​Healthy Milestones

​The following list of skills is categorized by age ranges.  The list of skills is by no means comprehensive but simply highlights some of the major milestones that can be used to determine if development is proceeding adequately.

​Healthy Milestones: 0-6 months 

Social Skills
Looks at a face of caregiver
Shows anticipation of being picked up by caregiver
Shows affection towards familiar people
Plays with toy or object, alone or with others
Plays very simple interaction games with others
Responds playfully or smiles at mirror image
 
Communication Skills
Cries when hungry and for attention
Makes pleasure sounds, coos
Turns head, searches for speaker
Startles and looks in response to loud noises
Turns toward speaker or ringing bell
Smiles in response to presence of caregiver
 
Cognitive Skills
Inspects own hands
Plays with rattles
Uses hands and mouth for sensory exploration
Turns head to sound
Eyes follow ball rolling across table
Approaches mirror image
 
Motor Skills
Begins to manipulate a rattle
Extends arms and legs
Attempts to roll on stomach
Props self on elbows with head
Reaches for and grasps toys
Brings hands together
Carries toy to mouth

​Healthy Milestones: 6-12 months

Social Skills
Reaches for and holds a toy
Plays "peek-a-boo" or waves bye-bye after seeing caregiver do those actions
Pats toy in imitation
Engages in simple games with others (rolling ball)
 
Communication Skills
Says “mama” or “dada” meaningfully
Imitates non-speech sounds (cough, sneeze, etc)
Looks at objects and pictures when named
Understands and responds to name
Raises arms when caregiver says “come here” or “up”
Imitates sounds of adults immediately after hearing them
Demonstrates understanding of the meaning of at least 10 words
 
Cognitive Skills
Plays with things by banging them together
Imitates familiar actions (peek-a-boo)
Plays with a single toy for at least 2 minutes
Searches for missing objects
Reacts to “no”
Looks at pictures in book
 
Adaptive Skills
Opens mouth when food is presented
Removes food from spoon with mouth
Sucks or chews on crackers
Eats solid foods
 
Motor Skills
Rolls from back to stomach and stomach to back
Sits with some support; trunk and head upright and aligned
Crawls
Transfers objects from one hand to another
Stands
Stirs with a spoon
Picks up small object with thumb and fingers
Opens doors that require only pushing or pulling
Lifts cup by handle 

​Healthy Milestones: 12-18 months 

Social Skills
Engages in simple games with others (rolling ball)
Likes to look at books with caregiver
Starts to exhibit a temper when angry
Laughs at funny things
 
Communication Skills
Can follow one step commands
Saying a few words spontaneously
Asks to have needs met
Labels familiar objects
Follows instructions requiring an action and an object 
Names at least 20 familiar objects without being asked 
Indicates preference when offered a choice
 
Cognitive Skills
Stacks rings
Pulls strings to get toys
Turns pages in a book
Identifies at least one body part
Pushes toy car
 
Adaptive Skills
Drinks from cup independently using both hands
Uses spoon to scoop food
 
Motor Skills
Walks without assistance
Climbs stairs
Rolls a ball, flings a ball
Opens a box/container
Kicks a ball
Imitates scribbles
Scribbles spontaneously

​Healthy Milestones: 18-24 months

Social Skills
Imitates actions of another child
Smiles or laughs appropriately in response to a positive statement
Shows desire to please caregiver
Participates in at least one game or activity with others.
Imitates a relatively complex task several hours after it was performed by another
Engages in elaborate make-believe play (e.g., take dog for walk)
 
Communication Skills
Recognizes clothing and objects
Uses 1 word utterances frequently
Follows 2 step commands
Combines word and gestures
Says 8 different words
Uses pronoun(s)
 
Cognitive Skills
Attempts and succeeds to use simple toys
Explores cabinets and drawers
Imitates actions of adults
Begins to place large puzzle pieces in slots
Places approximately 4 pieces in puzzle
Identifies objects in a book or photograph
 
Adaptive Skills
Drink from cup independently with one hand
Removes socks and shoes
Feeds self with spoon
Demonstrates understanding that hot things are dangerous
Indicates wet or soiled pants or diaper by pointing, vocalizing, or pulling at diaper
Willingly allows caregiver to wipe nose
 
Motor Skills
Throws a ball
Runs
Builds a tower with small cubes/blocks
Turns pages of a book one at a time
Rolls ball while sitting
Climbs both in and out of bed or steady adult chair
Climbs on low play equipment 

​Healthy Milestones: 2-3 years

Social Skills
Watches other children play and attempts to join briefly
Plays simple group game (e.g., Ring around the Rosie)
Use toys to act out a scene
Seems to understand another’s perspective
Shows a preference for some friends over others
Says “please” when asking for something
Identifies people by characteristics other than name when asked
Begins to take turns with prompting
 
Communication Skills
Recognizes names of friends and family members
Expresses needs verbally
Uses 3 word phrases
Uses simple sentences
Spontaneously relates experiences in simple terms
Asks questions beginning with “what”, “where”, “who”, “why”, and “when”
Answers yes/no questions
States full name
Relates experiences verbally
Uses pronouns (I, me, you, and mine)
Possessive s, is and regular past tense are used
Comprehends 3 prepositions (in, on, under)
 
