DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES

0-6 MONTHS

• Searches for speaker

• Recognizes own name

• Begins to babble

• Vocalizes in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired

• Frequently puts fingers, objects, clothing, pacifier into mouth for sucking and mouthing

• Makes sounds to show joy and displeasure

• Responds to sounds by making sounds

• Babbles with expression and copies sounds they hear

• Breastfeeds and/or bottle feeds

• Strings vowels together when babbling (“ah,” “eh,” “oh”) and likes taking turns with parent while making sounds

• Starting soft, smooth solid foods

• Makes a cooing sound: vowel-like sounds

7-9 MONTHS

• Self-feeds simple, finger foods

• Babbles same sounds repeatedly (baba or mama)

• Produces sounds which are similar to t,d,n,f,v,z,ch,j,th,sh and s

• Understands "No"

• Makes sound while eating with food in mouth

• Reaches for object and looks for caregiver’s reaction

• Uses finger to point to things

• Tolerates smooth, lumpy solids fed by spoon by 9 months

10-12 MONTHS

• Clears food off spoon with upper lip (eats lumpy, mashed foods)

• Feeds self with fingers

• Babbles using different sounds (nama)

• Takes turns vocalizing

• Copies sounds and gestures of others

• Responds to simple spoken requests

• Points/gestures and vocalizes

• Participates in joint attention activities

• Makes sounds wtih changes in tone (sounds more like speech)

• Says "Mama" and "Dada" and exclamations like "uh-oh"

• Tries to say words you say

• Combines 2 words (all done, Daddy bye-bye)

• Says several single words

• Names at least 5 common items

• Says and shakes head "No"

• Points to things and pictures when they are named

• Retrieves objects from another room when asked

• Understands at least 50 words

• Asks for “more” and “what’s that?”

• Drinks liquids from an open cup independently with limited spillage

• Swallows with lip closure

• Points to show someone what he wants

• Has precise up and down tongue movement

• Eats table foods (includes easily chewed meats and cooked vegetables)

24 MONTHS

• Has at least 100 words in vocabulary

• Knows names of familiar people and body parts

• Follows simple, 1-step commands

• Frequently uses 2-word phrases

• Says sentences using 3-4 words

• Repeats words overheard in conversation

• Is at least 25-50% intelligible to all listeners

• Follows simple 2-step related commands (may still require gestural cues)

• Drinks from an open cup and from straw without dribbling

• Bites through a variety of food thicknesses

• Demonstrates verbal turn-taking

• Points to things in a book

30 MONTHS

• Has approximately 450 words in vocabulary

• Gives own first name

• Answers “where” questions

• Uses present progressive -ing

• Uses “no” or “not”

• Consistently uses 3-4 word phrases/sentences

• Identifies simple objects by function

• Is 50-75% intelligible

• Shares toys and understands simple locations (in, under, out, off)

• Responds to greetings

• Uses pronouns (my, me, mine, you)

36 MONTHS

• Is 75% intelligible to all listeners

• Converses in sentences

• Has 1000 words in vocabulary

• Can name most familiar things

• Follows prepositional commands (on, next to, under, etc.)

• Follows instructions with 2-3 steps

• Begins to use adjectives for color and size

• Asks one-word “why” questions

• Uses “what”, “where”, “how”, and “whose” when asking questions

• Understands words like "in", "on", and "under"

• Can name a friend

• Beings to understand time concepts such as soon, later, wait

• Says words like "I", "we", "me", and "you" and some plurals (cars, dogs, cats, etc.)

• Chews and swallows majority of adult food

• Talks well enough for strangers to understand most of the time

42 MONTHS

• Uses regular plural –s (socks, shoes)

• Uses possessive –s (baby’s bottle)

48 MONTHS

• Consistently uses 4-5 word sentences, with correct sentence structure

• Is 80% intelligible

• Sings a song or says a poem from memory

• Tells a story

• Asks many questions including “who?” and “why?”

