Developmental milestones

Fine Motor

Milestone

• Holds a rattle if you put it into their hand
• Head control gradually developing since birth

Needs assessment

• Does not follow objects with eyes
• Persistent fisting of hands

Gross Motor

Milestone

• Baby easy to hold and cuddle – not overly stiff or floppy
• Uses both sides of their body in the same way
• Turns head to both sides and does not have a strong preference for looking one way

Needs assessment

• Any differences between right and left sides of body (in strength, movement or muscle tone)
• Head falls back when pulled to sitting position

Speech & Language

Milestone

Feeding:

• Moves their tongue backward and forward while sucking and swallowing
• Moves their jaw up and down
• Coordinates sucking, swallowing, and breathing while feeding

Communication:

• Makes eye contact with mother
• Responds to human voice

Needs assessment

• No turn-taking or variety in sounds
• Poor or no response to sound

Social Skills

Milestone

• Seems interested in people socially and attends to mother’s face
• Smiles spontaneously

Needs assessment

• No preference for mother or other people
• Does not look directly at people’s eyes

Cognitive

Milestone

• Makes active movements
• Puts hands to mouth
• Shows an active, visual interest in the world and people
• Has times of being alert

Needs assessment

• Inactive, detached (limited display of emotion)

Fine Motor

Milestone

• Brings hands together in midline and across chest to mouth
• Holds a toy in palm with fingers on top of the toy
• Reaches toward objects with two hands
• Able to push up onto straight arms from tummy
• Smiles at self in mirror and looks at hands in midline
• Follows slow moving objects with their eyes

Needs assessment

• Obvious differences in use of right and left arms
• Persistent fisting of hands

Gross Motor

Milestone

• Holds their steady when being carried
• Tolerates lying on tummy with weight on forearms and head lifted
• Keeps head in the middle and follow a swinging toy when lying on back
• Beginning to reach for knees or feet when laying on back

Needs assessment

• Cannot lift head and shoulder when lying on tummy
• Cannot roll over
• Floppy back when held in sitting
• Any differences between right and left sides of body (in strength, movement or muscle tone)
• Appears overly stiff or floppy

Speech & Language

Milestone

3 to 5 months:

• ‘Coo’s with sounds like “ooh, aah”
• Turns head when hearing a voice
• Smiles and laughs at person

6 months:

• Points to or looks at familiar people when asked e.g., “where’s daddy?”
• Looks at you and babbles like “ga-ga-ga” or “mum-mum-mum”

Needs assessment

• No turn taking or variety in sounds
• Poor or no response to sound

Social Skills

Milestone

• Smiles in reaction to familiar situations (bath, feeds)
• Smiles and responds preferentially to familiar people in familiar situations e.g. bath, feeds
• Cries or makes other signals to bring others to their side

Needs assessment

• No preference for mother or other people
• Does not look directly at people’s eyes
• No responsive smiling or laughing
• Negative or over-reaction to touch

Cognitive

Milestone

• Examines what is in hand
• Resists objects being taken out of hand
• Expresses pleasure with new objects and experiences

Needs assessment

• Not interested in what is in hand
• Not interested in people

Fine Motor

Milestone

• Looks at objects or people 3 metres away
• Holds toys and passes them from one hand to the other
• Reaches for toys whilst on tummy with one arm
• Reaches directly for objects in all directions
• Holds toys with thumb and all fingers

Needs assessment

• Unable to use index finger in isolation

Gross Motor

Milestone

• Enjoys being on ‘tummy time’
• Rolls from their back to their tummy and tummy to their back
• Enjoys sitting with back straight with a little support
• Stands with some support with flat feet

Needs assessment

• Can’t sit alone
• No crawling motion
• Unable to hold bodyweight or push up through legs in standing position
• Any differences between right and left sides of body (in strength, movement and muscle tone)

Speech & Language

Milestone

Feeding:

• Eats solid or lumpy food
• Sucks on finger/foods

Communication:

• Imitates gestures e.g., waving
• Recognises familiar words
• Responds to turn-taking games e.g. ‘peek a boo’

Needs assessment

• No turn-taking or variety in sounds
• Limited or no babble
• Poor or no response to sound
• No recognition of own name
• No attempts to imitate sound

Social Skills

Milestone

• Reserved, wary, or crying with strangers
• Will look for parent
• Plays peek-a-boo
• Claps in imitation

