Development: Milestones Flashcards
What 4 functional areas can developmental milestones be separated into?
1) Gross motor
2) Vision and fine motor
3) Hearing, speech and language
4) Social, emotional and behavioural
Developmental milestones must be considered in regards to their ‘median age of acquisition’ and the ‘limit age’.
What does this refer to?
Median age of acquisition: when half of a standard population of children achieve that level.
Limit age: by which they should have been achieved.
What is the median age and limit age of walking?
Median - 12 months
Limit - 18 months
What does gross motor refer to?
The child’s development of large movements, such as sitting, standing, walking and posture.
Development in this area happens from the head downwards.
Give the gross motor development milestones and their average age
Newborn:
- Limbs flexed
- Symmetrical pattern, marked head lag on pulling up.
2-3 months:
- Almost no head lag when pulled to sit
- Lifts head and chest when prone
6 months:
- Rolls from back to front
- When held, stands and sit with a straight back
- Bears most of own weight
6-9 months:
- Sits without support
- Stands holding onto furniture
8-9 months:
- Crawling
10-12 months:
- Stands without support
- Crawls, bottom shuffles or ‘bear-walks’
- Cruises along furniture (walking whilst holding on)
- May walk unsteadily
15 months:
- Walks without support
18 months:
- Walks steadily, stopping safely
- Squats to pick up a toy
- Climbs stairs holding a hand or a rail
2 years:
- Runs safely
- Throws a ball overhand
- Walks up and down stairs, both feet on each step
30 months:
- Jumps on 2 feet
- Kicks a ball
3 years:
- Walks backwards and sideways
- Rides a tricycle
- Catches a large ball with arms outstretched
5 years:
- Hops
- Catches a ball
- Heel-toe walking
- May ride a bike
What is the limit age for sitting without support?
9 months
At what age do children typically begin crawling?
8-9 months
At what age do children typically begin walking unsteadily?
12 months
What is the limit age for walking unsteadily?
18 months
At what age do children typically begin walking steadily?
15 months
At what age do children typically begin running?
2-2.5 years
What are fine motor skills?
Fine motor refers to a the child’s development of precise and skilled movements, and also encompasses their visual development and hand-eye coordination.
Give the early fine motor development milestones and their average age
6 weeks:
- Follows moving object or face by turning the head (fixing and following)
4 months:
- Reaches out for toys
4-6 months:
- Palmar grasp
7 months:
- Transfers toys from one hand to another
10 months:
- Mature pincer grip
16-18 months:
- Makes marks with crayons
What is the limit age for following a moving object or face by turning the head (fixing and following)?
3 months
What is the limit age for reaching out for toys?
6 months
What is a palmar grasp of an object?
wraps thumb and fingers around the object
What are the fine motor development milestones regarding tower brick building and the average age?
Tower of three – 18 months
Tower of six – 2 years
Tower of eight or a train with four bricks – 2.5 years
Bridge (from a model) – 3 years
Builds steps (after demonstration) – 4 years
What are the fine motor development milestones regarding pencil skills and the average age?
Line – 2 years
Circle – 3 years
Cross – 3.5 years
Square – 4 years
Triangle – 5 years
What are the 2 components of langauge?
Expressive & receptive
What are the expressive language development milestones and their average age?
Newborn: Cries
6-8 weeks : Cooing noises
3 months: Laughs & vocalises
6 months: Makes noises with consonants (starting with g, b and p)
9 months: Babbles, sounding more like talking but not saying any recognisable words. Imitates adult sounds.
12 months: Says single words in context, e.g. “Dad-da” or “Hi”
18 months: Has around 5 – 40 words. Tries to sing.
2 years: Speaks over 200 words, understands many more. Joins words together.
2.5 years: Continually asks questions.
3 years: Using basic sentences. Can name 2 or 3 colours.
4 years: Tells stories and talks fluently. Enjoys jokes.
5 years: Fluent in speech and mostly grammatically correct. Interested in reading and writing
At what age do children typically start cooing?
6-8 weeks
At what age do children typically start laughing?
3 months
What are the receptive language development milestones and their average age?
3 months: Recognises parents and familiar voices and gets comfort from these
6 months: Responds to tone of voice
9 months: Listens to speech
12 months: Follows very simple instructions
18 months: Understands nouns, for example “show me the spoon”
2 years: Understands verbs, for example “show me what you eat with”
2.5 years: Understands propositions (plan of action), for example “put the spoon on / under the step”
3 years: Understands adjectives, for example “show me the red brick” and “which one of these is bigger?”
4 years: Follows complex instructions, for example “pick the spoon up, put it under the carpet and go to mummy”
What do personal and social developmental milestones refer to?
Refers to the child’s development of skills in interacting, communicating, playing and building relationships.
What are the social, emotional and behavioural development milestones and their average age?
6 weeks: Smiles responsively
6-8 months: Puts food in their mouth
10-12 months: Waves bye-bye, plays peek-a-boo
12 months: Drinks from a cup with two hands
18 months: Holds spoon and gets food safely to mouth
18-24 months: Symbolic play
2 years: Toilet training: dry by day. Pulls off some clothing.
2.5-3 years: Parallel play. Interactive play evolving. Takes turns.
What is the limit age for smiling responsively?
8 weeks
What is the limit age for symbolic play?
2-2.5 years
List some developmental milestone red flags
- Lost developmental milestones
- Not able to hold an object at 5 months
- Not sitting unsupported at 12 months
- Not standing independently at 18 months
- Not walking independently at 2 years
- Not running at 2.5 years
- No words at 18 months
- Not smiling at 10 weks
- No interest in others at 18 months
What is global developmental delay?
Refers to a child displaying slow development in all developmental domains.
What are some conditions that can cause global developmental delay?
1) Down’s syndrome
2) Fragile X syndrome
3) Fetal alcohol syndrome
4) Rett syndrome
5) Metabolic disorders
What are some conditions that can cause gross motor delay?
1) Cerebral palsy
2) Ataxia
3) Myopathy
4) Spina bifida
5) Visual impairment
What are some conditions that can cause fine motor delay?
1) Dyspraxia
2) Cerebral palsy
3) Muscular dystrophy
4) Visual impairment
5) Congenital ataxia (rare)
What are some causes of language delay?
1) Specific social circumstances, for example exposure to multiple languages or siblings that do all the talking
2) Hearing impairment
3) Learning disability
4) Neglect
5) Autism
6) Cerebral palsy
What are some causes of personal and social delay?
1) Emotional and social neglect
2) Parenting issues
3) Autism
