Developmental Checklists
Is your child on track? Below is a list of developmental milestones in the areas of communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and sensory processing abilities. The typical age for each skill acquisition is included. If your child is behind in one or more area, please contact us. A therapy evaluation can rule out developmental issues and/or provide a plan for developing skills in a specific area. The earlier that skills can be addressed, the faster outcomes can be achieved!
For more information regarding the evaluation process, please give us a call: 615.377.1623.
Speech and Language – Birth to 5 years
By 1 Year:
- Recognizes words for common items like “cup” or “book”
- Understands and responds to own name
- Understands simple commands/requests like “come here”
- Uses gestures to communicate like waving and holding arms up
- Imitates simple speech sounds
- Babbles repetitive syllables like “baba”, “up up”, or “mama”
- Has an expressive vocabulary of 1-3 words
By 2 Years:
- Listens to simple stories, songs and rhymes
- Points to pictures in a book and body parts when named
- Follows more complex commands/questions like “get the book” and “where’s the ball?”
- Uses some 1- and 2-word questions like “go bye-bye?”
- Puts 2 words together like “more cookie” or “no juice”
- Uses more consonant sounds at the beginning of words
- Has an expressive vocabulary of 50-100+ words
By 3 Years:
- Understands differences like “go-stop” or “up-down”
- Follows 2 requests like “get the ball and come here”
- Uses more sounds like k, g, f, t, d, n
- Has a word for almost everything
- Uses 2-3 words to talk about and ask for things
- Has an expressive vocabulary of 100-250 words or more
- Speech is understood by familiar listeners most of the time
By 4 Years:
- Responds when you call from another room
- Answers simple who, what, where and why questions
- Talks about activities at school or friends’ houses
- Uses sentences that have 4 or more words
- Speech is understood by unfamiliar listeners most of the time
By 5 Years:
- Communicates easily with other children and adults
- Hears and understands most of what is said at home/school
- Pays attention to a short story and answers simple questions
- Uses sentences with more detail like “the biggest toy is mine”
- Tells stories that stick to the topic
- Says sounds correctly except for maybe l, s, r, v, z, ch, sh, th
Gross Motor Skill Development – Birth to 3 Years
By 6 Months:
- On tummy – holds head up, pushes up on arms, reaches for nearby toy
- On back – reaches with 2 hands to play with feet or toy overhead
- Rolls from tummy to back and back to tummy
- Uses hands to support self in sitting then sits independently
- Accepts weight on legs briefly when standing with support
By 9 Months:
- Sits unsupported and maintains balance while reaching
- Transitions into different positions – lying, sitting, all 4’s
- Creeps short distances, alternating hands and knees
- Pulls self to stand or is beginning to
By 12 Months:
- Maintains balance in sitting while throwing
- Cruises while holding onto furniture
- Stands alone and takes independent steps
- Lowers from standing to sitting without falling
- Creeps, alternating hands and knees, up stairs
By 18 Months:
- Squats independently to pick up a toy without falling
- Walks independently and seldom falls
- Runs independently and frequently falls
- Walks up/down steps with hand held
- Throws a ball
By 2 Years:
- Jumps forward without falling
- Jumps down a step without assistance
- Kicks a ball forward
- Walks up/down stairs without help
- Runs with greater coordination and less falling
- Rides a tricycle or other riding toy independently
By 3 Years:
- Stands on 1 foot for 3 seconds
- Jumps down from 18 inches without assist
- Walks upstairs, alternating feet, without support
- Catches a ball with arms extended
Fine Motor Skill Development – Birth to 3 Years
By 6 Months:
- Arm movements and reach are more purposeful
- Brings hands to midline more
- Hands are primarily open with thumbs out
- Reaches and holds objects with both hands
By 9 Months:
- Holds 2 objects, one in each hand
- Holds objects with fingers and thumb
- Transfers objects hand to hand
- Uses raking (fingers to palm) to pick up small objects, but beginning to develop a pincer grasp
By 12 Months:
- Places items into an open container or into another’s hand
- Turns book pages a few at a time
- Points and pokes with index finger
- Uses a pincer grasp on small, pellet-sized objects
By 18 Months:
- Stacks 2-3 small blocks
- Holds marker or crayon with fisted grasp
- Scribbles using whole arm movements
- Holds object with one hand, manipulates it with the other
- Places 1-2 shapes in a 3-piece geometric puzzle
By 2 Years:
- Stacks 4-5 blocks or more
- Strings 2-3 large beads
- Snips paper with scissors
- Turns pages of a book 1 at a time
- Imitates vertical and circular scribbles
By 3 Years:
- Imitates vertical, horizontal and circular lines
- Unscrews a loose-fitting screw top lid
- Begins to manipulate small objects within the hand
- Cuts paper into 2 pieces
- Holds crayons more with fingers than fist
- Demonstrates hand preference
Sensory Processing Skills
By 3 Years:
- Attends to a task even with outside noise (tv, music, vacuum cleaner, blender, etc)
- Completes grooming tasks without distress (hair cutting, face washing, nail trimming)
- Good balance and body awareness (knows where self is in space, doesn’t excessively touch objects/people)
- Varied diet (eats various textures, food groups)
- Can remain still during brief, seated tasks (does not excessively fidget, rock, bounce)
- Can engage in age-appropriate movement activities
- Good frustration tolerance: Is not easily thrown by changes in routine or schedule
- Age-appropriate emotional regulation: no excessive fears, worries, significant outbursts/tantrums
- Plays well with peers/siblings
- Good eye contact
- Can interpret facial expressions and body language