Needs assessment

• Prefers to play alone
• No difference in responses to strangers and familiar people

Cognitive

Milestone

• Looks at and feels objects in hand
• Picks up and puts down objects
• Enjoys exploring and moving around
• Searches for dropped objects

Needs assessment

• Cannot tell the different between new experiences and familiar ones
• No difference in responses to strangers and familiar people

Fine Motor

Milestone
9 months:

• Claps hands and bangs things together
• Pokes at small objects
• Points with index finger
• Holds onto biscuits and puts it in their mouth
• Searches for hidden toys
• Lets go of toys voluntarily
• Beginning to play

12 months:

• Picks up small objects (sultanas) between finger and thumb
• Points to objects and pictures in books and holes in toys
• Puts toys or objects into containers
• Tries to feed themselves with spoon (still very messy)

Needs assessment

• Unable to use index finger in isolation
• Unable to use thumb and index finger to pick up objects

Gross Motor

Milestone
9 months:

• Moves around on stomach by creeping or crawling
• Sit by themselves and reaches for toys without falling
• Stands at a table with little help for a length of time on flat feet

12 months:

• Crawls everywhere
• Pulls up on furniture to stand
• Walks around furniture with flat feet
• Climbs onto objects

Needs assessment

• Unable to stand whilst holding on to something
• No crawling or bottom shuffling
• Any differences between right and left sides of body (in strength, movement or muscle tone)

Social Skills

Milestone

• Waves bye-bye on request
• Likes to be within sight and hearing of familiar adult
• Shows two or more recognisable emotions e.g., fear, pleasure, distress
• Seeking contact with regular caregivers and is concerned when caregiver departs
• Smiles or vocalises to make social contact

Needs assessment

• Prefers to play alone
• No difference in responses to strangers and familiar people
• No response to affection by caregivers
• Lack of awareness of social behaviours such as waving or noticing someone enter the room

Speech & Language

Milestone

9-10 months (feeding):

• Chews using an up and down motion
• Eats most food consistencies
• Drinks from a cup or spout with help

9-10 months (communication):

• Recognises and responds to own name
• Babbles by combining sounds e.g. ‘ma-ba-da’ • Copies noises and sounds e.g., animals
• Uses sound patterns that mean something to them but are not real words
• Obeys simple commands in context for example, “going to car” while mum has keys at the door

11-12 months:

• Imitates facial expressions
• Indicates rejection of attention, objects by non-verbal and verbal cues e.g. crying / pushing something away / shaking head
• Follows simple motor instructions with visual cues e.g., wave ‘bye bye’
• Uses one or more words with meaning e.g., ball, keys

Needs assessment

• No single words
• No babble phrases that ‘sound’ like normal language
• No interest in language, communication
• No recognition of individual words

Cognitive

Milestone

• Finds hidden objects in game (block under cup)
• Actively explores world
• Copies actions

Needs assessment

• Forgets objects or loses interest as soon as they are out of view

Fine Motor

Milestone

• Picks up small objects with the tip of thumb and index finger
• Holds onto pencils and crayons and tries to scribble
• Tries to build with blocks
• Tries to help when getting dressed e.g. takes off socks, holds up foot to put in shoe, push legs and arms through pants or shirt
• Feeds themselves with a spoon with some spills
• Drinks from cup (often spills drink)

Needs assessment

• Can’t stack blocks
• No understanding of using a pencil

Gross Motor

Milestone
12 to 15 months:

• Walks with one hand held with flat feet
• Climbs onto lounge / furniture

15 to 18 months:

• Walks for long distances by themselves
• Walks on flat feet and squats down to play with flat feet
• Turns around on the spot
• Tries to kick a ball

Needs assessment

• Unable to stand alone or walk
• Unsteady or uneven gait / walking pattern
• Can’t kick a ball

Speech & Language

Milestone

Communication:

• Understands simple commands e.g. “give to mummy” used in every day routines
• Understands more words than they say
• Answers ‘yes or no’ and ‘who or what or where’ questions
• Can say between four to 30 words but still uses some babble
• Points to object when named
• Uses simple words, gestures and facial expressions to make wants known e.g. “up” to be picked up.

