Baby Milestones

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

While lying on tummy...

• Pushes up on arms
• Lifts and holds head up

SIGNS TO WATCH FOR IN
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Difficulty lifting head
• Stiff legs with little or no movement
• Pushes back with head
• Keeps hands fisted and lacks arm movement

TYPICAL SPEECH DEVELOPMENT

• Sucks and swallows well during feeding
• Quiets or smiles in response to sound or voice
• Coos or vocalizes other than crying
• Turns head toward direction of sound

TYPICAL PLAY DEVELOPMENT

While lying on their back…

• Visually tracks a moving toy from side to side
• Attempts to reach for a rattle held above their chest
• Keeps head in the middle when watching faces

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Uses hands for supporting in sitting
• Rolls from back to tummy
• While standing with support, accepts
  entire weight with legs

SIGNS TO WATCH FOR IN
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Rounded back
• Unable to lift head up
• Poor head control
• Difficulty bringing arms forward to reach out
• Arches back and stiffens legs
• Arms held back
• Stiff Legs

TYPICAL SPEECH DEVELOPMENT

• Begins to use consonant sounds in babbling - e.g. “dada”
• Uses babbling to get attention
• Begins to eat cereals and pureed foods

TYPICAL PLAY DEVELOPMENT

• Reaches for a nearby toy while on their tummy

While lying on their back...

• Transfers a toy from one hand to the other
• Reaches both hands to play with feet

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Sits and reaches for toys without falling
• Moves from tummy to back into sitting
• Creeps on hands and knees with alternate arm and leg movement

SIGNS TO WATCH FOR IN
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Uses one hand predominately
• Rounded back
• Poor use of arms in sitting
• Difficulty crawling
• Uses only one side of body to move
• Inability to straighten back
• Cannot take weight on legs

TYPICAL SPEECH DEVELOPMENT

• Increases variety of sounds and syllable combinations in babbling
• Looks at familiar objects and people when named
• Begins to eat junior and mashed table foods

TYPICAL PLAY DEVELOPMENT

• In a high chair, holds and drinks from a bottle
• Explores and examines an object using both hands
• Turns several pages of a chunky (board) book
  at once
• In simple play, imitates others

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Pulls to stand and cruises along furniture
• Stands alone and takes several
  independent steps

SIGNS TO WATCH FOR IN
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Difficulty getting to stand because of stiff legs
  and pointed toes
• Only uses arms to pull up to standing
• Sits with weight to one side
• Strongly flexed or stiffly extended arms
• Needs to use hand to maintain sitting

TYPICAL SPEECH DEVELOPMENT

• Meaningfully uses “mama” or “dada”
• Responds to simple commands,
  e.g. “come here”
• Produces long strings of gibberish (jargoning) in social communication
• Begins using an open cup

TYPICAL PLAY DEVELOPMENT

• Finger feeds self
• Releases objects into a container with a
  large opening
• Uses thumb and pointer finger to pick up
  tiny objects

TYPICAL PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Walks independently and seldom falls
• Squats to pick up a toy

SIGNS TO WATCH FOR IN
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

• Unable to take steps independently
• Poor standing balance, falls frequently
• Walks on toes

TYPICAL SPEECH DEVELOPMENT

• Vocabulary consists of 5-10 words
• Imitates new less familiar words
• Understands 50 words
• Increases variety of coarsely chopped
  table foods

TYPICAL PLAY DEVELOPMENT

• Stacks two objects or blocks
• Helps with getting undressed
• Holds and drinks from a cup