Occupational Development – Parent Checklist

If you have any questions about your child’s physical development, browse our parent checklist below and give us a call today.

0-4 months

Holds head in alignment
Tracks an object
Moves arms and legs when laying on back
Lifts head a little when laying on belly, can prop on elbows
Brings hands together when laying on back
Props on elbows in prone with neck extension
Rolls back to side
Grasps rattle when placed in hand
Likes looking at a human face more than other things
Responds to a smile with a smile
Looks into caregiver’s face and eyes with interest
Reaches toward and touches toy
Hits at dangling objects with hands

5-6 months

Sitting using hands for support and starting to sit independently
Grabs both feet and hold when on back
Brings feet to mouth
Reaches to a toy when playing on belly
Props on extended arms when on belly
Holds and shakes a toy
Puts fingers in mouth
Holds hands open, rather than in fists, at least half of the time
Smiles at self in front of mirror

7-8 months

Sitting by themselves
Retrieves a toy in sitting and returns upright
Rolls
Crawls with belly on touching floor
Bangs a toy on the floor
Passes a small object from one hand to the other
Plays peek-a-boo
Bangs toys together
Feeds self finger foods

9 months

Starts to crawl on hands and knees
Pulls to stand at a table
Waves Bye-bye
Releases objects intentionally

10 months

Protecting reaction backward
Maintains sitting for 60 seconds while playing with a toy
Transitions to sitting from on belly
Bounces while holding onto your fingers
Takes 4 steps with support on your fingers
Plays in standing at a table
Stoops at table to retrieve object from floor

11 months

Cruising on and between furniture
Pivots in sitting
Standing for 5 seconds without support
Walks 4 steps with 1 hand held
Walks with a push toy
Pushes or rolls a ball
Drops small things, such as cheerios into a cup
Throws things just to see what happens
Removes socks

12 months

Transitions to stand using hands and feet (bear stance)
Walks 8 feet with one hand held
Walks 5 steps independently
Corrals a ball in sitting
Grasps thick crayon or pencil in fist as if to mark, but may not mark
Turns page of a cardboard book
Helps to pull off simple clothing and extends arms and legs to help with dressing
Puts objects into others, (puts blocks into a basket)
Pulls off shoes
Starting to drink from a straw

13 months

Rolls a ball 3 feet forward in sitting
Flings a small ball while standing
Enjoys looking at pictures in books
Imitates adult by scribbling with crayon or pencil
Pushes car along
Brings filled spoon/fork to mouth

14 months

Crawls up a few stairs on hands and knees
Hands things to others
Points at desired objects with index finger
Makes a stack of 2 blocks
Rolls a ball to you

15 months

Creeps downstairs independently
Throws ball overhand
Marks independently on paper with crayon or pencil
Drinks from cup without much spilling
Puts something in and then gets it out of a container

16-18 months

Turns container over to pour or dump contents
Turns small knob
Gets spoon in mouth right-side up with little spilling
Selects and puts square or rectangular objects into respective receptacles
Puts large round pegs into pegboard
Helps dress and undress self

Throws ball underhand a few feet
Climbs up jungle gym ladder and negotiates a slide
Grasps thick crayon with thumb and fingers
Puts square, round, and triangular shapes into form board
Imitates drawing a vertical line
Spontaneously draws strokes, dots, circular shapes
Stacks 7-8 small blocks
Hand preference established
Presents arms and attempts to catch ball
Identifies 4 body parts on self
Makes small cuts (snips) on line with child-safe scissors and some help
Grasps spoon with fingers and rotates wrist to bring spoon to mouth
Washes hands by self

Throws ball 7 feet underhand
Squeezes or pulls play dough apart
Grasps pencil with thumb and fingers instead of fist
Screws and unscrews jar lids
Sorts objects that vary in size only or color only when shown how
Undresses with help only for fasteners and pullovers with narrow necks
Matches blue, red, and yellow objects by color
Eats with a fork (with spillage)
Catches ball tossed gently from 5 feet
Completes a simple 3-piece puzzle of something familiar
Pours accurately from one container to another
Starting to play in a way that is more symbolic, dramatic, and interactive

Makes continuous cuts with child-safe scissors
Copies a horizontal line and a circle
Builds a 9-block tower
Spoon/fork to mouth with no spillage
Dries hands
Plays by rules and in groups with increase in dramatic and imitative play
Completes an easy puzzle
Traces around the edges of basic shape templates
Cuts a piece of paper in half with scissors on a more or less straight line
Copies a vertical-horizontal cross

