In the first 3 years of your child’s life, developing important emotional and social abilities will evolve in small steps making way for later school success. Abilities such as showing empathy, giving and receiving love, making friends, waiting patiently, and enjoying the company of others, and many more, describe healthy social-emotional development. Help Me Grow can assist you as a parent, to develop these all important skills in your child.
Help Me Grow utilizes the research based Parent's As Teachers curriculum and several screening and assessment tools to see if your child is developing at a normal rate. If a problem is found Help Me Grow can help you find the resources for assistance in helping your child catch up to their peers. Here are some ways you can check to see if your child is on track, keeping in mind however, that each child grows and develops at a different pace.If you have concerns about your child’s development, you may want to consult with the child’s Health Care Provider and/or contact Help Me Grow at 740-992-5266.
2 months:
Grasps rattle placed in hand
Social smiles, smiles responsively
Coos and reciprocal vocalization
Shows interest in visual and auditory stimuli
Demonstrates social interaction, follows moving person with eyes
When prone, lifts head, neck and upper chest with support of forearms
Some head control in upright position
4 months:
Holds head high, raises body on hands when prone, sits when supported
Controls head well
Rolls prone to supine
Plays with hands, holds rattle, reaches for objects, holds own hands
Looks at mobile, arms active
Follows object 180 degrees
Smiles, coos, laughs, babbles; initiates social contact, turns to voice
May sleep at least six hours
Able to comfort self, e.g., fall asleep by self
6 months:
Rolls from front to back; sits with support
Bears weight, stands with support
Transfers objects hand to hand
Turns to sound and voice; may show stranger anxiety
Raking hand pattern; grasps and mouths objects
Vocalizes single consonants ("dada", "baba"); may imitate sounds of speech
Babbles reciprocally; reacts socially by smiling in response to someone else's smile
Shows recognition of parents; shows interest in toys
Starts to self-feed
First tooth may erupt
9 months:
Sits independently
Reaches for objects with one hand
Crawls, creeps or scoots on bottom
Pulls to stand, stands holding on
Inferior pincer grasp, pokes with index finger
Bangs, throws and drops objects
Finger feeds, starts to use cup
Imitates vocalizations; babbles
May say "dada" and "mama" nonspecifically
Responds to own name
Understands a few words, e.g., "no-no," "bye-bye" - combines syllables
Can sleep through the night
May show stranger anxiety
Enjoys interactive games, e.g., peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake
Turns toward sound with eyes and head movement
12 months:
Pulls to stand, stands alone, cruises, may take a few steps alone
Has precise pincer grasp
Points; indicates wants
Has vocabulary of one to three words; uses "mama" and "dada" correctly
Recognizes caregiver's voice
Obeys simple requests; waves "bye-bye"
Feeds self; drinks from a cup
Actively looks for hidden or dropped objects
Shows emotions (fear, anxiety, affection)
Imitates
15 months:
Walks alone, bends over, may run
Crawls up stairs
Stacks two blocks
Can point to one or more body parts
Feeds self with fingers, drinks from cup
Understands simple commands
Listens to a story
Has vocabulary of three to six words
Indicates wants by pointing or grunting
Imitates activity
Can remove some clothing
18 months:
Likes to climb and run, walks backwards; climbs into chair, sits in chair
Throws/kicks ball; stacks three or four blocks
Has a vocabulary of 15-20 words, uses two word phrases, imitates words
Uses a spoon and cup, can remove clothing
Listens to a story, looking at pictures and naming objects
Plays with toys appropriately, e.g., pulls a pull toy, cuddles a doll
Answers simple questions by pointing, follows simple directions
Scribbles spontaneously, imitates crayon strokes
Dumps object from bottle without demonstration
Shows affection, hugs and kisses
24 months:
Climbs up and down steps holding on with one hand
Jumps, runs, throws overhand
Stands on one foot with little support
Can stack five or six blocks
Has a vocabulary of 50+ words, two word phrases, understands pronouns
Speech should be intelligible to parents
Parallel play dominant
Possessive with toys
Can follow two-step commands, can name some body parts
Makes or imitates horizontal and circular strokes with crayon
Imitates adults
Increasing attention span
Separation anxiety from parents
Brushes teeth with help, puts on clothing, washes hands
3 years:
Jumps in place, kicks a ball, balances on one foot, stacks blocks
Rides a tricycle
Alternates feet ascending stairs
Knows name, age and gender
Copies circle and cross, visually discriminates colors
Has some self care skills, e.g., feeding and dressing self
Demonstrates speech that is mostly intelligible
Pretend play well developed
Can follow directions
Names colors
