (can find front of clothing)
    • 3-4 Years Self-Help Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Self-help skills for young children include self-feeding skills, hygiene & toileting, dressing & grooming, and participating in chores. Children have the drive to be independent and do things on their own. This is a healthy part of normal child development. As children grow, they learn to do more and more tasks. Parents and caregivers can help children become independent by allowing and encouraging them to take responsibility for themselves whenever possible. Although this can take longer and often be messier, the child is learning so much from attempting the task on his/her own. They are building their self-esteem and confidence in addition to learning important daily life skills.
       
      - Incorporate dress-up activities as part of the play routine.  Dress up dolls and stuffed animals If needed, practice other skills such as tooth brushing or bathing with the doll.


      -Encourage children to use utensils and other scooping tools as part of the sensory play (sandbox, bean bin, water table, etc). This will give extra practice outside the context of meals.


      -Establish a predictable home routine to encourage the child to be independently carrying out self-help tasks such as dressing, teeth brushing, clean up time, etc.

    • 3-4 Years Expressive Communication Skills 
    • Uses pronouns such as “I” “you” “me” “we” “they”
    • Puts 4 words together to create sentences (Typically will speak in 4-5 word utterances)
    • Can tell a short story about their day
    • Has a vocabulary of about 1000 words
    • Names basic colors (Red, Blue, purple, pink, green, yellow)
    • 3-4 Years Expressive Communication Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • It is important to know that not all children are the same. Variability in communication skills is typical and developmental milestones account for an expected range in skills. If you have concerns regarding your child’s development, we encourage you to follow up with your health care provider. 
       
      -Talk about where you go throughout the day as well as what you do. Adding language to every day routines can build up your child’s vocabulary.


      -Act out daily activities such as cooking, going to the doctor etc. You can add “dress up” to act it out- adding new vocabulary from these routines, such as why you would go to the doctor, what you would expect etc.


      -Talk about places you go/want to go, such as vacation spots- describe what they look like, the food, the weather, what you wear, when you went/want to go.

    • 3-4 Years Receptive Communication Skills 
    • Understands simple “Who” “What” and “Where” questions
    • Understands words for family, such as “brother” “grandma” “aunt” etc.
    • Understands shapes when asked directions such as “Get the circle and put it in the box”
    • Responds when you call them from another room
    • Understands general times, such as “yesterday” “summertime” “tonight” “lunch time” etc.
    • 3-4 Years Expressive Communication Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • It is important to know that not all children are the same. Variability in communication skills is typical and developmental milestones account for an expected range in skills. If you have concerns regarding your child’s development, we encourage you to follow up with your health care provider.
       
      -Read books and talk about the story, ask simple questions about the story, using the pictures to help them answer


      -Talk about similarities and differences between items (compare and contrast)


      -Talk about places you go/want to go, such as vacation spots- describe what they look like, the food, the weather, what you wear, when you went/want to go.

    • 3-4 Years Speech Production Skills  
    • Produces the sound “K” as in “kite” or like in “cat” (Look at sound, not letter) and “G” as in “Goat”
    • Produces the sound “F” as in “Frozen”
    • Produces the sound “y” as in “yucky”
    • Produces the sound “H” as in “Hi”
    • Produces the sound “Y” as in “Yes”
    • 3-4 Years Speech Production Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • It is important to know that not all children are the same. Variability in speech production skills is typical and developmental milestones account for an expected range in skills. If you have concerns regarding your child’s development, we encourage you to follow up with your health care provider. 
       
      -Emphasize the sound in the word, for example, if your child is excluding the “Y” in Yes” you can emphasize by saying: “YYYY-es”


      -If your child is struggling with a specific sound, see if they can produce it by itself before including it in a word. For example, “huh-huh-huh" for “H”


      -Rather than correct your child, just produce the correct word in response. For example, if they say “tat” for “cat” and you want them to produce “c” respond with “yep that’s a cat! Let’s pet the cat” Making sure to emphasize the letter.

