Have you ever wondered, as many parents do, if your child is developing normally? Your older child may have amassed a bigger vocabulary by this age, or been more outgoing. Be assured that most children do develop normally, as the range considered “normal” is wide. The rate at which children develop, or become able to perform more and more complex tasks as they grow older, varies a lot from child to child. So if your child is lagging a bit in some area compared to a sibling or neighbor, he will probably catch up soon.

Pediatricians and child development experts have agreed on certain developmental milestones that they expect most children to reach within a certain age range. But even with those milestones set up as markers, it is important to remember that each child is unique. A child may progress “on target” in some areas, but be a little behind in others.

You can learn more about child development milestones in general from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). You might want to use them as a general guideline when observing what your child is or is not able to do, such as waving bye-bye or picking up Cheerios.

Keep in mind that a baby born prematurely is on a different developmental timetable than one born on her due date. Preterm children often don’t catch up to the milestones below until they are two or three.

Click on an age range below to find out the milestone markers for that age:

If your child has not achieved many of the milestones for his or her age range, or if you’re concerned for any reason that your child’s development is not on track, talk to your pediatrician. Getting help as early as possible can make a big difference if your child does have a developmental delay.

Your pediatrician may suggest a developmental screening, or prescribe a specific evaluation. At any point, you can also call Community Therapy Services for more information.