Beyond the NICU - developmental checklists (updated 3 August)
OK so I don’t want to encourage any paranoia, and I know from personal experience that it’s painful to read things which say “children at age x are doing xyz” when your child is nowhere near doing those things. But sometimes it’s helpful to know what sort of things are expected in terms of an “average” child’s development.
Scroll down the page to read the questionnaires KEMH send out prior to the 1 year corrected and 2 year corrected developmental assessments.
—
Play & Learning Programme Developmental Checklist
This is the text of a brochure published by the State Child Development Centre. It’s not for prems, so you’ll need to use your child’s corrected age not actual age. I found my daughter didn’t do things in the time frame suggested (she was late with many if not all milestones in her first 18 months) but in roughly the same order.
Development is a continuous process. It proceeds stage by stage in an orderly sequence. Every child is a unique indivdual and will proceed through the stages at varying rates. Therefore this checklist should serve only as a guide.
0-1 month
Primary development: senses (sight, taste, touch, smell, hearing)
1-3 months
Primary development: trust; vision (to about 25cm at 3 months); hearing
Motor: neck development
Language: coo at 6 weeks
Social: smile
Suggested toys/games: Mobiles in primary colours; parents’ voice & faces
3-6 months
Primary development: hand play
Motor: hand play - grasp, knock, reach, transfer; roll & rest on arms; find feet
Language: chuckle; vocalise socially
Social: respond to friendly handling
Suggested toys/games: hold, touch, feel & cuddle baby; floor play - rug; rattles; pram beads; scrunch bag; robot man; wrist & ankle toys.
Dangers: small objects, toxic paints etc, long strings
6-9 months
Primary development: object permanence
Motor: sit; crawl; pincer grip; pull to stand; chew
Language: double syllables; babbling; tuneful vocalisation
Social: peek-a-boo; wary of strangers; show anger & pleasure
Suggested toys/games: bath toys (on to school age); action rhymes (eg ride a cock horse, peek-a-boo, round & round the garden); book - feel, picture; rolling and knocking toys; texture books and blocks; unbreakable mirrors
Dangers: unsafe areas; power points; crush injuries when pulling up
9-12 months
Primary development: mobility
Motor: drop toys; bring 2 objects to midline; cruise about; cast objects
Language: babbling tunefully; try to copy sounds; understand “no” and “bye-bye”
Social: recognise people from 6 months; know own name
Suggested toys/games: texture books and blocks; books; action rhymes (eg row row row your boat, pat-a-cake); emptying cupboards, boxes etc
Dangers: crushing injuries - heavy furniture, toybox lids; stairs & high places; dangling cords or clothes
1-2 years
Primary development: spatial awareness
Motor: walk; step; jump; climb; climb backwards downstairs; squat; push & pull; drink from cup
Language: understand more than they can say; some recognisable words (5 at 15 months, 20 at 18 months); vivid jargon; obey simple commands
Social: swing from dependence to independence; show jealousy; negative behaviour; needs parents close but wanting freedom to explore; encourage independence in feeding, dressing; copy everyday tasks.
Suggested toys/games: pull along toys; large paper and crayons; busy box; soft dolly & basket; telephone; shape box; box car; texture play (play dough, sandpit); music & singing; talk about; hammer toys; soft ball; action rhymes; cardboard books
Dangers: climbing hazards; choking, poisoning, crushing, electrical. May wander. Parents need to set a good example eg avoid taking tablets, carrying things in mouth, bad language, aggressive behaviour
2-3 years
Primary development: ego; concept development; parallel play
Motor: run; walk up & down stairs; gain height with chairs & boxes; throw; circular scribble; turn page singly; twist & screw; competent with cup & spoon
Language: 2 & 3 word sentences; vocabulary of 50-900+ words; echolalia (parroting)
Social: try to be independent & show developing will; may tantrum in fear, frustrations or dreams; can play alone; drussing & undressing skills; ask for food, drink & toilet; opportunity for choice, routine, patience & firmness
Suggested toys/games: toy stove; clock; dress up, hats; letter box; construction eg blocks, duplo; inset boards; sand & water play; stories & games with adults; outings; cartons for imaginative play
Dangers: roads & carparks; stranger danger; climbing hazards; sharp implements; also as for 1-2 years
3-4 years
Primary development: imagination; social play; need companionship of adults who are patient, consistent, tactful & encouraging; need companionship of other children
Motor: walk on tip toes; stand on 1 foot; throw a ball; go upstairs alternate feet; downstairs 2 together; climb & jump; turn tricycle pedals; copy circle & cross; eat with spoon & fork; uses scissors with 1 hand
Language: talk freely; ask questions who? what? where?; 3-6 word sentences; non-fluent & difficult to understand
Social: play happily with 1 or 2 children; begin to share; may be dry at night; make believe play; co-operative, loving & friendly; need companionship of other children; often revert to baby behaviour for reassurance
Suggested toys/games: puppets; road map & houses; hobby horse; stilts; hose; telephone; jigsaws; dolls house; construction toys; chance for vigorous play with outdoor material, tricycle etc.
