Milestones

Getting to know your child’s milestones is as simple as playing with your child.

Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “hi” are called developmental milestones. As children grow, they reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move. While all children grow and change at their own rate, experts on child development target a window of time when a child may reach each milestone.

To review milestones below, click on the age you want to learn more about.

18 Months

Communication	Says 10 or more words Imitates two-word sentences (words may be difficult to understand) Can point to correct pictures
Gross Motor	Walks with very little falling Climbs on chair to reach something they want Walks down stairs if holding your hand or railing
Fine Motor	Builds a tower with two or more blocks Can draw a line from top of paper to bottom after watching you do so Puts a spoon right side up to eat
Problem Solving	Uses an object to reach something they want, i.e. a stick or spoon Turns bottle upside down to dump out crumb without being shown how
Personal Social	Pulls on your hand or clothes to get attention when needing help Drinks from cup and can put it down with little spilling May have temper tantrums
Talk to Doctor If	Doesn’t offer a toy to own image in mirror Doesn’t play with stuffed animal by hugging it Doesn’t walk Doesn’t say at least 6 words Doesn’t notice or care if a caregiver leaves or returns Doesn’t copy others Loses skills once able to do

Learn more with a Developmental Screening

To get a more in-depth picture of how your child is developing, we invite you to take a free developmental screening.

Start Screening

Making Meaning from a Screening

After you complete the screening, you may have questions. One in six children have developmental concerns that would benefit from follow up. Research has shown that the sooner the developmental services are started, the better the outcome. There are many services that can support a child’s development, including speech therapy, physical therapy, and developmentally appropriate social activities.

Talking with their health care provider about your concerns can help you determine the best next steps. Your child’s daycare or preschool can also be a partner in supporting your child’s development.

At any time in the process, Help Me Grow is here to walk you through the screening results and to answer your questions.

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