• Knows some basic rules of grammer

• Uses regular and irregular past tense verbs consistently and regular 3rd person

• Uses most pronouns

• Has 1500+ words in vocabulary

• Follows simple multi-step directions without repetition

• Uses contractions (can’t, don’t, I’ve)

• Identifies colors

• Uses a variety of sentences with 6 or more words

• Has greater than 2000 words in vocabulary

• Uses most speech sounds correctly

• Speaks very clearly

• Is 90-100% intelligible

• Answers “how are things the same or different”

• Can carry a plot when telling a story

• Understands time concepts (yesterday, today, first, then, next)

• Uses future tense

• Asks question to get more information

• Inventive spelling when writing

• Uses a variety of sentences with 6 or more words

• Has greater than 2000 words in vocabulary

• Uses most speech sounds correctly

• Speaks very clearly

• Is 90-100% intelligible

• Answers “how are things the same or different”

• Can carry a plot when telling a story

• Understands time concepts (yesterday, today, first, then, next)

• Uses future tense

• Asks question to get more information

• Inventive spelling when writing

• Uses all speech sounds correctly but "r", "th", and "sh"

• Begins to write letters when you give the sounds

• Begins to tell the sound that letters make

• Imaginitive play schemes with peers

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Doesn't participate in imaginative play schemes with peers

• Uses all speech sounds correctly

• Begins to read simple stories with sight words

• Begins to make rhyming words

• Inquires about people's feelings and thoughts

• Can hold conversations with peers and adults

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Doesn't use all speech sounds correctly

• Can't hold conversations with peers and adults

• Can read and write simple stories

• Can re-tell and narrate movies and stories

• Speaks clearly

• Remembers details of what peers like

• Has close friendships

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Can't re-tell and narrate movies and stories

• Speech sound errors

• Can read and write simple stories

• Can re-tell and narrate movies and stories

• Speaks clearly

• Remembers details of what peers like

• Has close friendships

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Can't re-tell and narrate movies and stories

• Speech sound errors

• Can agree and disagree in conversations

• Problem-solves and strategizes throughout the day and with games like boardgames

• Begins to regulate emotions

• Follows multi-step directions for daily activities like laundry, cooking, and other daily chores

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Can't problem-solve and strategize throughout the day and with games like boardgames

• Speech sound errors

• Can agree and disagree in conversations

• Problem-solves and strategizes throughout the day and with games like boardgames

• Begins to regulate emotions

• Follows multi-step directions for daily activities like laundry, cooking, and other daily chores

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Can't problem-solve and strategize throughout the day and with games like boardgames

• Speech sound errors

• Can read chapter books

• Can write 3-5 paragraph short stories

• Can infer and read non-verbal social cues

• Can plan and organize recipes and social events

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Can't write 3-5 paragraph short stories

• Speech sound errors

• Can read chapter books

• Can write 3-5 paragraph short stories

• Can infer and read non-verbal social cues

• Can plan and organize recipes and social events

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Can't write 3-5 paragraph short stories

• Speech sound errors

• Can gather details in non-fiction literacy and write conclusions

• Respects others with different preferences

• Can read educational literature to gather information

• Develops complex ideas

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Can't read educational literature to gather information

• Speech sound errors

• Can gather details in non-fiction literacy and write conclusions

• Respects others with different preferences

• Can read educational literature to gather information

• Develops complex ideas

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Can't read educational literature to gather information

• Speech sound errors

• Uses their language to persuade and negotiate

• Holds full conversations even on topics that are not their interest

• Follows daily routines almost independently

• Organizes: clothing, daily chores, food, school, and extra-curricular activities

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Can't organize: clothing, daily chores, food, school, and extracurricular activities

• Speech sound errors

• Can regulate listeners even on topics that are not their interest

• Analizes stories, poems, movies, and summarizes different perspectives

• Cites textual evidence

• Can hold jobs and can be almost competely independent for daily routines

• Can regulate their emotions and help to regulate others'

RED FLAGS (should be brought to the attention of your doctor):

• Can't regulate their emotions and help to regulate others'

• Speech sound errors