Needs assessment

• No clear words
• No babbling
• Doesn’t try to interact using language
• Can’t understand a single, short request like “where is the ball?”
• Doesn’t know names

Social Skills

Milestone

• Shows two or more recognisable emotions e.g., fear, pleasure, distress
• Seeks contact with regular caregivers and protests or distresses when caregiver departs
• Smiles or vocalises to make social contact

Needs assessment

• Prefers to play alone rather than socially
• Lack of interest in learning or books
• Lack of interest in body parts, clothing, objects, dressing
• No response to affection by caregivers

Cognitive

Milestone

• Searches for objects not only where last seen, but also in other places
• Plays correctly with toys such as pushing a car
• Completes simple puzzles, placing one or two shapes in holes

Needs assessment

• Doesn’t search for objects out of view
• Toy play is random e.g. just banging, dropping toys
• No understanding of what to do with puzzles

Fine Motor

Milestone

• Opens containers to get toys
• Can stack small blocks
• Copies actions
• Scribbles on paper making vertical and horizontal lines
• Plays with dolls and teddies e.g. give a drink, wash face or put to bed, push a car

Needs assessment

• Clumsy with stacking blocks
• Unable to copy or draw a vertical line
• Not interested in using pencil, no attempts at scribbling

Gross Motor

Milestone

• Walks up and down steps, holding on
• Jumps two feet together
• Throws a ball
• Runs

Needs assessment

• Unable to stand alone or walk
• Unsteady or uneven gait / walking pattern
• Can’t kick a ball

Speech & Language

Milestone

Feeding: eats most adult foods without difficulty

Communication:

• Understands the description of what objects are for e.g. “where’s the one we sit on”
• Refers to self by name
• Can say about 50 to 200 words and makes two to three word sentences
• Follows two-word instructions

Needs assessment

• Limited vocabulary: less than 10 words
• No combination of words into sentences
• Most of what is said is not easily understood
• Confused by short sentences
• Understands less than 10-20 words
• Not interested in books and stories

Social Skills

Milestone

• Plays side by side with same age friend
• Identifies many body parts
• Helps with dressing and undressing
• Helps around the house with simple tasks
• Uses a spoon
• Shows early imaginative play

Needs assessment

• No interest in personal skills like dressing and undressing
• No interest in helping in social or household activities
• No interest in learning to feed self
• Play is not imaginative / representative: just pushing, dropping, hitting objects
• No sense of who they are
• Does not respond to parent’s attempt to soothe

Cognitive

Milestone

• Opens screw toy
• Does puzzle with three items and shapes
• Copies familiar or recent experience in play e.g., teddy goes to a doctor
• Uses one object to stand for another like a block for a car

Needs assessment

• No success or persistence to complete simple puzzle with 1 to 2 objects
• Play is physical and repetitive with little pretending
• Limited range of interest and activities in play

Fine Motor

Milestone
24-30 months:

• Hand preference developing
• Threads large beads, puts pieces into puzzles, builds with up to three blocks
• Tries and wash own hands
• Feeds self with spoon/fork
• Can logically sequence in play (e.g. put blocks in truck, drive truck, dump blocks)

30-36 months:

• Holds onto a pencil to draw and imitate simple strokes
• Assists with dressing and is able to take off most clothes
• Play involves logical, detailed actions; less frequent events e.g., going to movies/zoo
• Can use an object to represent different things in play
• Matches two to three colours

Needs assessment

• Unable to copy / draw lines, crosses and circles
• Unable to use cutlery
• Unable to undo buttons
• No ability with scissors (although ability can depend on experience)
• Continually seeking out certain textures, sounds, or movements
• Sensitive to or avoids certain textures, sounds, or movements

Gross Motor

Milestone

• Walks up and down stairs with two feet to a step (2 years), alternate feet to ascend (3 years)
• Can jump off a step
• Tries to stand on one foot (2 years), three seconds on preferred leg (3 years)
• Starting to run (2 years), able to run, change directions, obstacles without falling over frequently
• Throw and kick a ball
• Climbs on and off an adult chair
• Kneels upright without support

Needs assessment

• Unsteady balance
• Can’t balance on one foot
• Weakness
• Poor quality movement
• Clumsy
• Falls often

Social Skills

Milestone

• Responds differently to family or other familiar people
• Looks for a familiar person when in need of attention
• Plays beside other children
• Dramatic play e.g. feeds doll, talks on pretend phone
• Experiencing tantrums but able to be calmed down

