Developmental Milestones
Pediatric Therapy may help your child meet important developmental milestones.
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Developmental Milestones
Developmental milestones are important benchmarks that serve as indicators for typical child development. These milestones include a wide range of skills and abilities that children typically acquire by a certain age.
0 - 3 Months
Fine Motor Skills
- Likes to look at hands
- Attempts to reach
- Closes fingers to grasp
- Enjoys putting hands in mouth
Gross Motor Skills
- Moves arms and legs in all positions
- When held, holds head steady
- Turns head side to side on belly and back
- Starts to lift head when on belly
Feeding Skills (Birth to 4 – 6 Months)
- Nipple feeding (breast or bottle)
- Reaches for food or bottle
Language Skills
- Coos in response to caregiver voice
- Shows awareness of speaker
- Makes sounds to express pleasure
- Cries to get attention
3 - 6 Months
Fine Motor Skills
- Brings hands together
- Reaches for and bangs objects in play
- Pats at a mirror image
- Reaches with both hands
- Grasps and holds objects for a short time (15 – 30 seconds)
Gross Motor Skills
- Plays on belly
- Pushes up on straight arms on belly
- Pulls up to sitting when hands are held
- Brings feet to mouth
- Starts to lift head when on belly
Feeding Skills (Birth to 4 – 6 Months)
- Nipple feeding (breast or bottle)
- Reaches for food or bottle
- Begins smooth pureed foods and thin cereals (6 months)
Language Skills
- “Babbles” when alone or with others
- Maintains eye contact
- Reaches for and bangs objects in play
- Smiles/laughs in response to others
6 - 9 Months
Fine Motor Skills
- Points with index finger
- Grasps small objects/food pieces with thumb and finger
- Holds and shakes rattle
Gross Motor Skills
- Crawls forward on belly
- Sits independently
- Rolls independently from back to belly/belly to back
Feeding Skills
- Eats thins, smooth puree from spoon
- Begins finger feeding
- Holds bottle
- Begins munching meltable foods
- Starts accepting soft mashed table foods
- Begins chewing soft teething cookies and biscuits
Language Skills
- Shouts/makes sounds to gain attention
- Responds to request of “come here”
- Stops when name is called
- Babbles like “baba” and “dada”
9 - 12 Months
Fine Motor Skills
- Takes off hat, shoes and socks
- Begins to finger feed
- Pushes arms through sleeves
Gross Motor Skills
- Pulls to standing
- Creeps on hands and knees
- Walks sideways at a support surface
- Takes steps with hands held
Feeding Skills
- Drinks from open or straw top cup
- Eats lumpy, mashed foods
- Starts to use spoon independently
- Eats soft cubed foods (avocados, bananas, kiwi, cooked vegetables)
Language Skills
- Waves hi and bye
- Plays “peek a boo”
- Gives objects on request “give me”
- Says “mama” or “dada” meaningfully
12 - 18 Months
Fine Motor Skills
- Turns 2 – 3 pages in a book
- Builds/stacks objects
- Scribbles on paper with large crayon
Gross Motor Skills
- Walks independently
- Squats to pick up toy
Feeding Skills
- Grasps spoons with whole hand
- Holds cup with 2 hands
- Eats chopped table foods and mixed textured pureed foods (macaroni and cheese, moist ground meats, soft chicken nuggets)
- Brings most liquids from a cup
Outpatient Therapy & Specialized Therapy Methods
- Physical Therapy
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech Therapy
- Feeding Therapy
- Audiology
- Early Intervention
- Aquatic Therapy
- Interactive Metronome
- PROMPTs
- Special Skills Groups
- Sensory Integration
- Bottle/Breastfeeding consultation
- Virtual Therapy
