Developmental Delay

What is Developmental Delay?

Developmental delay is an umbrella term meaning that a child has not reached developmental milestones (whether speech, language, gross motor, fine motor, etc.) on time, it could be the sign of a delay in development.

What developmental milestones should my child have met?

2 Months

Social/Emotional	Language and Communication	Cognition (Learning, Thinking, Problem-Solving)	Movement/Physical Development
Begins to smile at people Can briefly calm himself (may bring hands to mouth and suck on hand) Tries to look at parent	Coos, makes gurgling sounds Turns head toward sounds	Pays attention to faces Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn't change	Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy Make smoother movements with arms and legs

4 Months

Social/Emotional	Language and Communication	Cognition (Learning, Thinking, Problem-Solving)	Movement/Physical Development
Smiles spontaneously, especially at people Likes to play with people and might cry when playing stops Copes some movements and facial expressions, like smiling or frowning	Begins to babble Babbles with expression and copies sounds he hears Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired	Lets you know if she is happy or sad Responds to affection Reaches for toy with one hand Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it Follows moving things with eyes from side to side Watches faces closely Recognized familiar people and things at a distance	Holds head steady, unsupported Pushes down on legs when feet are on a hard surface May be able to roll over from tummy to back Can hold a toy and shake it and swing at dangling toys Brings hands to mouth When lying on stomach, pushes up to elbows

6 Months

Social/Emotional	Language and Communication	Cognition (Learning, Thinking, Problem-Solving)	Movement/Physical Development
Knows familiar faces and begins to know if someone is a stranger Likes to play with others, especially parents Responds to other people's emotions and often seems happy Likes to look at self in a mirror	Responds to sounds by making sounds Strings vowels together when babbling ("ah," "eh," "oh") and likes taking turns with parent while making sounds Responds to own name Makes sounds to show joy and displeasure Begins to say consonant sounds (jabbering with "m," "b")	Looks around at things nearby Brings things to mouth Shows curiosity about things and tries to get things that are out of reach Begins to pass things from one hand to the other	Rolls over in both directions (front to back, back to front) Begins to sit without support When standing, supports weight on legs and might bounce) Rocks back and forth, sometimes crawling backward before moving forward

9 Months

Social/Emotional	Language and Communication	Cognition (Learning, Thinking, Problem-Solving)	Movement/Physical Development
May be afraid of strangers May be clingy with familiar adults Has favorite toys	Understands "no" Makes a lot of different sounds like "mamama" and "babababa" Copies sounds and gestures of others Uses fingers to point at things	Watches the path of something as it falls Looks for things he sees you hide Puts things in her mouth Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other Picks up things like cereal o's between thumb and index finger	Stands, holding on Can get into sitting position Sits without support Pulls to stand Crawls

1 Year

Social/Emotional	Language and Communication	Cognition (Learning, Thinking, Problem-Solving)	Movement/Physical Development
Is shy or nervous with strangers Cries when mom or dad leaves Has favorite things and people Shows fear in some situations Hands you a book when he wants to hear a story Repeats sounds or actions to get attention Puts out arm or leg to help with dressing Plays games such as "peek-a-boo" and "pat-a-cake"	Responds to simple spoken requests Uses simple gestures, like shaking head, "no," or waving "bye-bye" Makes sounds with changes in tone (sounds more like speech) Says "mama" and "dada" and exclamations like "uh-oh" Tries to say words you say	Explores things in different ways, like shaking, banging, throwing Finds hidden things easily Looks at the right picture or thing when it's named Copies gestures Starts to use things correctly; for example, drinks from a cup, brushes hair Bangs two things together Puts things in a container, takes things out of a container Lets things go without help Pokes with index (pointer) finger Follows simple directions like "pick up the toy"	Gets to a sitting position without help Pulls up to stand, walks holding on to furniture ("cruising") May take a few steps without holding on May stand alone

18 Months

Social/Emotional	Language and Communication	Cognition (Learning, Thinking, Problem-Solving)	Movement/Physical Development
Likes to hand things to others as play May have temper tantrums May be afraid of strangers Shows affection to familiar people Plays simple pretend, such as feeding a doll May cling to caregivers in new situations Points to show others something interesting Explores alone but with parent close by	Says several single words Says and shakes head "no" Points to show someone what he wants	Knows what ordinary things are; for example, telephone, brush, spoon Points to get the attention of others Shows interest in a doll or stuffed animal by pretending to feed Points to one body part Scribbles on his own Can follow 1-step verbal commands without any gestures; for example, sits when you say "sit down"	Walks alone May walk up steps and run Pulls toys while walking Can help undress herself Drinks from a cup Eats with a spoon