Needs assessment

• No interest in learning how to dress self
• No awareness or response to name
• No interest in helping in social or household activities
• No apparent awareness of own feeling
• Unable to name own sex
• No interest in learning to feed self
• Play is mechanical and repetitive with little change, imagination or human content
• Does not respond to parent’s attempts to calm child down

Speech & Language

Milestone

Feeding: eats most adult foods without difficulty

24-30 months:

• Says about 200 words including nouns, verbs and modifiers (may use words such as ‘tar’ for ‘car’)
• Uses sentences with two to four words
• Uses words such as “me” to name themselves

30-36 months:

• Follows instructions with two simple parts e.g. find your shoes and socks, if part of a daily routine.
• Asks questions beginning in “wh” e.g., “what’s daddy doing” • Uses sentences using more than 4 words
• Makes these sounds w, p, b, k, g, t, d, n, m, h, y
• Uses verbs with ‘-ing’ e.g., jumping
• Uses plurals (e.g. dogs)

Needs assessment

• Persistent copying of talking/echolalia e. g. repeating parts of movies, phrases
• Mostly can’t understand
• Limited grammar and vocabulary
• Limited content, interest or variation in the language
• Can’t follow a 2 to 3 step instruction
• Still understands only simplified baby language

Cognitive

Milestone

• Play includes imaginary objects
• Draws face with crude features
• Recognises number
• Repeats back two to three numbers
• Understands concepts of bigger and smaller
• Recognises money

Needs assessment

• Play shows little imagination
• No understanding of using pen beyond scribble
• No understanding of numbers beyond copying, counting
• No awareness of money

Fine Motor

Milestone

• Holds a pencil, crayon or approximately like an adult
• Colours a simple picture attempting to stay within the lines
• Copies a circle ‘O’ and cross ‘+’
• Draws a person with a head and one other body part.
• Cuts forward along a 10cm line
• Puts together a six-piece jigsaw puzzle
• Opens a lunch box and screws
• Unscrews lid off drink bottle
• Washes and dries own hands
• Uses a spoon/fork with little spillage
• Dresses and undresses with some assistance for small buttons
• Play includes things seen on TV/books
• Dolls or teddies have characteristics e.g., naughty or tired

Needs assessment

• Can’t hold a pencil at all, or still holding in a fisted grasp with pencil in palm of hand
• Not interested in drawing at all
• Not drawing simple pictures
• Not assisting or interested in trying to groom and bath
• Unable to dress
• Continually seeking out certain textures, sounds, or movements
• Sensitive to or avoids certain textures, sounds, or movements

Gross Motor

Milestone

• Attempts to pedal a tricycle (3 years) and successful (4 years)
• Walks up stairs with alternate feet
• Throws ball over arm
• Catches a medium sized ball from one to two metres with arms held out
• Kicks ball forcibly
• Plays well on outdoor playground equipment such as climbing and slippery slides
• Able to run, change directions, step over obstacles without falling over frequently

Needs assessment

• Can’t walk up and down stairs with one foot per step
• Awkward heavy running with lots of arm movement
• Not able to climb (may be fearful, anxious)
• Can’t pedal a tricycle
• Can’t catch or kick ball

Social Skills

Milestone

• Beginning to play cooperatively with others
• Imitates adult movements and tasks
• Can separate from caregiver in familiar places
• Shows guilt or embarrassment
• Shows empathy
• Experiences tantrums but able to be calmed down

Needs assessment

• Plays alone or alongside other children rather than being cooperative
• Unable to take turns or share
• Persistent frustration if other children attempt to participate in play
• Can’t separate from parents without crying
• Play remains receptive and physical, with little play representing what people do e.g. shopping, police officer, driving a truck
• Does not respond to appropriate behavioural management strategies

Speech & Language

Milestone

• Follows more complex instructions with two to three parts that are not part of a daily routine e.g. find your shoes, and then get a book off the table
• Understands location words: in, on, under, next to.
• Identifies colours
• Uses sentences to express ideas, to comment, entertain themselves during imaginative play and asks questions e.g.
  “what’s this?”
• Is understood by an unfamiliar listener
• Can say sounds: f, sh, ch, l, s, z including clusters e.g., ‘spoon’ instead of ‘poon’
• Talks about recent experiences and participates in short conversations