Dangers: adventurous without fear; water; heights
4-5 years
Primary development: push the limits; preparation for school; need to be treated as a reasonable person; need careful, truthful answers
Motor: hop on 1 foot; walk up and down stairs, alternate feet; skilful self navigation; balls skills, catch ball; creative skills with scissors, glue; adult pencil grip; dress & undress except for laces, ties & back buttons
Language: 1500+ words; listen and tell long stories; confuse fact & fantasy; remember songs & verses; give address & age; question everything
Social: general behaviour more independent; need company; purpose & persistence developing; noticing difference between boys & girls; role model of own sex is important
Suggested toys/games: role playing of people & jobs; jigsaws; puppets; threading small beads & sewing; small group play; make believe play; creative activities with scissors, glue, boxes etc; excursions & outings to help them understand the wider world; draw a man; pre-reading games; matching colours, textures, sounds; using scales; musical instruments
Dangers: adventurous without fear; water; heights
5-6 years
Primary development: opportunity to perfect language; manipulative & social skills
Motor: strong grip with both hands; cut along curved line; draw pictures with idea in mind; copy triangle; count 10-12 objects; use knife & fork; play and build constructively
Language: fluent & grammatically correct; name colours, match 12 colours; enjoy jokes & riddles
Social: calm, reliable, friendly & well-adjusted; often have unreasonable fears eg dark, machines; understand need for order and tidiness, rules & fair play; choose own friends; comfort friends in distress
Suggested toys/games: natural science games eg ant farm, growing, kites & paper planes, magnets, magnifying; ball games with skills eg goals; complicated floor games with planning eg cubby houses; indoor tennis racquets & balls; dolls house; ropes, stilts, adventure playground; dice games.
—
12 month corrected questionnaire
I thought some of you might be interested to know what sort of milestones are looked for at the 12 month assessment. KEMH in Perth send out a questionnaire prior to each appointment. It’s from a developmental screening system called Ages and Stages http://www.agesandstages.com/ and you can see some sample questionnaires on their website. I don’t know if other hospitals in Australia use this system or not.
You try each activity with your child and score them Yes, Sometimes or Not Yet.
Please don’t stress too much if your baby is 12 months corrected, or older, and not doing all (or any) of these things. (Mine wasn’t 
) Remember they are all different, and all make progress in their own way and at their own speed.
Gross Motor
1. While holding onto furniture, does your baby bend down and pick up a toy from the floor and then return to a standing position?
2. While holding onto furniture, does your baby lower herself with control (without falling or flopping down)?
3. Does your baby walk along furniture while holding on with only one hand?
4. If you hold both hands just to balance him, does your baby take several steps without tripping or falling? (If your baby already walks alone, check “yes” for this item.)
5. When you hold on to one hand just to balance her, does your baby take several steps forward? (If your baby already walks alone, check “yes” for this item.)
6. Does your baby stand up in the middle of the floor by himself and take several steps forward?
Fine Motor
1. After one or two tries, does your baby pick up a piece of string with her first finger and thumb? (The string may be attached to a toy.)
2. Does your baby pick up a crumb or Cheerio with the tips of his thumb and a finger? He may rest his arm or hand on the table while doing it.
3. Does your baby put a small toy down, without dropping it, and then take her hand off the toy?
4. Without resting his arm or hand on the table, does your baby pick up a crumb or Cheerio with the tip of his thumb and a finger?
5. Does your baby throw a small ball with a forward arm motion? (If he simply drops the ball, check “not yet” for this item.)
6. Does your baby help turn the pages of a book? (You may lift a page for her to grasp.)
Communication
1. If you ask her to, does your baby play at least one nursery game even if you don’t show her the activity yourself (eg “bye-bye”, “Peekaboo”, “clap your hands”, “So Big”)?
2. Does your baby follow one simple command, such as “Come here,” “Give it to me,” or “Put it back,” without your using gestures?
3. Does your baby say one word in addition to “Mama” and “Dada”? (A “word” is a sound or sounds the baby says consistently to mean someone or something, such as “baba” for bottle.)
4. When you ask, “Where is the ball (hat, shoe, etc.)?” does your baby look at the object? Make sure the object is present. Check “yes” if he knows one object.
5. When your baby wants something, does she tell you by pointing to it?
6. Does your baby shake his head when he means “no” or “yes”?
Problem Solving
1. While holding a small toy in each hand, does your baby clap the toys together (like “Pat-a-cake”)?
2. Does your baby poke at or try to get a crumb or Cheerio that is inside a clear bottle (such as a plastic soda-pop bottle or baby bottle)?
3. After he watches you hide a small toy under a piece of paper or cloth, does your baby find it? (Be sure the toy is completely hidden.)
4. If you put a small toy into a bowl or box, does your baby copy you by putting in a toy, although she may not let go of it? (If she already lets go of the toy into a bowl or box, check “yes” for this item.)
5. Does your baby drop two small toys, one after the other, into a container like a bowl or box? (You may show him how to do it.)
6. After you scribble back and forth on paper with a crayon (or a pencil or pen), does your baby copy you by scribbling? (If she already scribbles on her own, check “yes” for this item.)
Personal-Social
1. When you hold out your hand and ask for his toy, does your baby offer it to you even if he doesn’t let go of it? (If he already lets go of the toy into your hand, check “yes” for this item.)
2. When you dress her, does your baby push her arm through a sleeve once her arm is started in the hole of the sleeve?
3. When you hold out your hand and ask for his toy, does your baby let go of it into your hand?
4. When you dress her, does your baby lift her foot for her shoe, sock or pant leg?
5. Does your baby roll or throw a ball back to you so that you can return it to him?
6. Does your baby play with a doll or stuffed animal by hugging it?
—