Development tracking is critical at an early age to set up your child for future success. While all children are different, recognizing delays allows for early intervention and therapy. From speech and communication skills to sensory and sleeping habits, the child development experts at ABC Pediatric Therapy say it’s crucial to ensure your youngster is growing appropriately. Here’s a chronological guide to help determine your child’s growth from infancy to age 3.
Infant (0–12 months) Developmental Milestones
It’s normal for your child to sleep a total of 12–16 hours per day during their first year, including 8–12 hours at night. During the day, children love being in positioning devices, but it’s important to limit the amount of time they spend in bouncy swings, car seats, and strollers as this puts pressure on the back of the baby’s head and can lead to a flat head and back.
Keep an eye out for the following red flags:
- Does not tolerate tummy time
- Does not make eye contact
- Does not turn to sounds or respond to loud sounds
- Does not communicate
- Inconsolable crying
- Does not consistently gain weight
Toddler (12–24 months) Developmental Milestones
During their toddler years, children start to develop a level of independence by walking, feeding, and speaking on their own. Recognizing their own name, understanding the word no, and playing alongside others all help shape their personality. Walking is also a big deal at age 2! ABC Pediatric Therapy advises that when encouraging your child to walk, you can decrease or increase the level of support you provide by changing the position of how you hold their hand.
Keep an eye out for the following red flags:
- Walking on toes the majority of the time
- No words by 16 months
- Has obsessive interests like being attached to one particular toy or object
- Cannot use thumb and pointer finger alone (pincer grasp) to pick up small objects or unable to feed self with spoon
- Occasionally seems to not hear you or environmental sounds or does not respond consistently to name
- Does not initiate a turn-taking game
Toddler (24–36 months) Developmental Milestones
Developing social interaction and enhanced play is key at ages 2–3 and helps prepare children for preschool. Encourage play by exposing them to sharing with others and playing simple games. Sensory items like Play-Doh and common toys including puzzles and crayons help them familiarize with activities they may encounter in preschool.
Keep an eye out for the following red flags:
- Does not jump in place
- Shaky, stiff, or weak movements
- Has difficulty holding a fork and cup
- Has difficulty chewing through meat and vegetables
- Has difficulty tolerating different textures in clothing, foods, and toys
- Talks in phrases that are less than three words long and has a small vocabulary
Find out if your child is on track using ABC Pediatric Therapy’s Free Online Screening Tool
It’s important to have a baseline of developmental milestones to keep track of as your child grows. To help, ABC Pediatric Therapy developed an interactive screening tool that asks questions about fine and gross motor skills, sensory, and speech. The results will offer suggestions on next steps including seeking out the experts at ABC for additional support. “Development happens fast,” says Diane Crecelius, CEO and founder of ABC Pediatric Therapy Network. “We created the interactive screening tool to empower parents to know what skills their child should be doing and when to encourage new skills. If you have a question or concern, don’t wait to seek help.” For more information, resources, and up-to-date news, visit ABC Pediatric Therapy’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
Facebook Comments