Needs assessment

• Awkward sentences, missing grammatical elements
• Talks on and on rather than taking turns
• Can’t tell a simple story or recent event
• Strangers not able to understand
• Limited or very fixed interests
• Frustration at not being able to express thoughts
• Still need to simplify what you say for them to understand

Cognitive

Milestone

• Complex play with stories with different roles
• Able to compare objects higher or longer
• Counts to five
• Counts objects as well as rote counting
• Can repeat four numbers

Needs assessment

• No recognition of written numbers and letters
• Unable to point to and count objects
• Unable to draw a human face

Fine Motor

Milestone

• Holds a pencil, crayon like an adult with good pressure / control on paper (ask parent to describe grasp)
• Colours a simple picture staying mainly within lines
• Can copy a square, a cross, straight lines
• Can draw a recognisable person with a head, facial features, arms and legs.
• Cuts around simple straight lined shapes
• Puts together a 10 to 15 piece jigsaw puzzle
• Opens a container or lunch box
• Can screw and unscrew a lid off drink bottle
• Zips bag or pencil case
• Washes and dries own hands
• Uses a fork and spoon competently
• Dresses and undresses including buttons and zippers
• Play involves imaginary subplots or problems e.g. car breaks down – how do we fix it?
• Can cooperate and negotiate in play

Needs assessment

• Unable to thread using large needle
• Unable to copy (draw) basic shapes (triangle, circle, lines)
• Unable to copy letters that are recognisable
• Not drawing simple pictures
• Difficulty using a pencil and scissors
• No clear hand preference (where it affects performance in everyday activities)
• Continually seeking out certain textures, sounds, or movements
• Sensitive to or avoids certain textures, sounds, or movements

Gross Motor

Milestone

• Runs well, negotiates corners
• Goes up and down stairs using alternate feet
• Hops on one foot
• Catches a small ball
• Stands on one leg for four to eight seconds
• Jumps consecutively maintaining rhythm four to five times

Needs assessment

• Loses balance easily when moving
• Awkward and uncoordinated running, stumbling, frequently tripping over
• Fears or avoids playground equipment
• Not able to stand on one foot more than two to three seconds
• Not able to hop on one foot more than four to five times (either leg), or able to hop on one foot only
• Not able to catch, throw, or kick a ball
• Not able to pedal a tricycle or a bike with trainer wheels

Cognitive

Milestone

• Identifies coins and notes
• Counts 10 to 20 objects
• Understands concepts of morning, afternoon
• Can compare objects e.g. faster, slower.
• Can complete simple activities before moving to a new activity e. g. jigsaw puzzle

Needs assessment

• Unaware of money, number and time concepts
• Play is different in quality than friends’
• Concerns about school readiness
• Difficulty completing activities without getting distracted or bored e.g., jigsaw puzzle

Speech & Language

Milestone

• Asks many questions
• Says sounds: ‘J’ (in addition to: w, p, b, k, g, t, d, n, m, h, y, f, sh, ch, l, s, z, blends ‘sp’, ‘sm’)
• Understands location words: “behind, in front, above, below”
• Retells what happened in a story or something they have done
• Can identify the first sound in the word
• Knows the names of letters and what sounds they make
• Understands numbers and quantity concepts
• Nearly all sentences are correct
• Speech is easily understood

Needs assessment

• Regular trouble with finding individual words
• Often makes grammatical mistakes
• Unable to respond to questions e.g. what, why
• Can’t understand or explain meanings of common words
• Mistakes with grammar, tense, personal pronouns or prepositions
• Concerns from pre-school teachers about whether the child is able to understand
• Unable to repeat longer sentences (eight words or more)

Social Skills

Milestone

• Shows desire to please caregiver
• Recognises emotions in self and others
• Shows guilt or embarrassment
• Shows empathy
• Separates from parents easily
• Can focus on teacher or worker, and concentrate for some time
• Steers self back to task after being distracted
• Asks for help
• Expresses frustration or anger without harming others or escalating self too much
• Responds to appropriate behaviour management

Needs assessment

• Not independent with eating and dressing
• Unable or not interested in participating in group games and activities
• No problem-solving skills if they don’t get their own way
• Not responding to appropriate behaviour management strategies

