A Child Developmental Checklist: Find Out When Early Intervention Or Developmental Therapy May Be Needed

Below you will find a child developmental checklist for children ages 0-3.

It is written in the form of a child NOT meeting infant/toddler developmental milestones. In other words, these are the "Red Flags" that may indicate some sort of developmental delay.

This list is broken up into different categories (i.e. fine motor, gross motor, social/emotional etc.) and can be used to help you determine if an early intervention/developmental therapy and referral is needed.

As I described in my sensory stimulation for infants and toddlers article , early intervention is a FREE program designed for children ages 0-3 as part of the educational system, and is available to all parents and children in every community. It is a program that addresses any current or possible developmental delays in children. All children are entitled to these services if any medical or developmental issue is present, or if their social, economic, or environmental conditions put them "at risk" for a possible delay.

Every child develops at a different rate, and variability in obtaining skills is seen across the board. If a child is expected to have twenty-five skills in a specific area of development at 18 months of age, missing one or two does not necessarily mean that a problem exists. However, as a caregiver for children, it is important to be able to recognize when a child may need further intervention.

The following lists are to give a generalized idea of different skill areas to look at, and when an early intervention referral and developmental therapy may be appropriate.

*Red Flags* That May Warrant An Early Intervention Referral

Gross Motor

If a child is...

Not rolling by 7 months of age

Not pushing up on straight arms, lifting his head and shoulders, by 8 months of age

Not sitting independently by 10 months of age

Not crawling ("commando" crawling--moving across the floor on his belly) by 10 months of age

Not creeping (on all fours, what is typically called "crawling") by 12 months of age

Not sitting upright in a child-sized chair by 12 months of age

Not pulling to stand by 12 months of age

Not standing alone by 14 months of age

Not walking by 18 months of age

Not jumping by 30 months of age

Not independent on stairs (up and down) by 30 months of age

...an early intervention/developmental therapy referral may be appropriate.


Here are some other gross motor "red flags":

"walking" their hands up their bodies to achieve a standing position

only walking on their toes, not the soles of their feet

frequently falling/tripping, for no apparent reason

still "toeing in" at two years of age

unusual creeping patterns

any known medical diagnosis can be considered a "red flag": Down's syndrome, cerebral palsy, congenital heart condition etc.

Fine Motor

If a child is...

Frequently in a fisted position with both hands after 6 months of age

Not bringing both hands to midline (center of body) by 10 months of age

Not banging objects together by 10 months of age

Not clapping their hands by 12 months of age

Not deliberately and immediately releasing objects by 12 months of age

Not able to tip and hold their bottle by themselves and keep it up, without lying down, by 12 months of age

Still using a fisted grasp to hold a crayon at 18 months of age

Not using a mature pincer grasp (thumb and index finger, pad to pad) by 18 months of age

Not imitating a drawing of a vertical line by 24 months of age

Not able to snip with scissors by 30 months

...an early childhood intervention/development therapy referral may be appropriate


Here are some other fine motor "red flags":

Using only one hand to complete tasks

Not being able to move/open one hand/arm

Drooling during small tasks that require intense concentration

Displaying uncoordinated or jerky movements when doing activities

Crayon strokes are either too heavy or too light to see

Any know medical diagnosis can be considered a "red flag": Down's Syndrome, cerebral palsy etc.

Cognition/Problem Solving

Not imitating body action on a doll by 15 months of age (ie, kiss the baby, feed the baby)

Not able to match two sets of objects by item by 27 months of age (ie, blocks in one container and people in another)

Not able to imitate a model from memory by 27 months (ie, show me how you brush your teeth)

Not able to match two sets of objects by color by 31 months of age

Having difficulty problem solving during activities in comparison to his/her peers

Unaware of changes in his/her environment and routine

...an early intervention/developmental therapy referral may be appropriate

Sensory

 
If a child is...

Very busy, always on the go, and has a very short attention to task

Often lethargic or low arousal (appears to be tired/slow to respond, all the time, even after a nap)

A picky eater

Not aware of when they get hurt (no crying, startle, or reaction to injury)

Afraid of swinging/movement activities; does not like to be picked up or be upside down

Showing difficulty learning new activities (motor planning)

Having a hard time calming themselves down appropriately

Appearing to be constantly moving around, even while sitting

Showing poor or no eye contact

Frequently jumping and/or purposely falling to the floor/crashing into things

Seeking opportunities to fall without regard to his/her safety or that of others

Constantly touching everything they see, including other children

Hypotonic (floppy body, like a wet noodle)

Having a difficult time with transitions between activity or location

Overly upset with change in routine

Hates bath time or grooming activities such as; tooth brushing, hair brushing, hair cuts, having nails cut, etc.

Afraid of/aversive to/avoids being messy, or touching different textures such as grass, sand, carpet, paint, playdoh, etc.

...an early childhood intervention/developmental therapy referral may be appropriate.

NOTE: sensory integration/sensory processing issues should only be diagnosed by a qualified professional (primarily, occupational therapists and physical therapists). Some behaviors that appear to be related to sensory issues are actually behavioral issues independent of sensory needs.

(Click Here For A Complete Symptom Checklist Of Sensory Processing Disorders)

Possible visual problems may exist if the child...

Does not make eye contact with others or holds objects closer than 3-4 inches from one or both eyes

Does not reach for an object close by

Possible hearing problems may exist if the child...

Does not respond to sounds or to the voices of familiar people

Does not attend to bells or other sound-producing objects

Does not respond appropriately to different levels of sound

Does not babble

Self-Care

If a child is...

Having difficulty biting or chewing food during mealtime

Needing a prolonged period of time to chew and/or swallow

Coughing/choking during or after eating on a regular basis

Demonstrating a change in vocal quality during/after eating (i.e. they sound gurgled or hoarse when speaking/making sounds)

Having significant difficulty transitioning between different food stages

Not feeding him/herself finger foods by 14 months of age

Not attempting to use a spoon by 15 months of age

Not picking up and drinking from a regular open cup by 15 months of age

Not able to pull off hat, socks or mittens on request by 15 months of age

Not attempting to wash own hands or face by 19 months

Not assisting with dressing tasks (excluding clothes fasteners) by 22 months

Not able to deliberately undo large buttons, snaps and shoelaces by 34 months

...an early intervention/developmental therapy and referral may be appropriate.

Social/Emotional/Play Skills

If a child is...

Not smiling by 4 months

Not making eye contact during activities and interacting with peers and/or adults

Not performing for social attention by 12 months

Not imitating actions and movements by the age of 24 months

Not engaging in pretend play by the age of 24 months

Not demonstrating appropriate play with an object (i.e. instead of trying to put objects into a container, the child leaves the objects in the container and keeps flicking them with his fingers)

Fixating on objects that spin or turn (i.e. See 'n Say, toy cars, etc.); also children who are trying to spin things that are not normally spun

Having significant difficulty attending to tasks

Getting overly upset with change or transitions from activity to activity

...an early intervention program referral may be appropriate

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Related Resources

Sensory Diet Behavior and Body Awareness Flash Card Deck - Super Duper Educational Learning Toy for Kids

Click Here For The Fine Motor Development Chart!

Leave Child Developmental Checklist And Return To Sensory Processing Disorder Home Page

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