Performs a few sit-ups
Skips
Performs jumping jacks
Moves fingers in fine, localized movements when writing with marker
Reads and writes numerals to 5
Matches letters in a group of different letters
Draws a face with mouth, nose, and eyes, and a person with 6 or more parts
Copies first name, although letters may be large, awkward, or reversed
Ties shoes (starts at 5, but may not be mastered until 6)
Prints a few capital letters without copying
Copies a triangle

Speech and Language Development – Parent Checklist

0-6 months

Searches for speaker
Recognizes own name
Babbles
Vocalizes feelings through intonation
Frequently puts fingers, objects, clothing, pacifier into mouth for sucking and mouthing
Breastfeeding and/or bottle feeding
Starting soft, smooth solid foods
Cooing: vowel-like sounds
7-9 months
Self-feeds simple, finger foods
Babbles same sounds repeatedly (baba or mama)
Produces sounds which are similar to t,d,n,f,v,z,ch,j,th,sh and s
Makes sound while eating with food in mouth
Reaches for object and looks for caregiver’s reaction
Tolerates smooth, lumpy solids fed by spoon by 9 months
0-12 months
Clears food off spoon with upper lip (eats lumpy, mashed foods)
Feeding self with fingers
Babbles using different sounds (nama)
Takes turns vocalizing
Will imitate others’ vocalizations or gestures
Points/gestures and vocalizes
Participates in joint attention activities

18 months

Uses 10-20 words including names
Combines 2 words (all done, Daddy bye-bye)
Names at least 5 common items
Responds to “yes/no” questions
Follows simple, one-step commands
Points to body parts on self when names
Retrieves objects from another room when asked
Understands at least 50 words
Asks for “more” and “what’s that?”
Drinks liquids from an open cup independently with limited spillage
Swallows with lip closure
Has precise up and down tongue movement
Eats table foods (includes easily chewed meats and cooked vegetables)

24 months

Has at least 100 words in vocabulary
Frequently uses 2-word phrases
Uses some 3-word phrases
Is at least 25-50% intelligible to all listeners
Follows simple 2-step related commands (may still require gestural cues)
Drinks from an open cup and from straw without dribbling
Bites through a variety of food thicknesses
Demonstrates verbal turn-taking

30 months

Has approximately 450 words in vocabulary
Gives own first name
Answers “where” questions
Uses present progressive -ing
Uses “no” or “not”
Consistently uses 3-4 word phrases/sentences
Identifies simple objects by function
Is 50-75% intelligible
Shares toys and understands simple locations (in, under, out, off)
Responds to greetings
Uses pronouns (my, me, mine, you)

36 months

Is 75% intelligible to all listeners
Converses in sentences
Has 1000 words in vocabulary
Follows prepositional commands (on, next to, under, etc.)
Follows simple 3- step related commands
Begins to use adjectives for color and size
Asks one-word “why” questions
Uses “what”, “where”, “how”, and “whose” when asking questions
Uses “in” and “on” when asked “where” questions
Beings to understand time concepts such as soon, later, wait

Chews and swallows majority of adult food

42 months

Uses regular plural –s (socks, shoes)
Uses possessive –s (baby’s bottle)

48 months

Consistently uses 4-5 word sentences, with correct sentence structure
Is 80% intelligible
Verbally relates a personal experience/story
Asks many questions including “who?” and “why?”
Uses regular and irregular past tense verbs consistently and regular 3rd person
Uses most pronouns
Has 1500+ words in vocabulary
Follows simple multi-step directions without repetition
Uses contractions (can’t, don’t, I’ve)
Identifies colors

60 months

Uses a variety of sentences with 6 or more words
Has greater than 2000 words in vocabulary
Uses most speech sounds correctly
Is 90-100% intelligible
Answers “how are things the same or different”
Can carry a plot when telling a story
Understands time concepts (yesterday, today, first, then, next)
Asks question to get more information
Inventive spelling when writing

Physical Development – Parent Checklist

0-4 months

Holds head in alignment
Tracks an object
Moves arms and legs when laying on back
Lifts head a little when laying on belly, can prop on elbows
Brings hands together when laying on back
Props on elbows in prone with neck extension
Rolls back to side
Grasps rattle when placed in hand
Likes looking at a human face more than other things
Responds to a smile with a smile
Looks into caregiver’s face and eyes with interest
Reaches toward and touches toy
Hits at dangling objects with hands

