Year 1

• Moves legs and arms when excited

• While lying on tummy, pushes up on arms

• While lying on tummy, lifts and holds head up

• Turns head toward sounds and voices

• Stares at bright objects and follows them with eyes

• Moves arms together and apart

• Brings hands to mouth, and sucks on own hands or fingers

• Smiles, coos

• Cries differently for different needs

• Quiets when picked up or comforted (most of the time)

• Listens to voices

• Reacts to sounds or voices

• Makes eye contact

By 1 Month :

• Takes 2-4 ounces of liquid per feeding, 6-8 or more feedings per day

• May lose some liquid from corners of mouth

• Latches onto nipple or bottle

• Be able to do at least 2 sucks in a row before pausing to breathe

• Have a rooting reflex where they will turn towards the breast or bottle when the side of his mouth is stroked

• Sucks and swallows well during feeding

• Tongue moves forward and back to suck

• Brings hands to mouth by 2 months

By 3-4 Months:

• Takes 4-7 ounces of fluid per feeding, 4-6 feedings per day

• Be able to do about 20 sucks before stopping to breathe

• Sucking, swallowing, and breathing are well-coordinated

• Calms down when spoken to or picked up

• Responds positively to touch

• Quiets when picked up

• Listens to voices

• Quiets or smiles in response to sound or voice

• Looks at your face

• Enjoys interactive play

• Enjoys doing the same thing again and again

• Sees clearly 13 inches from face

• Focus on and follow moving objects, including human faces

• Begin to anticipate events (e.g. sucking at the sight of a nipple)

•Gets fussy for attention

• Attempts to reach for a toy held above their chest

• Is not upset with everyday sounds

• Visually tracks a moving toy from side to side

• Keeps head centered to watch faces or toys

• Able to calm with rocking, touching, and gentle sounds

• Enjoys a variety of movements

• Does not demonstrate frequent or long bouts of being upset

• Is usually happy when not hungry or tired

• Moves arms and legs

• Puts hands near face

• Opens hands

• Moves head from side to side

• Holds head steady when held in sitting position

• Be able to lift head up when on tummy

• Sits with little support at the waist

• Turns from back to side and tries to roll over

• Reaches out for toys, and puts toys in mouth

• Stands when held, bend knees, and support weight with legs

• Touches knees and feet with hands when lying on back

• Grab onto objects within reach

• Pass objects from one hand to the other hand

• Holds objects with palm and fingers

• Reaches towards objects

• Smiles and laughs

• Cries when upset, and looks for comfort

• Coos, begins to use consonant sounds when babbling

• Babbles to get attention

• Shows excitement by moving their arms and legs

• Likes to look at and be near familiar adults

• Makes different kinds of sounds to express feelings

3-4 Months:

• Takes 4-7 ounces of fluid per feed, 4-6 feedings per day

• Be able to do about 20 sucks before stopping to breathe

• Sucking, swallowing, and breathing are well-coordinated

5-6 Months:

• Take 9-10 ounces of food and/or liquid per feed

• Starts to pat the bottle or breast with her hands during feeding

• Shows interest in food

• Begins to eat pureed food

• Uses some up and down chewing movements

• Opens mouth as food approaches

• Smiles and laughs

• Recognizes faces

• Cries when upset and seeks comfort

• Notices a difference between two people

• Smiles in the mirror

• Enjoys looking at other babies

• Pays attention to her own name

• Laughs aloud

• Recognize faces

• Notice a difference between two people based on the way they look, sound, or feel

• Imitate the facial expressions of others

• Respond to familiar sounds

• Enjoy looking at other babies

• Enjoy pop-up toys that surprise her

• Enjoy playing peek-a-boo

• Start rolling back to front and visa versa

• Be able to sit by her/himself

• Be able to pivot and creep on stomach

• Start standing stiff-legged while holding onto furniture

• Reach, grab, and put objects in her mouth

• Pinch small objects (e.g. cheerios) with thumb and pointer finger

• Move objects from one hand to the other

• Drop and pick up toys

• Bang two objects together

• Let go of objects on purpose

• Put things into containers (with large openings) and take them out again

• Bite and chew toys

• Hold a spoon (but not yet feed herself)

