DEVELOPMENTAL

MILESTONES OF A
CHILD
JYOTHSNA KA
What is Child developmental milestones
• Milestones are behavioral or physical checkpoints in children’s
development as they grow
• Can we analysed in 4 aspects
 a. Motor milestones: Motor milestones track chil;d’s gross motor skills
(in their core and upper body) and fine motor skills (in their hands and
feet).
b. Sensory milestones Sensory milestones track the development of
child’s senses.
c. Communication milestones: speech and social skills
d. Feeding milestones
 0-3 months
• While lying on tummy, lifts and holds head up
• Able to move fists from closed to open,Able to bring hands to mouth
• Moves legs and arms off of surface when excited, attempts to reach for a toy held above their
chest
• keeps head centered to watch faces or toys
• Able to calm with rocking, touching, and gentle sounds, Enjoys a variety of movement
• miles in response to sound or voice, Turns head towards sound or voice,Shows interest in
faces,Makes eye contact
• Cries differently for different needs (e.g. hungry vs. tired),Coos and smiles
• Sucks and swallows well during feeding
 4-6 Month

• Rolls from back to tummy and tummy to back

• Reaches for nearby toys while on tummy
• While lying on back, transfers a toy from one hand to the other
• Uses both hands to explore toys
• Is not upset by everyday sounds,reacts to sudden noises or sounds,Listens and responds
when spoken to
• Begins to use consonant sounds in babbling, e.g. “da, da, da”
• Makes different kinds of sounds to express feelings
• Notices toys that make sounds
• , Uses babbling to get attention
• Joint attention
• Differences in temperament
• Shows interest in food, Opens mouth as spoon approaches
• Begins to eat cereals and pureed foods
 After 6 months upto 1 year
• Memory & attention skills
• Object permanence
• Point at objects
• Emergent language skills
• Attachment relationships
• Separation anxiety
• Stranger wariness
• Social referencing
 1 year to 2yrs
• Memory & retrieval
• Self awareness and empathy development
• Pretend play
• Developing small problem solving skills
• Growth of vocabulary
• Social play develops
• Achieve toilet training
• Literacy & numeracy skills
• Vocabulary – 2000 words
• Complex sentences
• Gender constancy
 Preschool age 2 to 5 years
• Self reliance
• Some sense of independence
• Further development in self care skills
• Sexual curiosity & self-exploration
• Temper tantrums
• Change in aggression
• Complex behavioral & emotional expressions
• First friendships
• Moral beliefs & emotional display
 6-11 years
• Learn skills for later use in adulthood
• More attuned to cultural norms, rules & laws
• Shift focus & attention from parents to peers
• Sense of mastery over academic & social domains
• Increased interest/involvment with peers
• Emotional regulation
• Problem focused or emotion-centered coping
• Empathy and perspective taking
• Moral views and normative beliefs
• Trust and mutual enjoyment
• Vocabulary increases
 Adolescence (12-18 years)

• Increased attention on peers

• Increased risk-taking behavior & experimentation
• Higher-order cognitive & linguistic skills
• Increased moodiness & caregiver conflict
• Increased conformity
• Preparation for adulthood
• Formulation of adult identity
Thank You