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.

Milestones by Age

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

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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

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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

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‍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

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‍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

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‍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

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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

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‍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

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‍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

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‍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

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‍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)

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‍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