Toddler - Developmental Milestones

Developmental Milestones

Toddler development can be broken into a number of interrelated areas. There is reasonable consensus about what these include:

Physical: Refers to growth or an increase in size. Gross motor: Refers to the control of large muscles, which enable walking, running, jumping and climbing. Fine motor: Refers to the ability to control small muscles, enabling the toddler to feed themselves, draw and manipulate objects. Vision: Refers to the ability to see near and far and interpret what is seen. Hearing and speech: Hearing is the ability to hear and receive information and listen (interpret). Speech is the ability to understand and learn language and use it to communicate effectively. Social: Refers to the ability to interact with the world through playing with others, taking turns and fantasy play.

Although it is useful to chart defined periods of development, it is also necessary to recognise that development exists on a continuum, with considerable individual differences between children. There is a wide range of what may be considered 'normal' development.