A guide to normal childhood developmental milestones

Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye bye” are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move (crawling, walking, etc.). A guide to normal childhood developmental milestones that can help you recognize when your child might need professional attention.

What if my child is not reaching developmental milestones? If your child’s doctor finds anything that may be of concern, they can refer you to a specialist and/or work with your family to identify services, such as an early intervention program, that may help your child. If your child has any delays, even if mild, you should start intervention as early as possible so your child can make the best possible progress. 

developmental milestones are a set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do at a certain age range. Your pediatrician uses milestones to help check how your child is developing. Although each milestone has an age level, the actual age when a normally developing child reaches that milestone can vary quite a bit. Every child is unique.