Developmental Profiles and Growth Patterns
ONE TO THREE MONTHS
Motor Development
- Begins to lift head while lying on stomach
- Muscle strength and control improving, early movements are large and jerky; gradually become smoother and more purposeful
- Begins to and then completely relaxes fist, unfolds fingers
- Waves hands in an open or semi-open position
- Begins to raise head and upper body on arms when in a prone position
- Upper body parts are more active: clasps hands above face, waves arms about, reaches for objects
- May roll from front to back by turning head to one side and allowing trunk to follow; later infant may roll onto his/her side; eventually infant can roll from front to back to side at will
Cognitive Development
- Begins to fixate on a moving object that is held 12 inches away from face, may track the object as it moves in a horizantal or vertical path, visual tracking gradually becomes more smooth and less segmented
- Gazes in direction of moving objects after they disappear
- Does not search for an object if it falls out of reach or a toy that might be hidden by a blanket, "Out of sight, out of mind"
- Watches hands intently
- Moves eyes from one object to another
- Bats or hits at object closest to right or left hand with some degree of accuracy
- Localizes the source of a sound
- May attempt to keep toy in motion by repeating arm or leg movements
- Begins to mouth objects
FOUR TO SIX MONTHS
Motor Development
- Learns to roll from stomach to back with help
- Learns to roll from back to stomach with help
- May sit erect when supported
- Begins to show interest in holding a rattle and can do with some success
- Reaches for objects with both arms simultaneously; later reaches with one hand
- Reaches for toys
- Holds objects
- Reaches for feet and brings them to mouth
- Moves toys from hand to hand
- Begins to stand locking knees and bearing some weight when held and supported
- Turns head to localized sounds
- Follows people with eyes and turns head to keep in view
Cognitive Development
- Uses hand, mouth, and eyes to explore own body, toys, and surroundings
- Focuses eyes on smaller objects and may reach for them
- Attracted to bright light and interested in colored objects
- Indicates a desire to be picked up with some gesture or specific cry
- Focuses on the action(s) performed by objects such as banging or shaking
- Turns head towards and locates familiar voices and sounds
SEVEN TO NINE MONTHS
Motor Development
- Learns to sit up by his/her self for a short period of time (approximately 5 minutes)
- Uses finger and thumb to pick up objects suchas pieces of food (pincer grip)
- Begins to hold own bottle
- Pulls self into a crawling position by raising up on arms and drawing knees up beneath
- May accidentally begin scooting backwards when placed on his/her stomach; soon will transition to crawling forward
- Enjoys being held and supported in the standing position; may jump in place
Cognitive Development
- Uses hand, mouth, and eyes in coordination to explore own body, toys
- Imitates actions such as pat-a-cake, waving bye-bye, and playing peek-a-boo
- Shows some fear or hesitation when placed on a high surface sucha as a changing table, stairs; depth perception is becoming evident
- Searches for a toy or food that has been completely hidden under cloth; beginning to understand that objects continue to exist even when they cannont be seen
- Explores objects in many ways, turns them, feels surfaces, bangs & shakes them
- Reaches accurately with either hand
- Plays actively with small toys such as a rattle
- Holds small object in one hand while reaching toward another object
- Inspects objects with hands and eyes simultaneously
- Ten to Twelve Months
Speech and Language Development
- Babbles or jabbers deliberately to initiate a social interaction
- Shakes head for no
- Looks for a voice when name is called
- Babbles in sentence like sequences; followed later with a language like inflection
- Waves "bye-bye"
- Claps hands together when asked
- Imitates sounds that are similar to those already learned
- Imitates motor noises, tongue clicks etc
- May say "dada" or "mama"
- Enjoys rhyming and simple songs
- Shows interest in voalizing while listening to music
- Hands toy to an adult when appropriate gestures accompany the request
Social Development
- Clings to parent or caregiver while resisting separation, exhibits a fear of strangers
- Desires for caregiver to be in constant sight
- Enjoys being near and included in daily activities of caregiver or family members
- Enjoys novel experiences and opportunities to examine and explore new objects
- Begins to assert self be resisting caregiver’s requests
- Offers toys or objects to others
- Becomes attached to a favorite toy or object
- Looks toward and smiles at person calling his/her name
- Repeats behaviors that get attention
- Jabbers continuously
- Can execute simple directions and request
- Understands the meaning of the word or sign for "no"
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