• Hold his own bottle

• Hold out an arm or leg to help with dressing

• Wave hello or goodbye

• Smiles and laughs

• Cries when upset, and looks for comfort (ie: snuggles into your shoulder)

• Shows excitement by waving their arms and legs

• Likes to look at and be near people who are special and significant in their lives

• Can be comforted (most of the time)

• Start to eat thicker pureed foods at 7 months

• Eat ground or junior baby foods, or mashed table foods by 8 months

• Try to drink from a cup held for them, but may lose a lot of liquid, may take large mouthfuls of liquid and cough/choke

• Move their tongue up and down, and to the side when chewing food

• Mouth and munch on the spoon, toys, and baby biscuits

• Hold their own bottle

• Express several different clear emotions

• Play games like Peek-a-boo

• Show displeasure at the loss of a toy

• Respond to you when you talk to them or make gestures

• Start to understand your different emotions (for example, your baby might frown when you speak in an angry tone of voice)

• Show more comfort around familiar people, and anxiety around strangers

• Possibly comfort themself by sucking thumb, or holding a special toy or blanket

• Express several different clear emotions

• Play games like Peek-a-boo

• Show displeasure at the loss of a toy

• Respond to you when you talk to them or make gestures

• Start to understand your different emotions (for example, your baby might frown when you speak in an angry tone of voice)

• Show more comfort around familiar people, and anxiety around strangers

• Possibly comfort themself by sucking thumb, or holding a special toy or blanket

•Be able to crawl over and around objects

•Start to cruise around furniture

•Move from sitting to lying down

•Pull to stand while holding onto furniture

•Walk with 2 hands held

•Reach, grab, and put objects in her mouth

•Pinch small objects (e.g. cheerios) with thumb and pointer finger

•Move objects from one hand to the other

•Drop and pick up toys

•Bang two objects together

•Let go of objects on purpose

•Put things into containers (with large openings) and take them out again

•Bite and chew toys

•Hold a spoon (but not yet feed herself)

•Hold his own bottle

•Hold out an arm or leg to help with dressing

•Wave hello or goodbye

•Tries to imitate sounds or facial movements (lip circle, sticking out tongue, etc.)

•May say “mama” and/or “dada”

•Shouts or vocalizes loudly to get attention

•Babbling starts to sound like "real speech" – this is called jargon

•Plays Peek-a-boo

•Repeats a syllable or sequence of sounds often

•Uses smiling and crying to indicate how they are feeling

•Shows affection for special and significant people in their life

•Trusts that their needs will be met (ie: crying will result in getting fed, etc.)

•Take longer sequences of sucks with cup drinking, but may still have trouble coordinating drinking and breathing

•Move her jaw and tongue a lot when chewing and moving food around in her mouth

•Start to feed himself finger foods

•Start to hold a spoon during meals, but may not feed herself with it yet

•Bite and chew foods by himself

•Show happiness to see her parents’ face, her toys, or a mirror

•Know strangers from his family, and cry when his parent goes away

•Give affection and love

•Pay attention to simple commands such as "no" and "give it to me"

•Respond by turning to look when you call her name

•Imitate some of your actions (e.g. waving, pretending to talk on the phone)

•Have fear with new situations

•Understand the word “no”, but will not always obey

•Show happiness to see her parents’ face, her toys, or a mirror

•Know strangers from his family, and cry when his parent goes away

•Give affection and love

•Pay attention to simple commands such as ‘no’ and ‘give it to me.’

•Have fear with new situations

•Understand that an object is still there when she can’t see it (e.g. hidden under a blanket)

•Imitate gestures and actions

•Enjoy looking at picture books

If you notice or are concerned about some of the following things about your baby, you may want to talk to your physician or another health professional.

•Baby’s head is flat

•Baby doesn’t turn his/her head to both sides

•Baby feels stiff

•Baby is not meeting developmental milestones

•Baby uses one side of his/her body more than the other

•Baby’s skills are regressing

•Something appears wrong with baby’s legs and/or feet

If you notice some of the following things about your baby by the time she is 6-8 months old, you may want to talk to your doctor, or to another health professional such as an occupational therapist.

