Are you wondering what milestones your child should be meeting for speech, motor capabilities, and social interaction? Take a look at this list of milestones and see if your child needs speech, physical therapy, feeding therapy or occupational therapy.
14 Months
- Creeps upstairs on hands and knees
- Walks 10 feet with good balance and heel-toe pattern
Helpful Hint: Watch to see if your child is always leading with one leg when going up the stairs. Try to encourage the use of both legs leading.
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Makes a stack of 2 blocks
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Points at objects with index finger, keeping other fingers toward palm
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Rolls a ball to you
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Plays alone or alongside others
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Hands things to others
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Indicates desired objects through pointing
- Continues trying new mashed foods
- Might attempt to eat soft meats
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Prefers people who are familiar, strangers may cause anxiety
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Can entertain self for few minutes at a time
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Can exhibit a wider range of emotions (love, frustration, jealousy)
- Textured sensory balls
- Books
15 Months
- Creeps upstairs on hands and knees
- Walks 10 feet with good balance and heel-toe pattern
Helpful Hint: Watch to see if your child is always leading with one leg when going up the stairs. Try to encourage the use of both legs leading.
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Makes a stack of 2 blocks
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Points at objects with index finger, keeping other fingers toward palm
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Rolls a ball to you
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Plays alone or alongside others
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Hands things to others
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Indicates desired objects through pointing
- Continues trying new mashed foods
- Might attempt to eat soft meats
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Prefers people who are familiar, strangers may cause anxiety
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Can entertain self for few minutes at a time
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Can exhibit a wider range of emotions (love, frustration, jealousy)
- Textured sensory balls
- Books
16-18 Months
- Walks fast
- Walks backward 5 steps
- Walks downstairs with support of one finger- non alternating
Helpful Hint: If your child is still having trouble with balance while walking, it may be a good time to talk with your therapist about potential orthotic options for extra support to the foot and ankle.
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Turns a small knob
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Puts large round pegs into pegboard
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Helps dress and undress self
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Copies housework or activities you do (i.e. brushing hair)
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Builds a 3-block tower
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Removes socks without help
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Adds new simple words to vocabulary
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Imitates animal sounds
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Vocalizes for fun
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Develops a sense of humor
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May refuse to share toys and use “mine!”
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Identifies 3 body parts
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Likes messy play activities
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Drink from a cup and sets it down without much spillage
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Bites food well
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Begins to eat some coarsely chopped foods
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Eats chopped raw vegetables by 18 months
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May refuse some foods
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Eats with lips closed at times
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Less saliva loss than when younger
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Imitates simple games (ex. Rolling ball back and forth)
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Will repeat experience that provokes laughter
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Limited patience
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Enjoys helping complete simple tasks
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Interested in give and take games
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Struggles to share toys with peers/playmates
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Blocks
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Simple puzzle with large pegs & background image
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Stacking toys (like multi-sized stars or donuts on a peg)
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Walking toys like lawn mower, vacuum
19-20 Months
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Runs forward 10 feet
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Stands tandem on a line for 2 seconds
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Kicks ball 3 feet without direction
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Throws a ball overhand 3 feet
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Rides a push bike
Helpful Hint: Tandem standing is standing with one foot in front of the other with heel and toe touching. Practice in front of a mirror and with colorful dots or stickers for visual cues for foot placement.
- Gets a spoon
- Drinks from a cup independently
- Turns one or more regular book pages without help
- Stacks a 4-block tower
- Zips and unzips easy zippers
- Uses grasp with thumb towards paper
- Sits on a toilet with assistance
- Still needs help to brush teeth
- Identifies 3-4 body parts
- Uses 10 words
- Imitates sounds and noises more clearly
- Starts to communicate needs with words (i.e. “up”, “more”)
- Drinks from a cup without any help
- Improves chewing patterns and jaw movements in eating
- Scoops food with a spoon, may spill at times
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Seeks to be more independent, will try things on their own
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Enjoys being taught to help with simple daily activities (ex. cleaning)
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Imitates some social behaviors (ex. celebrating)
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Demonstrates pride to complete task
- Push bike or ride on toy
- Books