5-6 months

Sitting using hands for support and starting to sit independently
Grabs both feet and holds them when on back
Brings feet to mouth
Reaches to a toy when playing on belly
Props on extended arms when on belly
Begins to belly crawl
Rolls back to belly
Holds and shakes a toy
Puts fingers in mouth
Smiles at self in front of mirror

7-8 months

Maintains sitting for 60 seconds
Retrieves a toy in sitting and returns upright
Rolls belly to back
Rolls back to belly
Belly crawls 3 feet forward

9 months

Assumes hands and knees position (all fours)
Transfers from sitting to hands and knees position (all fours)
Rocks back and forth on hands and knees for 5 seconds
Creeps forward on hands and knees
Scoots forward in sitting for 3 feet
Pivots in sitting 90 degrees to both sides
Walks with two hands held

10 months

Maintains sitting for 60 seconds while playing with a toy
Transitions to sitting from belly
Creeps (on hands and knees) over your legs
Bounces while holding onto your fingers
Cruises 4 steps along furniture
Lowers to sitting from standing without falling
Plays in standing for 3 minutes
Stoops at table to retrieve object from floor

11 months

Cruising on and between furniture
Pivots in sitting
Standing for 5 seconds without support
Walks 4 steps with 1 hand held
Walks with a push toy 10 feet

12 months

Transitions to stand using hands and feet
Walks 8 feet with one hand held
Walks 5 steps independently
Traps a ball with arms and hands in sitting

13 months

Maintains kneeling position on knees for 5 seconds
Stoops to retrieve object from the floor without using a stable surface and takes 3 steps
Rolls a ball 3 feet forward in sitting
Flings a small ball while standing

14 months

Creeps upstairs on hands and knees
Walks 10 feet with without falling (not walking on toes)

15 months

Creeps downstairs independently
Walks upstairs with both rails – non alternating
Lifts foot to contact ball
Throws ball overhand without loosing balance

16- 18 months

Walks fast
Walks Backward 5 steps

Walks downstairs with support of one finger, non-alternating

23-24 months

Jumps forward 4 inches
Jumps up 2 inches
Jumps down from step
Walks upstairs without rail
Throws ball underhand 3 feet
Kicks ball 3 feet with direction
Climbs up jungle gym

25-26 months

Walks down 4 steps without rail
Walks backward for 10 feet
Presents arms and attempts to catch ball
Negotiates slide independently

27-28 months

Takes three consecutive steps when walking on a line – hands on hips
Walks upstairs with a rail alternating feet
Throws ball 7 feet overhand
Walks across a 6-inch balance beam

29-30 months

Jumps down 21 inches independently
Walks on tiptoes for 5 feet with hands on hips
Runs 30 feet in 6 seconds
Throws ball 7 feet underhand
Kicks ball 6 feet forward using opposing arm and leg movement

30-31 months

Stands on one foot for 3 seconds with hands on hips
Jumps forward 24 inches
Jumps down 24 inches

32-34 months

Jumps over a 2 inch hurdle
Walks on tiptoes for 8 feet with hands on hips
Catches ball with arms extended from 5 feet

35-36 months

Walks upstairs without a rail alternating feet
Rides a tricycle

37-40 months

Runs 45 feet in 6 seconds
Jumps forward 26 inches
Throws ball overhand
Throws ball underhand to hit target from 5 feet

41-42 months

Stands on one foot with hands on hips for 5 seconds
Walks 4 feet on a line with hands on hips
Catches large ball hands only 5 feet (not using chest to trap the ball)
Climbs down rock wall independently

43-44 months

Stands on tiptoes with arms overhead for 3 seconds
Walks downstairs without a rail using an alternating pattern
Hops forward 6 inches on 1 foot
Throws ball overhand to hit target from 5 feet

45-48 months

Stands on one foot for 5 seconds
Runs and stops within 2 steps
Walks backwards on a line 4 feet with hands on hips
Jumps forward 30 inches
Hops 3-5 times on each foot
Throws ball underhand 10 feet while stepping
Walks across a 4 inch balance beam with hands on hips

49-52 months

Stands on tiptoes for 8 seconds
Walks backwards on a line 5 steps with hands on hips
Performs a forward roll
Gallops 10 feet
Throws overhand to hit target from 12 feet
Bounces a ball so it hits floor then wall
Catches a small ball thrown from 5 feet hands only
Rides a 2-wheeler with training wheels
Rides a 2 wheeled scooter