Fine Motor

Milestone

• Holds a pencil like an adult with good pressure and control on paper (ask parent to describe grasp)
• Draws a recognisable person with a head, body, arms, legs and other features
• Colours in a picture neatly staying within the lines
• Copies name
• Copies letters of the alphabet
• Cuts around simple pictures
• Knows left and right
• Puts together a 15 to 20 piece puzzle
• Opens a container/lunch box
• Screw / unscrew a lid off drink bottle
• Zips bag or pencil case
• Washes and dries own hands
• Brushes teeth independently
• Learning to tie shoelaces
• Uses a knife and fork competently
• Dresses and undresses independently
• Play is imaginary, complex and ongoing

Needs assessment

• Finds it difficult and tiring to grasp and use pencil
• Difficulty using scissors
• Unable to dress self independently
• Relies greatly on caregiver for bathing, grooming, and feeding
• Continually seeking out certain textures, sounds, or movements
• Sensitive to or avoids certain textures, sounds, or movements

Gross Motor

Milestone

• Skips without a rope
• Starting to skip with a rope
• Bounce and catch a tennis ball (6 years)
• Runs up stairs
• Runs to kick a ball
• Can jump down from two to three steps
• Stands on one foot for eight to 10 seconds
• Walks along a narrow line
• Hops forward on either leg for two to three metres
• Participates appropriately with peers in sporting programs in school and the community

Needs assessment

• Not able to jump, skip, hop, or run in a coordinated way
• Bumping into objects such as furniture and people, tripping and falling over
• Gets tired easily with every activity

Cognitive

Milestone

• Learning to tell right and left
• Understands the days of week
• Meeting early curriculum expectations
• Able to complete basic addition using aids e.g., fingers
• Counts backwards from 10
• Can maintain attention for short periods e.g. single class lesson

Needs assessment

• No concept of right and left
• Struggles with early curriculum expectations
• Teacher concerns e.g., the suggestion of repeating kindergarten
• Is frustrated about learning or the classroom
• Difficulty maintaining attention

Speech & Language

Milestone

• Understands most adult conversations
• Follows all complex instructions
• Says “r” sound
• Understands time words e.g. “yesterday, today and tomorrow”
• Understands and discusses feelings
• Understands the function and meaning of words and can talk about these e.g. knife: name something that is sharp, cut with
• Use joining words like ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘so’ and ‘because’ correctly in sentences
• Understands comparisons e.g., bigger/biggest
• Tells simple stories

Needs assessment

• Concerns from teachers about expressive abilities
• Frustration in the classroom or playground due to not being able to express self properly
• Trouble finding the right word
• Grammatically incorrect sentences
• Lack of awareness of what the listener already knows
• Concerns from teacher about understanding what is being said
• Child reports confusion in conversation with friends or in the classroom
• Difficulties with learning to read

Social Skills

Milestone

• Addresses at least two familiar people by name
• Verbalises an interest in the environment
• Shows desire to please caregiver
• Recognises emotions in self and others
• Shows guilt or embarrassment
• Shows empathy
• Separates from parents easily
• Can focus on teacher or worker, and concentrate for some time
• Steers self back to task after being distracted
• Asks for help
• Expresses frustration or anger without harming others or escalating self too much

Needs assessment

• Aggressive behaviour
• Prefers playing alone.
• No problem-solving skills if frustrated, or they don’t get their own way
• Lack of interest in other children or any social play
• Difficulty managing behaviour

Fine Motor

Milestone

• Draw a detailed picture e.g., of a person and or a house
• Colours in a picture neatly staying within the lines
• Writes letters of the alphabet correctly
• Writes sentences neatly
• Copies written work from the board
• Cuts around complex pictures
• Completes puzzles
• Zips bag or pencil case
• Uses a knife and fork competently
• Dresses and undresses independently
• Ties shoelaces
• Independent with toileting during the day and night

Needs assessment

• Poor legibility and speed of handwriting compared to peers
• Difficulty using scissors
• Unable to tie shoelaces and dress self independently
• Relies greatly on caregiver for bathing, grooming and feeding
• Continually seeking out certain textures, sounds, or movements
• Sensitive to or avoids certain textures, sounds, or movements

Gross Motor

Milestone

• Starts and maintains relationships with family, and friendships with peers
• Discloses feelings and regulates emotions
• Shows empathy
• Becoming independent of parent
• Responds to appropriate behaviour management strategies
• Participates in well established, rule-based group games
• Resolves conflicts without seeking adult intervention
• Understands the individual strengths and interests of other children

