Child development and concerns
There is a lot of thinking about what the child’s development is considered to be normal depending on many factors. The table below shows some of the critical periods for the development of different qualities and the ability of a child. These data are informative and do not serve to diagnose or treat. If you have any questions or if you suspect that there has been a developmental disorder in your child, please contact our support center: 321-732-3723.
Pathways.org’s unique chart provided below tgis section allows you to track your child’s physical, play, and speech development. Remember to trust your instincts. You know your child best. If you feel your baby is developing at a different pace, seek help.
Tipical
SPEECH
Development
Tipical
PLAY
Development
Tipical
PHYSICAL
Development
Signs to watch for in
PHYSICAL
Development
By
3
MONTHS
- Sucks and swallows well during feeding
- Quiets or smiles in response to sound or voice
- Coos and smiles
- Turns head towards sound or voice
While lying on their back…
- Visually tracks a moving toy from side to side
- Attempts to reach for a toy
- held above their chest
- Keeps head centered to
watch faces or toys
While lying on their tummy…
- Pushes up on arms
- Lifts and holds head up
- Difficulty lifting head
- Stiff legs with little or no movement
- Pushes back with head
- Keeps hands fisted and lacks arm movement
By
6
MONTHS
- Begins to use consonant sounds in babbling, e.g. “da, da, da”
- Uses babbling to get attention
- Begins to eat cereals and pureed foods
- Reaches for toys while
on their tummy
While lying on their back…
- Transfers a toy from one
hand to the other - Reaches both hands
to play with feet
- Uses hands to support
self while sitting - Rolls from back to tummy
and tummy to back - While standing with
support, accepts entire
weight with legs
- Rounded back
- Unable to lift head up
- Poor head control
- Difficult to bring arms forward to reach out
- Arches back and stiffens legs
- Difficulty lifting head
- Stiff legs with little or no movement
By
9
MONTHS
- Uses increased variety
of sounds and syllable
combinations in babbling - Looks at familiar objects and people when named
- Begins to eat thicker pureed and mashed table foods
- In a high chair, holds and drinks from a bottle
- Explores and examines an object
using both hands and mouth - Turns several pages of a chunky (board) book at once
- In simple play imitates others
- Sits and reaches for toys without falling
- Moves from tummy or back into sitting
- Starts to move with alternate leg and arm movement e.g. creeping, crawling
- Uses one hand predominately
- Rounded back
- Poor use of
arms in sitting
- Difficulty crawling
- Uses only one side of body
to move
- Inability to straighten back
- Cannot take weight on legs
By
12
MONTHS
- Meaningfully uses “mama” or “dada”
- Responds to simple directions, e.g. “come here”
- Produces long strings of gibberish (jargoning) in social communication
- Begins to use an open cup
- Finger feeds self
- Releases objects into a container with large opening
- Uses thumb and pointer finger to pick up tiny objects
- Pulls to stand and cruises along furniture
- Stands alone and takes several independent steps
- Difficulty getting to stand because of stiff legs and
pointed toes - Only uses arms to pull up to standing
- Sits with weight to one side
- Strongly flexed or stiffly extended arms
- Needs to use hand to maintain sitting
By
15
MONTHS
- May use 5 – 10 words
- Imitates simple words and actions
- Understands 50 words
- Increases variety of coarsely chopped table foods
- Stacks two objects or blocks
- Helps with getting dressed/undressed
- Holds and drinks from a cup
- Walks independently and seldom falls
- Squats to pick up toy
- Unable to take steps independently
- Poor standing balance, falls frequently
- Walks on toes
By
3
MONTHS
Tipical
SPEECH
Development
- Sucks and swallows well during feeding
- Quiets or smiles in response to sound or voice
- Coos and smiles
- Turns head towards sound or voice
Tipical
PLAY
Development
While lying on their back…
- Visually tracks a moving toy from side to side
- Attempts to reach for a toy
- held above their chest
- Keeps head centered to
watch faces or toys
Tipical
PHYSICAL
Development
While lying on their tummy…
- Pushes up on arms
- Lifts and holds head up
Signs to watch for in
PHYSICAL
Development
- Difficulty lifting head
- Stiff legs with little or no movement
- Pushes back with head
- Keeps hands fisted and lacks arm movement
By
6
MONTHS
Tipical
SPEECH
Development
- Begins to use consonant sounds in babbling, e.g. “da, da, da”
- Uses babbling to get attention
- Begins to eat cereals and pureed foods
Tipical
PLAY
Development
- Reaches for toys while
on their tummy
While lying on their back…
- Transfers a toy from one
hand to the other - Reaches both hands
to play with feet
Tipical
PHYSICAL
Development
- Uses hands to support
self while sitting - Rolls from back to tummy
and tummy to back - While standing with
support, accepts entire
weight with legs
Signs to watch for in
PHYSICAL
Development
- Rounded back
- Unable to lift head up
- Poor head control
- Difficult to bring arms forward to reach out
- Arches back and stiffens legs
- Difficulty lifting head
- Stiff legs with little or no movement
By
9
MONTHS
Tipical
SPEECH
Development
- Uses increased variety
of sounds and syllable
combinations in babbling - Looks at familiar objects and people when named
- Begins to eat thicker pureed and mashed table foods
Tipical
PLAY
Development
- In a high chair, holds and drinks from a bottle
- Explores and examines an object
using both hands and mouth - Turns several pages of a chunky (board) book at once
- In simple play imitates others
Tipical
PHYSICAL
Development
- Sits and reaches for toys without falling
- Moves from tummy or back into sitting
- Starts to move with alternate leg and arm movement e.g. creeping, crawling
Signs to watch for in
PHYSICAL
Development
- Uses one hand predominately
- Rounded back
- Poor use of
arms in sitting
- Difficulty crawling
- Uses only one side of body
to move
- Inability to straighten back
- Cannot take weight on legs
By
12
MONTHS
Tipical
SPEECH
Development
- Meaningfully uses “mama” or “dada”
- Responds to simple directions, e.g. “come here”
- Produces long strings of gibberish (jargoning) in social communication
- Begins to use an open cup
Tipical
PLAY
Development
- Finger feeds self
- Releases objects into a container with large opening
- Uses thumb and pointer finger to pick up tiny objects
Tipical
PHYSICAL
Development
- Pulls to stand and cruises along furniture
- Stands alone and takes several independent steps
Signs to watch for in
PHYSICAL
Development
- Difficulty getting to stand because of stiff legs and
pointed toes - Only uses arms to pull up to standing
- Sits with weight to one side
- Strongly flexed or stiffly extended arms
- Needs to use hand to maintain sitting
By
15
MONTHS
Tipical
SPEECH
Development
- May use 5 – 10 words
- Imitates simple words and actions
- Understands 50 words
- Increases variety of coarsely chopped table foods
Tipical
PLAY
Development
- Stacks two objects or blocks
- Helps with getting dressed/undressed
- Holds and drinks from a cup
Tipical
PHYSICAL
Development
- Walks independently and seldom falls
- Squats to pick up toy
Signs to watch for in
PHYSICAL
Development
- Unable to take steps independently
- Poor standing balance, falls frequently
- Walks on toes
