Developmental Milestones
While children develop at their own rate, developmental milestones provide a framework for parents and educators to follow how a child is growing. Use this chart as a guide. If you have any questions, please schedule a call with a licensed speech-language pathologist to see if an evaluation is right for your child.
Child at 6 months
Speech
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Makes sounds in response to singing and other sounds
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Makes speech-like babbling sounds, like pa, ah, mi and oh
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Strings vowels together when babbling, like bababa, or upupup
Language
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Responds to own name
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Responds to noises and sounds
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Likes taking turns with caregiver while making sounds
Social
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Maintains eye contact
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Likes taking turns with caregiver while making sounds
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Attempts to interact with familiar adults
Play
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Smiles at themselves in the mirror
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Reaches for objects
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Bangs object together in play
Child at 1st birthday
Speech
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Tries to say words, like “mama” and “dada”
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Imitates many consonant and vowel sounds
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Tries to say words caregiver says
Language
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Understands common words for items and people (ball, milk, book, shoe, mama)
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Follows simple commands (give me, come here)
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Vocalizes when excited or upset
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May say one or two words (dada, mama, hi, baba, dog, ball, no)
Social
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Looks at person calling their name
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Waves “hi” and “bye”
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Points to objects to show them to others
Play
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Enjoys games like “peek a boo”
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Tries to get items out of reach
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Uses some toys appropriately (pushes a toys car)
Child at 18th months
Speech
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Uses consonants /p/, /b/, /m/, /w/ and /h/ in words
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Produces several animal sounds
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Varies pitch when talking
Language
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Follows 1 step commands
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Identifies body parts and clothing items
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Understands at least 50 words
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Says several single words
Social
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Points, shows and gives objects
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Uses words to protest
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Initiates turn taking routines (passing a toy car back and forth)
Play
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Explores toys purposefully through trial and error
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Plays ball with adult
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Hands toy to an adult for assistance
Child at 2nd birthday
Speech
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​Speech is at least 50% understandable to strangers
Language
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Understands simple questions: “yes/no” and “what’s that?”
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Understands concepts “in/on/off/under” and “big/little”
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Follows many 1 step directions and some 2 step directions
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Says at least 50 words
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Combines 2 words (more juice, want up, doggy walk)
Social
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Takes turns during simple conversations
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Copies adults and other children
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Plays mainly beside other children and is beginning to include other children
Play
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Uses common objects and toys appropriately (toy phone to ear, stacks blocks)
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Plays simple make believe games
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Pretends to eat with a fork or stir a spoon
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Plays with dolls - brushes hair, feeds doll a bottle, covers doll with blanket
Child at 3rd birthday
Speech
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Speech is at least 75% understandable to strangers
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Uses /t/, /d/, /k/ and /g/ sounds correctly when talking
Language
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Follows 2 and 3 step directions
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Answers variety of concrete questions
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Shows interest in how and why things work
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Says full name, age, and gender
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Uses different types of words: nouns, adjectives, verbs, pronouns
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Talks about past events
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Formulates sentences with at least 3 to 4 words
Social
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Plays cooperatively, takes turns, shares toys with other children
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Converses with adults and peers using sentences
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Shows a wide range of emotions
Play
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Uses imagination in play with dolls, animals and people
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Acts out familiar routines (bedtime, mommy and baby)
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Play will include less frequent experiences (doctor and sick child, teacher and student)
Child at 4th birthday
Speech
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Speech is at least 95% understandable to strangers
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May make mistakes on sounds that are harder to say (/s/, /z/, /v/, /r/, /th/)
Language
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Answers questions about 1 page of a simple book he/she has listened to
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Comprehends complex sentences
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Asks and responds to abstract questions “how/why/when/what if”
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Uses simple and complex sentences with at least 5 to 6 words
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Tell stories about recent experiences
Social
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Would rather play with other children than by himself
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Talks about what they like and don’t like
Play
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Creates imaginary roles and uses props to carry out long play scenarios
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Uses dolls and puppets to carry out scenes
Child at 5th birthday
Speech
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Speech is 100% understandable to strangers
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Few articulation errors may persist, including the “r” and “th” sounds
Language
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Answers questions about a book he/she has listened to
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Comprehends all types of questions
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Follows lengthy, complex directions
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Uses compound sentences with conjunctions
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Tells stories with full sentences in a logical sequence
Social
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Develops friendships
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Wants to please friends and be like friends
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Can differentiate between reality and fantasy
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Shows more independence
Play
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Plans highly imaginative sequence of pretend events
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Organizes what he/she needs to carry out multiple scenes - objects and other children