2 Years

Social/Emotional	Language and Communication	Cognition (Learning, Thinking, Problem-Solving)	Movement/Physical Development
Copies other, especially adults and older children Gets excited when with other children Shows more and more independence Shows defiant behavior (doing what he has been told not to) Plays mainly beside other children, but is beginning to include other children, such as in chase games	Points to things or pictures when they are named Knows names of familiar people and body parts Says sentences with 2 to 4 words Follows simple instructions Repeats words overheard in conversation Points to things in a book	Finds things even when hidden under two or three covers Begins to short shapes and colors Completes sentences and rhymes in familiar books Plays simple make-believe games Build towers of 4 or more blocks Might use one hand more than the other Follows two-step instructions such as "Pick up your shoes and put them in the closet." Names items in a picture book such as a cat, bird, or dog	Stands on tiptoe Kicks a ball Begins to run Climbs onto and down from furniture without help Walks up and down stairs holding on

3 Years

Social/Emotional	Language and Communication	Cognition (Learning, Thinking, Problem-Solving)	Movement/Physical Development
Copies adults and friends Shows affection for friends without prompting Takes turns in games Shows concern for a crying friend Understands the idea of "mine" and "his" or "hers" Shows a wide range of emotions Separates easily from mom and dad May get upset with major changes in routine Dresses and undresses self	Follows instructions with 2 or 3 steps Can name most familiar things Understands words like "in," "on," and "under" Says first name, age, and sex Names a friend Says words like, "I," "me," "we," and "you" and some plurals (cats, dogs, cars) Talks well enough for strangers to understand most of the time Carries on a conversation using 2 to 3 sentences	Can work toys with buttons, levers, and moving parts Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, and people Does puzzles with 3 or 4 pieces Understands what "two" means Copies a circle with pencil or crayon Turns book pages one at a time Build towers of more than 6 blocks Screws and unscrews jar lids or turns door handle	Climbs well Runs easily Pedals a tricycle Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step

4 Years

Social/Emotional	Language and Communication	Cognition (Learning, Thinking, Problem-Solving)	Movement/Physical Development
Enjoys doing new things Plays "Mom" and "Dad" Is more and more creative with make-believe play Would rather play with other children than by himself Cooperates with other children Often can't tell what's real and what's make-believe Talks about what she likes and what she is interested in	Knows some basic rules of grammar, such as correctly using "he" and "she" Sings a song or says a poem from memory such as the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" or the "Wheels on the Bus" Tell stories Can say first and last name	Names some colors and some numbers Understands the idea of counting Starts to understand time Remembers parts of a story Understands the idea of "same" and "different" Draws a person with 2 to 4 body parts Uses scissors Starts to copy some capital letters Plays board or card games Tells you what he things is going to happen next in a book	Hops and stands on one foot up to 2 seconds Catches a bounced ball most of the time Pours, cuts with supervision, and mashes own food

5 Years

Social/Emotional	Language and Communication	Cognition (Learning, Thinking, Problem-Solving)	Movement/Physical Development
Wants to please friends Wants to be like friends More likely to agree with rules Likes to sing, dance, and act Is aware of gender Can tell what's real and what's make-believe Shows more independence (for example, may visit a next-door neighbor by himself [adult supervision is still needed]) Is sometimes demanding and sometimes very cooperative	Speaks very clearly Tells a simple story using full sentences Uses future tense; for example, "Grandma will be here." Says name and address	Counts 10 or more things Can draw a person with at least 6 body parts Can print some letters or numbers Copies a triangle and other geometric shapes Knows about things used every day, like money and food	Stands on one foot for 10 seconds or longer Hops, may be able to skip Can do a somersault Uses a fork and spoon and sometimes a table knife Can use the toilet on her own Swings and climbs

Resource: CDC's Developmental Milestones

What if I have concerns about my child's development?

If your child is not meeting the milestones for his or her age, or if you think that there could be a problem, talk to your child's primary care physician and share your concerns. Don't wait, acting early can make a real difference in your child's development! Your physician can then refer you for the necessary therapy services to assist your child.