Every child is different, so there’s no hard and fast rule about developmental milestones. At the same time, each child should be making steady progress toward developing all the skills and abilities they are going to need in the future. They will need to learn how to take care of themselves, succeed in school and in life, and enjoy the freedom and ability to have fun and learn every day.

We always include parents in their child’s therapy and ensure they are educated on how to help their child advance their skills. Each child should be able to achieve the highest level of independence possible by possessing all the skills they need for everyday life.

Discover Your Child’s Developmental Milestones – Year 1 to 5

Your Child’s First Year

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Your Child’s Second Year

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Your Child’s Third Year

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Your Child’s Fourth Year

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Your Child’s Fifth Year

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What Kind of Skills Should Your Child Be Developing?

  1. Motor skills. There are two types of motor skills: gross motor skills and fine motor skills. Gross motor skills involve using the large muscles to stand up, sit down, walk, balance, and run. Fine motor skills involve using small muscles to write, use kitchen utensils, fasten snaps and buckles, and brush teeth.
  2. Language skills. From an early age, children should be using and understanding gestures, facial expressions, and words.
  3. Cognitive skills. These are the skills involved in learning, problem-solving, remembering, and organizing their thoughts and actions.
  4. Social skills. Skills like responding to others, interacting, building relationships with family, friends, and therapists are essential.
  5. Feeding skills. Babies must be able to nurse normally, and children should learn how to feed themselves. They should not have difficulty eating healthy foods, and they should be eating enough to thrive and grow.

Difficulties in any of these areas can cause stress within the family dynamics, at school, or in life. Our therapies can help in every one of these areas.

What If My Child Doesn’t Seem to Be Meeting Standard Milestones?

There are several actions you can take.

  • The first one is this: Don’t let yourself get stressed. We have dozens, maybe hundreds, of ways to help them!
  • Second, you can utilize our Free Developmental Screening feature on this website to do your own assessment. That can start to give you an idea of whether or not you’re looking at a situation that needs to be addressed with therapy.
  • You can always consult with your pediatrician. Try to be specific about skills your child may seem to be missing or developing slowly or about any other struggles you’re noticing. If your doctor agrees, they may refer you to us for further assessment and therapy.
  • Finally, you are always welcome to call us and ask for a professional assessment of your child’s development. Right away, we’ll start answering your questions.

Any one of these steps can help you move in the direction of ensuring your child’s optimum progress.

How Do We Help Your Child Achieve Their Developmental Milestones?

We have special rooms, facilities, and toys dedicated to learning each of the skills they’re going to need. We use play and plenty of engaging interaction to encourage your child to reach out, to achieve more, and to take the next learning step.

We even have a special feeding lab where we can whip up all kinds of foods. Many children have difficulties with certain textures or tastes. Our feeding lab is where we can expand their ability to eat nutritious foods.

More importantly, we make every appointment fun! We incorporate themes like Shark Week, Indoor Camping, Superheroes, and Fourth of July to keep them interested and having fun.

For gross motor skills, we might involve them in a game of indoor golf or creating huge soap bubbles. Those activities get them moving their bodies in all directions. And there’s always beach balls and basketball!

For finer motor skills, they could dig in a sandbox for jewels, paint pictures, or create treasures out of clay.

And there’s so many ways we can use words, facial expressions, and gestures to encourage interaction and build language skills for your child. Every step is intentional, and every activity is designed to help your child reach the next developmental milestone.

Have questions? Give us a call to talk or request a developmental milestone assessment: (479) 226-3409.

Contact Us to Schedule an Appointment Now!

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