Your Child’s Developmental Milestones
Watching your child grow and achieve new skills is one of the most rewarding parts of parenthood. But in order to make sure your baby is on track, you need to know what milestones they’re going to reach, and when. That’s why we’ve put together this comprehensive list of developmental milestones.
Learn more about the key milestones your baby, toddler, or child will reach below. And if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s development, give us a call at (516) 799-2900 today, and we’ll be happy to help!
How Developmental Milestones Are Categorized
To help you better understand your child’s progress, we’ve organized the milestones for each page below into the following categories:
Language & Communication Milestones
How your child uses words and gestures to express themselves, and how well they understand others’ words, gestures, and body language.
Cognitive Milestones
Skills related to thinking, problem-solving, learning, and memory.
Social & Emotional Milestones
The ways your child interacts, shares, and relates with others, and how they regulate their own emotions and behaviors.
Movement Milestones
Physical skills such as crawling, walking, grasping, sitting up, etc.
Feeding Milestones
Skills related to nursing, self-feeding, chewing, swallowing, and enjoying a variety of healthy foods.
Year One Milestones
(Birth – 12 Months)
In their first year, your baby will begin to recognize voices, babble, and reach for objects. They’ll start rolling over, sitting up, and might even take their first steps! This year lays the groundwork for essential movement, communication, and social skills.
Year Two Milestones
(15 Months – 24 Months)
By their second year, your toddler will become a full-blown explorer. They’ll start showing more curiosity about their surroundings, climbing onto furniture, and putting together words into simple phrases. They’ll become a little more independent as they continue to learn about the world around them.
Year Three Milestones
(2 ½ Years to 3 Years)
At age three, your toddler will start expressing themselves more clearly, solving simple problems, and playing pretend with their toys. They’ll continue building their movement skills and navigate familiar environments with growing confidence.
Year Four Milestones
(3 Years – 4 Years)
Around age four, your child will enjoy more social play and begin sharing and taking turns. Their vocabulary will expand as they express thoughts and ask questions (lots and lots of questions). And they’ll improve their balance and coordination by jumping, skipping, and playing every day.
Year Five Milestones
(4 Years – 5 Years)
As your child gets ready for kindergarten, they’ll continue building their social skills, learn to follow multi-step directions, and gain more confidence in physical activities. They start recognizing letters, writing simple words, and interacting with others in new and exciting ways.
Have Questions About Your Child’s Development?
If you’re unsure whether your child is meeting their milestones, or if you have any concerns about their progress, take advantage of our free consultation!
You’ll be able to speak directly with one of our experts to get answers to your questions and find out how pediatric occupational therapy can help your child.
