Developmental Milestones
Though each child is unique, there are specific developmental patterns of learning that are well documented. Early mastery of basic skills lays the foundation for higher level skills. If milestones are delayed, or skipped (the child displays "more advanced" milestones without progressing through earlier skills) the child can have difficulties later on. This is especially true for good vision.
Think about the analogy of toy building blocks. A firm structure that can be built is a solid pyramid. It has a strong base to hold the rest of the structure. If you have pieces missing, or if you try to build a bigger top than the base, the structure is not as stable and can come crashing down. Skills that are not fully developed are often called "splinter skills." These skills can be demonstrated by a child in certain situations, but cannot be used in all situations the skill may be called for, especially if in combination with another skill. In reading, for example, a child may be able to read individual words, but if you put them in a sentence and their motor skills are not fully developed (such as eye-teaming ability and ability to track words across a page), it becomes very difficult for the child to decipher the exact same words. However, these motor skills CAN BE TRAINED.
Following is a list of some of the expected motor milestones and the ages at which we expect to see the skill develop. A good foundation comes from good development. Remember these skills involve a combination of senses, hearing, sight, touch and so on. A deficit in any one sense, like vision, can cause delays.
 GROSS MOTOR MILESTONES 
Skill |
Age |
| Rolls over |
4-5 months |
| Sits without support |
6-7 months |
| Pulls to a standing position |
9-10 months |
| Walks independently |
12-14 months |
| Developing spatial confidence |
18 months |
| Can seat self in small chairs |
18 months |
| Runs |
18-24 months |
| Enjoys jumping |
24 months |
| Can walk on tip-toes |
24 months |
| Plays well with large and small balls |
24 months |
| Pedals tricycle |
3 years |
| Climbs/descend sstairs with alternating feet |
3.5-4 years |
| Developing coordinations |
4 years |
| Rides a bicycle without training wheels |
6-7 years |
  VISUAL TACTILE & MOTOR MILESTONES
Skill |
Age |
| Transfers object from hand to hand |
3-5 months |
| Brings all objects to mouth |
6 months |
| Holds a bottle |
6 months |
| Pincer type grasp |
10-12 months |
Eye movements fully coordinated but with head movement |
12 months |
| Throws objects to the floor |
12-15 months |
| Eyes team well with little head movement |
18 months |
| Points to objects and pictures when identifying |
18 months |
| Scribbles |
18-24 months |
| Converges eyes easily & accurately to inspect objects |
24 months |
Copies a circle |
3 years |
| Eyes team well at all distances |
3 years |
| All visual-tacual integrations now developing quickly |
3 years |
Buttons clothes |
3.5 years |
| Using eyes & hands together productively & with increased skill |
4 years |
| Catchs a ball |
4-5 years |
| Ties shoelaces |
5-6 years |
 LANGUAGE MILESTONES 
Skill |
Age |
| Attends to familiar voices |
3-4 months |
| Babbles |
5-6 months |
| "Mama" & "Dada" used |
12 months |
| Recognizes names of familiar objects |
13-15 months |
| Can follow simple commands |
15-18 months |
| Two-word sentences |
2 years |
| Simple sentences (subject, verb and object) |
3 years |
| Can name primary colors |
4 years |
| Vocabulary of 2000-2500 words, counts to "10" |
5 years |
| 