Cognitive Skills
Uses objects/toys in symbolic play (e.g. picks up a shoe and pretends it is a phone)
Begins sorting objects by characteristics
Recognizes self in photos
Builds tower of 6 blocks
Listens to simple stories
Knows primary body parts
Understands “big/little”
Understands concept of one
Compares sizes of two objects
 
Adaptive Skills
Feeds self with fork
Removes shirt and pants
Unfasten front buttons
Washes and dries hands with assistance
Attempt to brush teeth with assistance
Puts on shoes
Dry hands independently
Urinates in toilet or potty chair
Bathes self with assistance
Puts on “pull-up” garments with elastic waistbands
Puts possessions away when asked 
 
Motor Skills
Stands on one foot with assistance
Walks backwards
Snips with scissors
Removes caps from bottles
Stands on one foot without assistance
Cuts paper
Walks upstairs, putting both feet on each step
Opens doors by turning and pulling doorknobs
Jumps over small objects
Screws and unscrews lid of jar
Imitates vertical and horizontal strokes

​Healthy Milestones: 3-4 years

Social Skills
Take turns without prompting
Forms temporary attachment to one playmate
Plays cooperatively with prompting
Shares toys or possessions without being asked
Names one or more favorite television programs when asked, and tells on what days and channels the programs are shown
Follows rules in simple games without being reminded
Has a preferred friend
 
Communication Skills
Talks about immediate experiences
Speech is readily understood when topic is unknown
Is able to describe familiar procedures
Articulates clearly, without sound substitutions
Tells popular story, fairy tale, lengthy joke, or television show plot
Uses descriptive vocabulary (shapes, sizes, colors, texture, spatial relationships)
Gives dialogue to puppets/dolls
Uses “can”, “might”, “may”, “will”, “would”, “could”
Uses conjunctions (and, but, if, so, because)
Uses 4-7 word sentences
Uses “if/then” and “because”
Follows commands involving 3 actions
 
Cognitive Skills
Sings part and phrases of familiar songs
Identifies gender
Names 4 colors
Understands concept of more
Counts (Cardinally)
Works in a small group for 5-10 minutes
Sorts according to shape, size and length
Matches objects by appearance and function
Arranges pictures in correct sequence
Says a word that associates with another word
 
Adaptive Skills
Use side of fork for cutting soft food
Dresses with little assistance
Attempts to lace shoes
Wash hands independently
Turn faucet on/off
Brush teeth with minimal assistance
Is toilet trained during the night
Gets drink of water from tap unassisted
Brushes teeth without assistance
Demonstrates understanding of the function of a clock
Helps with extra chores when asked
Answers the telephone appropriately
 
Motor Skills
Rolls forward with assistance
Jumps sideways with hand held
Begins to fasten buttons with assistance
Begins to trace a line with hand over hand assistance
Bounces ball with good control
Traces a line
Copies a cross
Copies a square
Laces shoes

​Healthy Milestones: 4-5 years

Communication Skills
Understands time, quantity, and spatial concepts
Articulates approximately 80% of words correctly
Is able to tell a story about himself/herself
Uses adjectives to describe people or objects
 
Cognitive Skills
Colors within the lines of a circle
Locates which of 5 items doesn’t belong
Attends to task without supervision for 10 minutes
Repeats words that rhyme
Identifies items based on appearance and function
Tells appropriate ending to a simple story
Names category of sorted objects
Works in a small group for 10-25 minutes
Draws recognizable face with eyes, nose, mouth
Names an item that would help solve a problem
 
Adaptive Skills
Wash face independently
Wash body in bath with assistance
Dry body after bath independently
Brush teeth independently
Brush hair with assistance
Sets table with assistance
Cares for all toileting needs, without being reminded and without assistance
Puts clean clothes away without assistance when asked
Cares for nose without assistance
Dries self with towel without assistance
 
Motor Skills
Cuts a square shape
Walks downstairs with alternating feet, without assistance
Climbs on high play equipment
Uses eraser without tearing paper
Hops forward on one foot with ease
Catches small ball thrown from a distance of 10 feet
Jumps sideways
Skips with increased speed and control
Independently rolls forward
Performs push-ups

​Healthy Milestones: 5+ years 

Social Skills
Responds verbally and positively to good fortune of others
Apologizes for unintentional mistakes
Has a group of friends
Engages in cooperative play in large groups
Plays more than one board or card game requiring skill and decision
Has a best friend of the same sex
 
Communication Skills
Uses irregular plurals
Uses relational terms (then, when, first, next, last, while, before, after)
Asks word meanings
Tells stories
 
Cognitive Skills
Recites all letters of the alphabet from memory
States month and day of birthday when asked
Prints or writes own first and last name
States telephone number when asked
Reads at least 10 words silently or aloud
Prints or writes at least 10 words from memory
 
Adaptive Skills
Use knife for spreading
Brush hair independently
Ties shoelaces into a bow without assistance
Looks both ways and crosses the street or road alone
Covers mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing
Wash body in bath independently
Dresses self completely, including tying shoelaces and fastening all fasteners
States current day of the week when asked
Fastens seatbelt in automobile when asked
Uses spoon, fork, and knife competently