Needs assessment

• Aggressive behaviour
• Prefers playing alone
• No problem-solving skills if frustrated, or they don’t get their own way
• Lack of interest in other children or play
• Persistent self-centred focus (problems are always somebody else’s fault)

Social Skills

Milestone

• Able to tell right and left, days of week
• Able to repeat three digits backwards
• Able to perform simple letter-number sequencing
• Able to count backwards from 20
• Understand time and how to tell the time
• Can perform addition with multiple digit numbers
• Can work independently at a task without getting easily distracted
• Can maintain attention for longer periods of time

Needs assessment

• Confusion between left and right (beyond Year 1)
• Struggles with curriculum expectations
• Teacher concerns regarding academic performance
• Child is frustrated about learning or the classroom
• Difficulty maintaining attention
• Child is unable to work independently on tasks

Speech & Language

Milestone

• Uses sentences with correct grammar e.g., “I have two feet”, not “I have two foots”
• Uses joining words like ‘although’ and ‘if’ correctly in sentences
• Uses complex clauses e.g. “the man who was wearing a blue hat was walking to the movies”
• Knows all sounds and letters for reading
• Tells and writes a story with simple beginning, middle and end structures
• Relates events in correct sequence when telling or writing a story
• Understands indirect instructions e.g. “it’s cold in here” to mean “ close the door”
• Alter politeness depending on who they are talking to e.g., a peer compared to a school principal

Needs assessment

• Concerns from teachers about expressive abilities
• Frustration in the classroom or playground due to not being able to express self properly
• Trouble finding the right word
• Grammatically incorrect sentences
• Lack of awareness of what the listener already knows
• Concerns from teacher about understanding
• Child reports confusion in conversation with friends or in the classroom
• Difficulties with learning to read

Cognitive

Milestone

• Skips without a rope
• Skips well with a rope
• Jumps over small objects
• Runs downstairs
• Participates appropriately with peers in sporting programs in school and/or the community

Needs assessment

• Uncoordinated with ball skills
• Over eight years, not being able to ride a bike without trainer wheels
• Gets tired easily with every activity

Fine Motor

Milestone

• Writes letters and numbers correctly and legibly
• Organises written work neatly on a page
• Copies written work from the blackboard
• Completes written work at an appropriate speed
• Completes written work without reporting pain in hand or arm
• Organises themselves and their belongings
• Independent with toileting during the day and night
• Can use adult tools for basic tasks e.g. saws and hammers, sewing

Needs assessment

• Difficulty with construction and fine manipulative work
• Poor legibility and speed of handwriting compared to peers
• Gets tired easily when completing a fine motor or writing task
• Seeks out, or avoids, certain textures, sounds, or movements

Gross Motor

Milestone

• Jumps down four or more stairs / can skip fast with a skipping rope
• Rides a bicycle / is able to swim
• Participates appropriately with peers in sporting programs in school or the community
• Shows increased body awareness and self-perception
• Shows increased awareness of their own physical skills and how they appear to others

Needs assessment

• Avoidance of sports in general
• Avoidance of team sports
• Feelings of being ‘bad’ or ‘hopeless’ at physical activities
• Frustration and poor self-confidence
• Decreased levels of endurance and fitness

Speech & Language

Milestone

• Maintains one topic of conversation for several minutes
• Understands jokes and words have more than one meaning
• Follows all instructions without difficulty
• Uses descriptions when telling or writing stories
• Uses descriptions in other text e.g. reports and procedures to make writing more interesting
• Researches simple topics and writes reports and simple essays
• Read stories and reports, talk about the main ideas, what could happen next, and infer meaning from indirect statements

Needs assessment

• Unable to maintain a conversation
• Unable to follow multi-part instructions

Social Skills

Milestone

• Shows high independence from parents
• Starts and maintains relationships with family, friends and peers
• Regulates emotions and begins to understand other people’s emotions and act accordingly
• Can resolve social problems and conflicts
• Understands other people’s points of view
• Influenced by school and friends in the sense of what is important
• Responds to appropriate behaviour management strategies

Needs assessment

• Aggressive behaviour and cannot see things from another’s point of view
• Poorly developed idea of right and wrong
• Lack of compromise and flexibility
• Lack of empathy

Cognitive

Milestone

• Sustains attention for long periods of time
• Meets school curriculum expectations

Needs assessment

• Concerns about academic performance
• Unable to maintain attention
• Unable to work independently