Ensuring your child is progressing developmentally is crucial for their overall well-being and future success. Early detection of delays allows for timely intervention, fostering skills in speech, motor functions, and social interactions. By monitoring their growth, you can help your child reach their full potential and navigate each developmental milestone with confidence. We expect to see the following milestones for infants ages 9 to 12 months:
Cognitive
- Looks at pictures in a book
- Rolls wheeled toys
- Touches adult to have that person start or continue interesting game or action
- Removes rings from ring stack toy
- Realizes objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen
Communication
- Follow simple spoken commands (e.g., Give Daddy the ball.)
- Responds to “where” questions
- Can point to five or more familiar persons, animals, or toys
- Spontaneously says familiar greetings and farewells
- Briefly stops activity when told “no.”
Social-Emotional
- Imitates facial expressions, actions, and sounds
- Repeats activity that elicit positive response from others
- Brings toys to share with caregiver
- Plays well for a brief time in groups of two or three children
- Uses blanket or soft toy for comfort
Adaptive
- Chews textured foods
- Drinks from sippy cup independently
- Cooperates in dressing and undressing
- Drinks from open cup or glass held by adult
- Cooperates with hand-washing
Physical Development
- Scribbles spontaneously
- Walks three or more steps with assistance
- Holds crayon or pencil in adaptive fashion (i.e. not adult grasp)
- Moves from standing to sitting in coordinated fashion
- Demonstrates controlled starts and stops in walking
Notes:
Folio, M.R., & Fewell, R.R. (2000). Peabody developmental motor scales-Second edition. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
Kipping, P., Gard, A., Gilman, L., & Gorman, J. (2012). Speech and language development (3rd ed.), Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
Linder., T.W. (1993). Transdisciplinary play-based assessment. Baltimore, MD: Brookes.
Voress, J.K., & Maddox, T. (2013). Developmental assessment of young children-Second edition. Austin, TX: PRO-ED.
