Developmental Milestones

Posted by admin on May 16

 

 

Is my child developing normally?

Almost all parents wonder this at some time in their childs early years. Here weve put together a list of self help skills that most children  acquire between 12 and 36 months of age. 

Below are signs to look for that may signal a delay in development or a dysfunction in sensory integration.

 

Cognitive Delay

By 12 months of age:

No visual tracking or responding to sound Not beginning to repeat actions to elicit pleasurable results

Not attempting to attract attention No interest in games like peek-a-boo

Doesn’t search for hidden or removed objects Not anticipating effects of actions

Not using toys for intended purposes

By 24 months of age:

Doesn’t understand function of objects Doesn’t imitate

Continues to explore items by mouthing Constantly moving from one item to another, inability to attend for brief periods

Requires constant attention to remain engaged Not showing interest in children their own age

By 36 months of age:

Not interested in pretend play

Not demonstrating simple categorization (like matching and sorting)

Not initiating or reciprocating simple interactions with children their own age

At any time child experiences a dramatic loss of skills

Sensory Integration Dysfunction

Child does not like to be touched or seeks excessive touching

Child does not like to touch sticky substances, to walk barefoot on grass, to wear certain clothing, to have hair brushed or cut, to have finger nails cut, or to have other people too close to them

Child falls frequently or is unsafe on playground equipment

Child often appears to be in constant motion, or to have a short attention span

Child engages in rocking motion often, slams himself up against furniture/walls/people, plays hard with toys

Child avoids activities that involve head movement, such as swinging

Child is a fussy eater and has difficulty eating food with lumps or textures in it

Child appears to be sensitive to light or sound

Child is often fussy or aggressive for no apparent reason

Once a child enters the toddler and preschool years, there may be concerns about language development. Here are some things to watch for in children from 3 to 5 years old.

Cognitive Delay

Between the ages of 3 and 4, most children can:

Identify and name different colors

Sort and classify objects by simple characteristics Understand and make simple patterns, sequences, orders and understand opposites

Understand numbers and quantities in their everyday environment

  • Recite numbers to 10
  • Count up to 5 objects using 1:1 correspondence
  • Recognize and name a few written numerals Develop a sense of time, talking about what happened today and tomorrow

 Between the ages of 4 and 5, most children can: Compare and describe using bigger and biggest, small and smaller, more and less

Understand more numbers and quantities

    • Count 10 or more objects
    • Recognize names and written numerals 0-9
    • Understands simple addition and subtraction using numbers up to 4Recognize and name at least the written letters of their own nameName and briefly explain pictures that they draw
  • Know the days of the week, months and seasons, but still cannot tell time
  • Understands that letters represent sounds and associate some letters with sounds

motor development

Between the ages of 3 and 4, most children can:

Jump off the floor with both feet Gallop

Hop and stand on one foot for up to 5 seconds Kick a ball and throw it overhand

Catch a bounced ball most of the time

Walk forward and backward with good coordination Walk up and down stairs

Climb at least 3 rungs of a ladder and ride a tricycle Hold a pencil with fingers and use scissors

Draw circles and squares

Scribble letters and numbers or “letter-like” forms String 1/2 inch beads and stack 8 cubes

Put 8 pieces in a formboard Complete a simple puzzle

Between the ages of 4 and 5, most children can: Run and demonstrate good coordination Jump over objects

Stand on one foot for 5 to 10 seconds Hop on one foot

Swing and climb easily, may be able to skip Draw a person with 3 parts

Copy a cross, trace a line, square and triangle Imitate drawing a square

Connect dots and cut on a line

Print own name and some letters of the alphabet Usually can fasten and unfasten buttons and snaps