Developmental Milestones: Infant to Toddler

What are developmental milestones?
Developmental milestones are a set of  age-specific tasks that most children can do at 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 when a child reaches that milestone can vary quite a bit because every child is unique! 
(www.ndss.org)

The table below is a guideline in reference to typical developmental milestones in children with and without Down Syndrome, keeping in mind that each child is unique and therefore there is a great deal of variation that occurs within each childs individual development.


Gross Motor Skills                   Children With           Other Children
(moving around)                      Down Syndrome                  
holds head steady while sitting              3-9m                            1-4m
sits alone                                          6-16m                           5-9m
stands alone                                     12-38m                         9-16m
walks alone                                      13-48m                         9-17m

Fine Motor Skills
(hand eye coordination) 
follows objects with eyes                   1.5-8m                          1-3m
reaches and grasps objects                4-11m                           2-6m
passes objects from hand to hand      6-12m                           4-8m
builds a tower of 2 1"cubes              14-32m                        10-19m
copies a circle                                 30-36m                        24-40m

Communication Skills
babbles "DaDa", "MaMa"                    7-18m                         5-14m
responds to familiar words                10-18m                       5-14m
first words spoken with meaning        13-36m                       10-23m
shows needs by gesture                    14-30m                       11-19m
two word phrases                            18-60m                       15-32m

Personal and Social Skills
smiles when talked to                        1.5-4m                        1-2m
feeds self with biscuit                        6-14m                         4-10m
drinks from cup                               12-23m                       9-17m
dry by day                                       18-50m                      14-36m
bowel control                                   20-60m                     16-48m                   
(www.down-syndrome.org)
                    
Low tone, also known as flaccid, floppy or hypotonic, is common with a Down Syndrome child.  With low tone an infant will have difficulty maintaining postures without some support. The infant will typically lie with the head, trunk, arms and legs in a limp position.  Early Intervention (please refer to the "Recommendations" section of this website) will be key to improving the tone of your baby and therefore assisting him/her with gross motor skills such as holding up their head, sitting, standing, climbing stairs and walking. (www.ndss.org)