Child Development Stages - Overview of Motor, Speech, Vision and Hearing Development

Overview of Motor, Speech, Vision and Hearing Development

Developmental Milestones
Age Motor Speech Vision and hearing Social
4–6 weeks When held upright, holds head erect and steady Smiles at parent
6–8 weeks When prone, lifts self by arms; rolls from side to back. Vocalizes; Cooes (makes vowel-like noises)or babbles. Focuses on objects as well as adults
12–20 weeks Hand regard: following the hand with the eyes. Color vision adult-like. Serves to practice emerging visual skills. Also observed in blind children.
3 months Prone:head held up for prolonged periods. No grasp reflex Makes vowel noises Follows dangling toy from side to side. Turns head round to sound. Follows adults' gaze (joint attention). Sensitivity to binocular cues emerges. Squeals with delight appropriately. Discriminates smile. Smiles often. Laughs at simple things.
5 months Holds head steady. Goes for objects and gets them. Objects taken to mouth Enjoys vocal play;
6 months Transfers objects from one hand to the other. Pulls self up to sit and sits erect with supports. Rolls over prone to supine. Palmar grasp of cube Double syllable sounds such as 'mumum' and 'dada'; babbles (consonant-vowel combinations) Localises sound 45 cm lateral to either ear. Visual acuity adult-like (20/20). Sensitivity to pictorial depth cues (those used by artists to indicate depth) emerges. May show 'stranger shyness'
9–10 months Wiggles and crawls. Sits unsupported. Picks up objects with pincer grasp Babbles tunefully Looks for toys dropped Apprehensive about strangers
1 year Stands holding furniture. Stands alone for a second or two, then collapses with a bump Babbles 2 or 3 words repeatedly Drops toys, and watches where they go Cooperates with dressing, waves goodbye, understands simple commands
18 months Can walk alone. Picks up toy without falling over. Gets up/down stairs holding onto rail. Begins to jump with both feet. Can build a tower of 3 or 4 cubes and throw a ball 'Jargon'. Many intelligible words Demands constant mothering. Drinks from a cup with both hands. Feeds self with a spoon. Most children with autism are diagnosed at this age.
2 years Able to run. Walks up and down stairs 2 feet per step. Builds tower of 6 cubes Joins 2–3 words in sentences Parallel play. Dry by day
3 years Goes up stairs 1-foot per step and downstairs 2 feet per step. Copies circle, imitates cross and draws man on request. Builds tower of 9 cubes Constantly asks questions. Speaks in sentences. Cooperative play. Undresses with assistance. Imaginary companions
4 years Goes down stairs one foot per step, skips on one foot. Imitates gate with cubes, copies a cross Questioning at its height. Many infantile substitutions in speech Dresses and undresses with assistance. Attends to own toilet needs
5 years Skips on both feet and hops. Draws a man and copies a triangle. Gives age Fluent speech with few infantile substitutions in speech Dresses and undresses alone
6 years Copies a diamond. Knows right from left and number of fingers Fluent speech

Read more about this topic:  Child Development Stages

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