Early Childhood

The Child Development Checklist

Mr. Hershel Wertheimer
Executive Director of Hamaspik Kings County

As a parent, you want to ensure your child is reaching their developmental milestones on time. This is especially crucial for children with special needs, as early identification and intervention can make a significant difference in their lives.

A developmental checklist provides a quick, easy way to monitor your child's growth in key areas such as speech and language, fine and gross motor skills, social-emotional development, and cognitive abilities. By completing a checklist at regular intervals, you can get a snapshot of your child's strengths and any areas where they may need additional support.

Consider these important facts:

1 in 7 children are affected by developmental delays, learning disorders, and behavioral and social-emotional problems. However, only 20-30% of these children are identified as needing help before starting school.
Studies show that parents' observations of their children are excellent predictors of developmental delays. Your input on a developmental checklist is crucial for accurate results.
Children who receive early treatment for developmental delays are more likely to graduate high school, hold a job, live independently, and avoid negative outcomes.

Identifying developmental delays early is crucial for ensuring your child receives the targeted support and services they need to thrive. Research shows that early intervention can significantly change a child's developmental path. By helping children with delays catch up, early intervention increases their chances for success in school and life. Moreover, it benefits families by offering the necessary support to better meet their child's needs right from the start.

It's important to act early if you have any concerns about your child's development. As the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) notes, “the connections in a baby's brain are most adaptable in the first three years of life. Over time, these connections become harder to change.”

As a child grows, there are specific stages and milestones that he reaches based on his age. There’s a time by which most children will do things such as smile, crawl, walk, talk, etc. When a child does not reach the milestones that other children in his age group have already reached, it might be a red flag that something is wrong in his development and needs to be checked out.

Below are the CDC’s (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) official developmental stages for childhood development at every age. If a child does not reach a specific milestone or lags behind in one or several of the milestones, have him evaluated by a professional.

And remember, you are your child's best advocate. Trust your instincts. If your child’s development is fine according to this list, yet you still have concerns, check them out.

When a child is 2 months old, he will usually:

Calm down when spoken to or picked up
Look at your face
Seem happy to see you when you walk up to him
Smile when you talk to or smile at him
Make sounds other than crying
React to loud sounds
Watch you as you move
Look at a toy for several seconds
Hold his head up when on his tummy
Move both arms and both legs
Open his hands briefly

When a child is 4 months old, he will usually:

Smile on his own to get your attention
Chuckle (not yet a full laugh) when you try to make him laugh
Look at you, move, or make sounds to get or keep your attention
Make sounds like “oooo,” and “aahh” (cooing)
Make sounds back when you talk to him
Look at his hands with interest
Hold his head steady without support when you are holding him
Hold a toy when you put it in his hand
Use his arm to swing at toys
Bring his hands to mouth
Push up onto his elbows/forearms when on his tummy

When a child is 6 months old, he will usually:

Recognize familiar people
Like to look at himself in a mirror
Laugh
Take turns making sounds with you
Blow “raspberries” (stick tongue out and blow)
Make squealing noises
Put things in his mouth to explore them
Reach to grab a toy he wants
Close his lips to show he doesn’t want more food
Roll from tummy to back
Push himself up with straight arms when on his tummy
Lean on his hands to support himself when sitting

When a child is 9 months old, he will usually:

Be shy, clingy, or fearful around strangers
Show several facial expressions, like happy, sad, angry, and surprised
Look at you when you call his name
React when you leave (look, reach for you, or cry)
Smile or laugh when you play peek-a-boo
Make a lot of different sounds like “mamamama” and “bababababa”
Lift arms up to be picked up
Look for objects when dropped out of sight (like his spoon or toy)
Bang two things together
Get to a sitting position by himself
Move things from one hand to the other hand
Use fingers to “rake” food towards himself
Sit without support

When a child is 1 year old, he will usually:

Play games with you, like pat-a-cake
Wave “bye-bye”
Call a parent “mama” or “dada” or another special name
Understand “no” (pauses briefly or stops when you say it)
Put something in a container, like a block in a cup
Look for things he sees you hide, like a toy under a blanket
Pull up to stand
Walk while holding on to furniture
Drink from a cup without a lid, as you hold it
Pick things up between his thumb and pointer finger

When a child is 15 months old, he will usually:

Copy other children while playing
Show you an object he likes
Clap when excited
Hug his stuffed doll or other toy
Show you affection (hugs, cuddles, or kisses you)
Try to say one or two words besides “mama” or “dada,” like “ba” for ball or “da” for dog
Look at a familiar object when you name it
Follow directions given with both a gesture and words. For example, he gives you a toy when you hold out your hand and say, “Give me the toy.”
Point to ask for something or to get help
Try to use things the correct way, like a phone, cup, or book
Stack at least two small objects, like blocks
Take a few steps on his own
Use his fingers to feed himself some food

When a child is 18 months old, he will usually:

Move away from you, but check to make sure you are close by
Point to show you something interesting
Put his hands out for you to wash them
Look at a few pages in a book with you
Help you dress him by pushing arm through sleeve or lifting up foot
Try to say three or more words besides “mama” or “dada”
Follow one-step directions without any gestures, like giving you the toy when you say, “Give it to me.”
Copy you doing chores, like sweep with a broom
Play with toys in a simple way, like pushing a toy car
Walk without holding on to anyone or anything
Scribble
Drink from a cup without a lid (thought he may spill sometimes)
Feed himself with his fingers
Try to use a spoon
Climb on and off a couch or chair without help

When a child is 2 years old, he will usually:

Notice when others are hurt or upset, like pause or look sad when someone is crying
Look at your face to see how to react in a new situation
Point to things in a book when you ask, like “Where is the bear?”
Say at least two words together, like “More milk.”
Use more gestures than just waving and pointing, like blowing a kiss or nodding yes
Hold something in one hand while using the other hand, e.g. hold a container and take the lid off
Try to use switches, knobs, or buttons on a toy
Play with more than one toy at the same time, like putting toy food on a toy plate
Kick a ball
Run
Walk (not climb) up a few stairs with or without help
Eat with a spoon

When a child is 30 months old, he will usually:

Play next to other children and sometimes play with them
Show you what he can do by saying, “Look at me!”
Follow simple routines when told, like help to pick up toys when you say, “It’s clean-up time.”
Say about 50 words
Say two or more words, with one action word, like “Doggie run”
Name things in a book when you point and ask, “What is this?”
Say words like “I,” “me,” or “we”
Use things to pretend, like feeding a block to a doll as if it were food
Show simple problem-solving skills, like stand on a small stool to reach something
Follow two-step instructions like “Put the toy down and close the door.”
Show he knows at least one color, like pointing to a red crayon when you ask, “Which one is red?”
Use hands to twist things, like turning doorknobs or unscrewing lids
Take some clothes off by himself, like loose pants or an open jacket
Jump off the ground with both feet
Turn book pages, one at a time, when you read to him

When a child is 3 years old, he will usually:

Calm down within 10 minutes after you leave him, like at a childcare center
Notice other children and join them to play
Talk with you in conversation using at least two back-and-forth exchanges
Ask “who,” “what,” “where,” or “why” questions, like “Where is Mommy/Daddy?”
Say what action is happening in a picture or book when asked, like “running,” “eating,” or “playing”
Say his first name when asked
Talk well enough for others to understand, most of the time
Draw a circle when you show him how
Avoid touching hot objects, like a stove, when you warn him
String items together, like large beads or macaroni
Put on some clothes by himself, like loose pants or a jacket
Use a fork

When a child is 4 years old, he will usually:

Pretend to be something else during play (teacher, superhero, dog)
Ask to go play with other children if none are around, like “Can I play with Alex?”
Comfort others who are hurt or sad, like hugging a crying friend
Avoid danger, like not jumping from tall heights at the playground
Like to be a “helper”
Change behavior based on where he is (library, playground, etc.)
Say sentences with four or more words
Say some words from a song, story, or nursery rhyme
Talk about at least one thing that happened during his day, like “I played soccer.”
Answer simple questions like “What is a coat for?” or “What is a crayon for?”
Name a few colors of items
Tell what comes next in a well-known story
Draw a person with three or more body parts
Catch a large ball most of the time
Serve himself food or pour water, with adult supervision
Hold crayon or pencil between fingers and thumb (not a fist)

When a child is 5 years old, he will usually:

Follow rules or take turns when playing games with other children
Sing, dance, or act for you
Do simple chores at home, like matching socks or clearing the table after eating
Tell a story he heard or made up with at least two events. For example, a cat was stuck in a tree and a firefighter saved it
Answer simple questions about a book or story after you read or tell it to him
Keep a conversation going with more than three back-and-forth exchanges
Use or recognize simple rhymes (bat-cat, ball-tall)
Count to 10
Name some numbers between 1 and 5 when you point to them
Use words about time, like “yesterday,” “tomorrow,” “morning,” or “night”
Pay attention for 5 to 10 minutes during activities. For example, during story time or making arts and crafts (screen time doesn’t count)
Write some letters in his name
Name some letters when you point to them
Hop on one foot

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Early Childhood

The Child Development Checklist

Consider these important facts:

When a child is 2 months old, he will usually:

When a child is 4 months old, he will usually:

When a child is 6 months old, he will usually:

When a child is 9 months old, he will usually:

When a child is 1 year old, he will usually:

When a child is 15 months old, he will usually:

When a child is 18 months old, he will usually:

When a child is 2 years old, he will usually:

When a child is 30 months old, he will usually:

When a child is 3 years old, he will usually:

When a child is 4 years old, he will usually:

When a child is 5 years old, he will usually:

Auditory Sensitivity

Tactile Sensitivity

Visual Sensitivity

Taste/Smell Sensitivity

Proprioceptive Sensitivity

Social Sensitivity

Movement Sensitivity

Vestibular Sensitivity

Your Child’s Score is

0-15

16-30

31-45

46-60

0-15

16-30

31-45

46-60

0-15

16-30

31-45

46-60

0-15

16-30

31-45

46-60

Yom Tov Transitions Made Easy

NYC’s Top Accessible Adventures

The Yom Tov Parenting Survival Guide

Understanding OPWDD Eligibility: What You Need to Know

How Direct Support Professionals Enhance Quality of Life

What Is Com Hab and How Does It Provide Individualized Support?

6 Benefits of Respite Care for Families of Kids with Special Needs

Encouragement for the First Day of School

The Child Development Checklist

Spina Bifida — an Overview

My Life in Holland

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Understanding Intellectual Disabilities

What is Epilepsy?

Defining Dyslexia

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Understanding Down Syndrome

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Our Roller Coaster Ride

Understanding Cerebral Palsy

Understanding Autism

Autism Support

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