    • 3-4 Years Feeding Skills 
    • Eats advanced textures (meats, fried foods, whole fruits) with supervision
    • Drinks from an open cup independently
    • Eats a meal using fork and spoon independently
    • Eats a variety of textures and tastes
    • Cleans up plate after meal and cleans up small spills
    • 3-4 Years Feeding Skills Recommendations 

    •  Feeding and oral motor skills develop over time as your baby has increased exposure to varying tastes, textures, and temperatures of foods. Feeding difficulties can impact growth as well as the bonding experience between child and family.  It is important to communicate challenges to your pediatrician and seek out assistance by a lactation consultant sooner rather than later. If left unaddressed, oral difficulties can lead to ongoing feeding challenges and can impact the development of speech skills. 
       
      -Have child participate in family mealtime. Mealtime is an opportunity for adults to model feeding skills for children


      -Continue to offer foods with a variety of textures even if you anticipate your child will refuse the food.


      -Maintain consistent feeding routine with predictable meals and snack times to encourage a steady hunger and satiation cycle. Do not allow grazing throughout the day as this will likely impact a child’s appetite for mealtime and may reduce his/her motivation for eating novel or less-preferred foods.

    • Practice our suggested recommendations on a daily basis.  Make sure to report these areas to your baby’s pediatrician so that progress can be monitored at well visits or at least on a monthly basis.  Check back in to complete our screening tool in 6 months to determine if a free developmental consultation or an evaluation at our office is needed. Remember, early intervention is key!

    • Your responses indicate that your child may not be meeting all his or her developmental milestones at this time. This survey is merely a snapshot in time and is in no way diagnostic. As a first step, we encourage parents to collaborate with their pediatrician to discuss any immediate areas of concern. Additionally, please contact our office to schedule a free developmental consultation or evaluation with one of our developmental specialists. Remember, early intervention is key! Our staff is uniquely trained to provide you with recommendations and tools for supporting your child's overall motor, sensory, and cognitive development at home and in the community. We look forward to serving your family.

  • Developmental Checklist

    Developmental Checklist

    For children 4-5 years old
    • 4-5 Years Gross Motor Skills 
    • Hops on one foot, starts to skip
    • Stands on one foot for 10 seconds or longer
    • Rides a bike
    • Swings and climbs easily
    • Can do a somersault
    • 4-5 Years Gross Motor Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Gross motor skill development is impacted by trunk strength and core stability, both of which lead to coordinated and skilled movements with the limbs. Motor delays can impact your child’s ability to participate in school academically, with peers in community settings, and when beginning to participate in sports activities.  It is important to talk with your health care provider if you aren’t sure that your child’s motor development is on track.  
       
      -Copying a yoga position sequence or playing movement games like Simon Says are great ways to work on balance, motor planning and using both sides of the body together


      -Create a simple obstacle course where they can work on various gross motor skills (hopping, jumping, throwing, skipping) using items you have around the house (couch cushions, playground balls, stuffed animals)


      -When working on bike riding, you can begin by having the child balance themselves on the stationary bike, and gradually add one step at a time (coasting, pedaling) with support from you until they are able to put all steps together without support

    • 4-5 Years Fine and Visual Motor Skills 
    • Builds a large tower of blocks
    • Draws a person with 6 body parts
    • Grasps pencil or marker with a tripod grasp
    • Cuts easy food with a fork and knife
    • Can print some letters, numbers and shapes (circle, triangle)
    • 4-5 Years Fine and Visual Motor Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Fine and visual-motor skill development are influenced by trunk strength and core stability.  The trunk needs to be stable so that the arms and hands can move with control and fluidity.  Fine motor skills relate to dexterity and control within the hands needed to control and manipulate objects.  Visual-motor skills involve the simultaneous coordination of what the eyes see/process with moving the hands to complete a task with precision such as drawing, cutting, and coloring. In addition, sustaining attention while working visually is also a prerequisite for development in this area.
       
