Developmental Checklist
Pediatric Therapy Bridge
Answers to common questions, so you can feel confident, informed, and supported every step of the way.
Ages 0-3 Months
Social Emotional
- Social smile
- Blinks at a sudden visual stimulus
- Stays awake for longer periods of time without crying
- Likes to be held
- Is comfortable being moved
- Easily moves from one position to another
- Follows object/face with eyes
- Discriminates mother’s voice
- Startles at loud sounds
- Vocalizes when talked to
Gross Motor
- Raises head and chest in tummy time
- Support upper body with arms in tummy time
- Pushes into surface when feet placed on a firm surface
- Turns head to both sides when on the back
- Rolls from side to back
- Extends and kicks with both legs
Fine Motor
- Opens and closes hands
- Brings hands to mouth
- Moves arms symmetrically
- Brings hands to midline
- Actively grasps a toy placed near palm
- Bats at a toy
Feeding/Oral Motor
- Opens and closes mouth in response to food
- Coordinates suck/swallow/breath
- Suckling emerges (back and forth movement of the tongue)
- Bite/Release reflexive jaw patterns
Ages 3-6 Months
Social Emotional
- Appears happy often
- Babbles
- Smiles at image in a mirror
- Transitions to different environments with ease
- Beginning stages of stranger anxiety
- Turn taking vocalizations with caregiver
Gross Motor
- Rolls front to back and back to front
- Supported sitting on extended arms
- Holds head steady in a supported sitting position
- Crawls forward on belly
- Bears almost all weight on legs
- No head lag when pulled to sit
- Pivots in prone
Fine Motor
- Keeps hands open most of the time
- Reaches and grasps object
- Drops object
- Reaches with one hand
- Transfers object hand to hand
- Raking grasp to pick up small object
- Places both hands on bottle
Cognitive
- Finds partially hidden object
- Explores object with hands and mouth
- Recognizes bottle/breast
- Removes cloth on face
Feeding/Oral Motor
- Feeds more quickly
- True sucking emerges
- Improved lip seal
Ages 6-9 Months
Social Emotional
- Has favorite sensory stimuli such as music, finger games, flavors
- Enjoys/tolerates dressing , bathing, diapering
- Uses sound to get attention
- Partakes in peek a boo
Fine Motor
- Bangs objects on table
- Release object voluntarily
- Manipulates toy with wrist movements
- Reaches and grasps objects with extended elbow
Gross Motor
- Sits without support
- Crawls forward and backwards
- Gets to sitting without assistance
- Makes stepping movements with hands held
- Pulls to stand at furniture
Cognitive
- Bites and chews toys in exploration
- Attends to music
- Orients to name and sounds
Feeding/Oral Motor
- Drinks from cup held for her
- Drools less
- Introduction of solid foods
- Feeds self finger foods
Ages 9-12 Months
Social Emotional
- Shy with strangers
- Preferences for certain people and toys
- Tests parent’s response to behaviors
- Sleeps through most of the night
- Aware, but not scared of loud sounds such as a siren, vacuum, barking
dog - Waves bye bye
Gross Motor
- Crawls on hands and knees
- Pulls to stand
- Walks holding onto furniture
- Pivots in sitting-twists to pick up toys
- Takes 2-3 steps without support
- Stands alone
Fine Motor
- Uses pincer grasp
- Pokes with index finger
- Bangs two objects together
- Puts objects into a container
- Releases voluntarily
- Scribbles on paper
Cognitive
- Explores objects in many ways i.e. shaking, banging, throwing, dropping
- Finds hidden objects easily
- Begins to use objects correctly i.e. brushing hair, drinking from cup
- Can attend to more than one stimulus at a time, such as look at a book
while listening to the story - Stops activity when told “no”
- Begins to follow one step commands with gesture
Feeding/Self Care
- Finger feeds self
- Holds spoon
- Cooperates with dressing by sticking out an arm or leg
- Accepts new foods when introduced
- Pulls off socks
Ages 12-18 Months
Social Emotional
- Begins to show defiant behavior
- Separation anxiety increases
- Plays in imaginative and unique ways
- Purposeful pointing
- Hugs adult in reciprocation
- Engages in pretend play
- Concept of “Mine”
Gross Motor
- Throws underhand
- Walks without support
- Pulls toy while walking
- Walks upstairs with one hand held
- Squats to pick up an object from standing
- Walks backwards
- Walks while carrying a large object
Fine Motor
- Points with index finger
- Turns over container to pour out contents
- Enjoys touching textures
- Uses one hand to hold and the other to manipulate
- Builds a 3-4 cube tower
- Scribbles back and forth
- Imitates a vertical stroke
- Turns pages in a book
Cognitive
- Imitates housework
- Responds to one step command without gesture
- Points to body parts
- Points to picture or object when named
- Places a circle in a shape puzzle
Feeding/Self Care
- Spoon feeds
- Uses open cup and straw cup
- Indicates discomfort over soiled pants
- Sleeps through the night
- Removes socks/Places hat on head
- Eats a variety of soft/chopped table food
Ages 18-24 Months
Social Emotional
- Imitates behavior or adults and older siblings
- Separation anxiety begins to fade
- Becomes excited to see other children
Gross Motor
- Begins to run
- Kicks a ball
- Walks up and down stairs with support
- Goes up and down a slide
- Stands on tiptoes
- Catches a large ball
- Throws overhand
Fine Motor
- Demonstrates a hand preference (Not a dominance)
- Imitates horizontal and vertical stroke
- Builds a 6 cube tower
- Strings one inch beads
- Snips with scissors
Cognitive
- Finds objects hidden under covers
- Begins to sort by shapes and colors
- Begins parallel play
- Begins make believe play
- Follows a two step command
Feeding/Self Care
- Helps with undressing
- May have definite food preferences
- Unzips a zipper
Ages 2-3 years
Social Emotional
- Shows affection for playmates
- Takes turns in games
- Separates easily from parents
- Expresses a wide range of emotions
Gross Motor
- Climbs well
- Walks up and down stairs alternating feet
- Runs easily
- Pedals a tricycle
- Walks on tip toe
- Jumps with hand held assistance
- Jumps down from a step
Fine Motor
- Draws a circle, horizontal line, and vertical line
- Imitates a cross
- Folds paper in half
- Turns pages of a book one at a time
- Uses a tripod grasp on a pencil
- Unscrews jar lid
- Stacks 10 cubes
Cognitive
- Plays make believe with dolls
- Participates in cooperative play
- Completes matching inset puzzles
- Insists on doing things independently
- Comfortable with changes in routine
- Imitates household activities such as sweeping
- Knows first and last name
Feeding/Self Care
- Begins toilet training
- Undresses self
- Dresses self with assistance
- Drinks from an open cup without spilling