•She still keeps one or both hands clenched in a fist

•His arms seem very stiff

•She is not able to prop herself up when laying on his tummy

•She is not able to pick up objects within her reach

•He is not able to sit by himself for short periods

•He is not able to roll over to get objects

By 12 Months:

•He is not able to grasp toys and let them go again

•She does not bring toys to her mouth or bang them together

•He is not able to bring his hands together at the middle of his body (e.g. clapping)

•She is not able to feed herself finger foods, using her thumb and pointer finger to pick up food

•His movements seem shaky or stiff

•He is not able to move around on the floor to get the toys he wants

•She is not able to put objects into a large container

•His hands are kept in a fisted position

•She is not able to hold her bottle by herself

If your baby shows 2 or more of the following, contact a speech-language therapist to ensure your child is not having difficulties with developing communication skills:

•Poor eye contact

•Few or limited facial expressions

•Little or no sharing or interest in playful interactions with a parent

•Doesn’t respond to their name

•Doesn't use gestures (pointing, waving, hi or bye, etc.)

•Unusual voice quality or rhythm to their vocalizations

•Doesn’t turn to sounds

•Rarely comforted by their parent’s voice or touch

•Says few sounds

•Doesn’t have a large variety of sounds

•Doesn’t copy sounds, facial expression or simple actions

•Doesn’t let people know they want something using gestures, sounds, pointing or eye contact

If your child is showing some of the following signs, it may be helpful to talk to your doctor or another health professional, such as a speech language pathologist or occupational therapist.

•Arching or stiffening of the body during feeding

•Coughing or choking during feeding

•Being very irritable/fussy during or after feeding

•Taking a really long time to feed (more than 30-45 minutes)

•Frequent spitting up

•Getting sick often with pneumonia or chest infections

•Gurgly, hoarse, or breathy voice

•Less than normal weight gain or growth

•Lots of leakage of food or liquid from the mouth

•Coughing, gagging or throwing up during or after meals

•Stuffing mouth with food

•Holding food inside pockets in mouth for long periods

•Difficulty accepting new textures of food, avoidance behaviors to specific foods and textures (gagging, vomiting, blocking the spoon with hands or closed lips, crying, pushing food away, etc.)

•Abnormal bowel movements that last longer than a few days (diarrhea, constipation, loose stool)

•Skin reactions to foods (dry patches, hives, rashes) Note: If your child seems to be having a severe allergic reaction to a food (difficulty breathing, turning red, developing hives or rash on the face/chest), you should seek medical help immediately.

If you notice some of the following things by the time your baby is 8-9 months old, you may want to talk to your doctor, or to another health professional such as a speech-language pathologist, an occupational therapist, or a psychologist.

•Your child is not responding to sounds

•Your child is not smiling or responding to you the way you expect

•Your child avoids close contact or cuddling

•Your child is inconsolable at night

•Your child can’t seem to self-soothe or calm herself

•Your child has no interest in games like peek-a-boo

If you notice some of the following things by the time your baby is 12 months old, you may want to talk to your doctor or to another health professional such as a mental health clinician, a speech-language pathologist, an occupational therapist, or a psychologist.

•Not showing interest in other children his age

•Does not respond to you the way you expect her to

•Has extreme difficulty waiting for something he wants

•Very rigid about her routine, food items, clothing, etc

•Has limited or fleeting eye contact with others

•Does not imitate any of your actions

•Does not respond when you call her name

•Does not follow your point when you try to show something, or bring attention to something

•Doesn’t take turns in a simple turn-taking game like chase or peek-a-boo

If you notice some of the following things by the time your baby is 12 months old, you may want to talk to your doctor, or to another health professional such as a speech-language pathologist, an occupational therapist, or a psychologist.

•Doesn’t search for hidden or removed objects

•Tries to solve problems by just repeating actions, instead of using trial and error

•Not anticipating the effects of her actions (e.g. knocking down blocks)

•Not showing interest in other children his age

•Not using toys for their intended purpose

•Has extreme difficulty waiting for something he wants

•Is very rigid about her routine, food items, clothing, etc.

•Has limited or fleeting eye contact with others