      -Encourage child to use “alligator fingers” when holding pen or pencil to facilitate a mature tripod grasp. They can do hand warm-up and strengthening activities such as squeezing a tennis ball, sorting small beads or toys or manipulating Play Doh/putty


      -When working on letter and number formation, you can provide visual anchors at the start and end of each letter (such as a dot, sticker or shape). You can also practice forming letters with different materials (blocks, drawing in sand, paint or rice)


      -You can have them practice fork and knife skills with softer foods that are easier to cut (such as bananas, tofu or mushrooms) or with Play-Doh

    • 4-5 Years Sensory Skills 
    • Able to sit and attend to circle time without difficult
    • Tolerates different clothing textures, seams, etc.
    • Has adequate balance and strength to use variety of playground equipment (climbing structures, slides, swing, stepping stones, etc.)
    • Enjoys and/or tolerates messy play and getting dirty
    • Not startled by everyday noises
    • 4-5 Years Sensory Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Sensory stimulation impacts your child’s processing and responses toward sensory information in the environment and within the body.  Understanding movement and having body awareness is just as important as the familiar senses of taste, touch, hearing, smell, and seeing.  If your child exhibits extreme reactions to sensory inputs or requires or has challenges with attention, activity level, or emotional control this may indicate some difficulty processing sensory information.  Please talk with your healthcare provider about ways you can support your child’s sensory development.   
       
      -Children who need movement (more than other children their age) throughout the day may benefit from structured movement breaks in order to help them attend and participate in seated activities requiring sustained attention.

      -Some children who have difficulty sitting for circle time may actually have poor trunk strength, thus making it difficult to sit upright. These children may benefit from supported seating options such as a small chair, a ‘cube’ chair or a backjack chair to provide more postural support. 


      -Children who avoid balance and climbing activities may require more support to help them feel comfortable engaging in these activities. Provide as much support and encouragement as needed to help child try new equipment and praise their efforts and achievement. Continued practice and exposure will help build skills and confidence!

    • 4-5 Years Self-Help Skills 
    • Independently cleans up toys
    • Dresses independently
    • Chooses appropriate clothes for the weather
    • Follows rules
    • Knows where familiar items are kept
    • 4-5 Years Self-Help Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • Self help skills for young children include self-feeding skills, hygiene & toileting, dressing & grooming, and participating in chores. Children have a drive to be independent and do things on their own. This is a healthy part of normal child development. As children grow, they learn to do more and more tasks. Parents and caregivers can help children become independent by allowing and encouraging them to take responsibility for themselves whenever possible. Although this can take longer and often be messier, the child is learning so much from attempting the task on his/her own. They are building their self-esteem and confidence in addition to learning important daily life skills.
       
      -Provide child opportunities to practice fasteners through dress-up play and other toys outside of the dressing routine to take away the time pressure to perform the task.


      -Make a daily visual schedule with your child to give them a sense of organization as well as expectations of self-care tasks such as grooming, dressing, clean up time, etc.


      -Scaffold your child as necessary with challenging dressing tasks. Allow them to complete part of the task independently in order to build confidence and skill. For example, if getting a shirt on overhead is challenging, assist the child to grasp the neck opening correctly while you guide them to place hands on either side of the head. You can provide more or less support as needed.

    • 4-5 Years Expressive Communication Skills 
    • Uses sentences with more than one verb (e.g. “The girl played and the boy danced”)
    • Keeps a conversation going by taking turns with others
    • Will adjust their speech based on who they are talking to/ where they are talking. For example, if speaking to a younger kid, they may use fewer words, and raise their pitch, or if they are outside, they may raise their volume
    • Asks many questions, including “why”
    • Uses sentences of at least 5 words in length
    • 4-5 Years Expressive Communication Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • It is important to know that not all children are the same. Variability in communication skills is typical and developmental milestones account for an expected range in skills. If you have concerns regarding your child’s development, we encourage you to follow up with your health care provider.
       
      -Let your child help plan activities, such as vacations, Thanksgiving dinner, weekend activities, even lunch, etc. Allowing them to express themselves, in a variety of instances


      -Read with your child more advanced stories that begin to have problems/solutions, more than one character and talk about the story with them


      -Ask them questions about their day/ share stories with each other during playtime or bedtime to promote language growth.

