Developmental Milestones
What is Child Development?
Child development refers to how a child becomes able to do more complex things as they get older. Development is different than growth. Growth only refers to the child getting bigger in size. When we talk about normal development, we are talking about developing skills like:
- Gross motor: Using large groups of muscles to sit, stand, walk, run, etc., keeping balance, and changing positions.
- Fine motor: Using hands to be able to eat, draw, dress, play, write, and do many other things.
- Language: Speaking, using body language and gestures, communicating, and understanding what others say.
- Cognitive thinking skills: Including learning, understanding, problem-solving, reasoning, and remembering.
- Social: Interacting with others, having relationships with family, friends, and teachers, cooperating, and responding to the feelings of others.
What are Developmental Milestones?
Developmental milestones are a set of functional skills or age-specific tasks that most children can do within a certain age range. Your pediatrician uses milestones to help check how your child is developing. Although each milestone has an age level, the actual age at which a normally developing child reaches that milestone can vary quite a bit. Every child is unique! Developmental screenings are also offered, as requested by families or teachers throughout the community. This is a free service.
The following information is from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and has been compiled in an easy-to-read format for you to download: