Reflex

Stimulation

Response

Disappears

Function

Rooting

Stroking cheek
near the
mouth
Place nipple or
finger in
infants mouth
Firmly stroke
or press
infants palm
(or sole of foot)
Allow infant to
fall backwards
a short
distance
(before
catching!), or
startle

Turns head
toward the
stimulus
Begins
rhythmic
sucking
Grasps with
fingers (or
curls toes)

3 weeks (then

Helps infant
find the nipple

4 months

Essential to
early feeding

3-4 months

Leads to later
voluntary
grasping

Arches back,
throws arms
outwards and
then sweeps
arms back
inwards

4-6 months

Asymmetric
tonic neck
(ATNR)

Turn infants
head to one
side while
lying on back

4 months

Walking /
Stepping

Infant is held
upright and
bare feet
pressed to flat
surface

Infant assumes
a fencing
pose
extends arm
on side to
which head is
turned, flexes
opposite arm
Infant steps lifts one foot
after the other

In evolutionary
past, may
have helped
infant cling to
mother (i.e.
when mother
had fur and
lived in
treetops)
May prepare
infant for
voluntary
reaching

Sucking
Palmar (and
plantar) grasp
Moro

replaced with
voluntary turning)
(replaced with
voluntary sucking)

6-8 weeks

The basis for

later voluntary
walking

EARLY LANGUAGE MILESTONES

Birth to three months
Infant makes vowel sounds (cooing)
Laughs, squeals around 3 months
Interested in caregivers responses
4 - 8 months
Raspberry (Bronx cheer)
ah-goo (back of the throat) sounds,
Begins monosyllabic babble (ba da ga), become polysyllabic (babababa, mama)
Turns toward voice
8 12 months
Says dada, mama to the right person
understands words (no!)
Responds to name,
Says first word by 12 months
Actively takes turns w caregiver (having a conversation)
Beginning to gesture and point
12 - 18 months
2 words by 13 months
3-5 words by 15 months
10-20 words by 18 months, also giant words (stop it!, thank-you)
Points to indicate wants (around 12 months)
Points to share something of interest (around 15 months)
18 24 months
20+ words by 21 months
explosion of vocabulary (50-200 words) by 24 months
telegraphic speech combinations of 2 words to convey meanings (more cookie, go
car)
Speech is 50% understandable by 24 months

PERSONAL-SOCIAL MILESTONES

Birth to three months

Looks at faces, listens to voices
Social smile
Consoled when picked up
Interested in caregivers responses
4 - 8 months
Playful, responds to peekaboo
Prefers familiar people to strangers
Interested in own image in mirror
Responds to voice, inhibits to No
8 12 months
Initiates peekaboo, plays pat-a-cake
Waves bye-bye
Enjoys rolling a ball back-and-forth
Stranger anxiety
Responds to name
12 - 18 months
Points to indicate desires
Points to show (joint attention)
Insists on feeding self (autonomy)
Hands a toy to people (social overture)
Early symbolic play (pretends to drink from a cup)
May fuss over little things
18 24 months
Imitates adults (e.g. sweeping, talking on telephone)
No! stage wants to decide for himself/herself
More advanced symbolic (feeds doll)
Parallel play - enjoys being around other children, but not playing with them
2 - 3 years
Names a friend
Associative play engages in separate activities but exchanges toys and comments with
other children
May have imaginary friends
Beginning of empathy.
4 years
Cooperative play jointly builds, or acts out a make-believe theme w/ other children
Plays tag, hide-and-seek
5 years
Follows simple rules in board, card games

2 years

2 yrs

3 yrs

4 yrs

5 yrs

6 yrs

Social / SelfHelp
Parallel play,
tries to put on
clothing,
washes and
dries hands

Gross Motor

Fine Motor

Language

Cognitive

Throws ball
overhand,
Walks down
stairs, Runs well

6-8 cube tower,

imitates 4 cube
train,
turns pages of a
book one at a
time

Imitates a
vertical stroke
on paper.
completes a
shape formboard
Well-developed
symbolic play,

Names a friend,
plays with other
children cars,
dolls, building.
Beginning of
empathy.
Puts on t-shirt

Balances each
foot for 1
second.

Imitates 5 cube
train, folds
paper with
crease, Imitates
vertical and
horizontal
strokes,

50+ words,
speech is 50%
understandable,
uses I,
mine,,
2
word
sentences
(noun-verb)
Holds
conversation
Names 4
pictures,
repeats 2 digits,
knows 2/3
cold, tired,
hungry, Points
to objects in
book,
understands I
Speech is
understandable,
Names 1 color,
250+ words, 4
word sentences

Plays roles in
pretend games
like house
school.
May share,
have imaginary
friends. Likely
toilet-trained
Dresses no help,
brush teeth no
help, plays tag,
hide-n-seek

Walks up &
down stairs (1
foot / step),
Pedals a
tricycle,
Balances each
foot for 2
seconds
Hops on one
foot, throws ball
to examiner

Copies circle,
70% have hand
preference,
Draws a 1-part
person, Cuts
with scissors

Follows simple
rules in board,
card games.
Ties shoelaces,

Heel-to-toe
walk, Balances
one foot for 15
seconds,
Skips
(alternating
feet)

Copies triangle,
Draws a 6-part
person, Prints
first name

Skips smoothly

Copies
diamond, Draws

Copies a cross,
Draws a 3-part
person,

Names 4 colors,
Says first/last
name
Asks why?,
uses past tense
Knows
opposites,
Counts 10
objects, Knows
right & left,
knows address
& phone
number

Preoperational
Stage
(egocentrism,
animistic
thinking,
irreversibility,
centration)

When asked
what is an
orange? can
answer a fruit

Performs simple
addition