    • 4-5 Years Receptive Communication Skills  
    • Answers questions about a story
    • Understands words about “order” such as “First” “Next” “Last”
    • Follows longer, 3+ step instructions
    • Hears and understands most of what is said at school/home
    • Follows directions related to school (e.g. “Draw a circle on your paper around something you eat”
    • 4-5 Years Receptive Communication Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • It is important to know that not all children are the same. Variability in communication skills is typical and developmental milestones account for an expected range in skills. If you have concerns regarding your child’s development, we encourage you to follow up with your health care provider.
       
      -Help your child sort items based on their category, such as things you eat, animals, clothes, etc.


      -Use words to specify an item’s location, such as “left,” “right,” “on top of,” “behind” etc.


      -Play a following directions game such as simon says, or a follow direction drawing game where you take turns giving and listening to each other's prompts to work on listening skills.

    • 4-5 Speech Production Skills 
    • The sound L as in “Love”
    • The sound S as in “Seat”
    • The sound R as in “Read”
    • The sound V as in “Vest”
    • The sound Z as in “Zip”
    • The sound CH as in “Chair”
    • The sound Th as in “Think” or “That”
    • 4-5 Years Speech Production Skills Recommendations 

    • Your child is on track! Check back in 3 months.

    • It is important to know that not all children are the same. Variability in speech production skills is typical and developmental milestones account for an expected range in skills. If you have concerns regarding your child’s development, we encourage you to follow up with your health care provider. 
       
      -Emphasize the sound in the word, for example, if your child is excluding the “Y” in “Yes” you can emphasize by saying: “YYYY-es”


      -If your child is struggling with a specific sound, see if they can produce it by itself before including it in a word. For example, “huh-huh-huh" for “H”


      -Rather than correct your child, just produce the correct word in response. For example, if they day “tat” for “cat” and you want them to produce “c” respond with “yep that’s a cat! Let’s pet the cat” Making sure to emphasize the letter.

    • 4-5 Years Feeding Skills 
    • Eats advanced textures (meats, fried foods, whole fruits) with supervision
    • Drinks from an open cup independently
    • Eats a meal using fork and spoon independently
    • Eats a diet rich in various foods, textures and temperatures
    • Cleans up plate after meal and cleans up small spills
    • 4-5 Years Feeding Skills Recommendations 

    • Feeding and oral motor skills develop over time as your baby has increased exposure to varying tastes, textures and temperatures of foods. Feeding difficulties can impact growth as well as the bonding experience between child and family.  It is important to communicate challenges to your pediatrician and seek out assistance by a lactation consultant sooner rather than later. If left unaddressed, oral difficulties can lead to ongoing feeding challenges and can impact the development of speech skills. 
       
      -Have child participate in family mealtime. Mealtime is an opportunity for adults to model feeding skills for children


      -Continue to offer foods with a variety of textures even if you anticipate your child will refuse the food.


      -Maintain consistent feeding routine with predictable meals and snack times to encourage a steady hunger and satiation cycle. Do not allow grazing throughout the day as this will likely impact child’s appetite for mealtime and may reduce his/her motivation for eating novel or less-preferred foods. 

    • Practice our suggested recommendations on a daily basis.  Make sure to report these areas to your baby’s pediatrician so that progress can be monitored at well visits or at least on a monthly basis.  Check back in to complete our screening tool in 6 months to determine if a free developmental consultation or an evaluation at our office is needed. Remember, early intervention is key!

    • Your responses indicate that your child may not be meeting all his or her developmental milestones at this time. This survey is merely a snapshot in time and is in no way diagnostic. As a first step, we encourage parents to collaborate with their pediatrician to discuss any immediate areas of concern. Additionally, please contact our office to schedule a free developmental consultation or evaluation with one of our developmental specialists. Remember, early intervention is key! Our staff is uniquely trained to provide you with recommendations and tools for supporting your child's overall motor, sensory, and cognitive development at home and in the community. We look forward to serving your family.

  • Developmental Checklist

    Developmental Checklist

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