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. 

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.

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.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.
 

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.  

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”.

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.

 

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)
 

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.

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.

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.

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!”
 

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.

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.

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.

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)

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.