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Stages of Development
The Looksee Checklist (formerly ndds developmental checklist) is an innovative developmental resource that follows a child from one month of age to six years. It provides a snapshot of a child’s development to discuss with parents. The simple one-page checklist also features a detachable sheet of activities for enhancing a child’s development.
Complete the Looksee Checklist today.
1 - 2 Months
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY ONE MONTH OF AGE, DOES YOUR BABY:
- Look at you?
- Startle to loud or sudden noise?
- Calm down when comforted?
- Suck well on the nipple?
BY TWO MONTHS OF AGE, DOES YOUR BABY:
- Follow movement with eyes?
- Study your face?
- Startle or wake to loud noises?
- Stop crying when comforted by you?
- Enjoy being touched and cuddled?
- Recognize and calm down to a familiar gentle voice?
- Have different cries?
- Have a variety of sounds?
- Suck well on the nipple?
- Feed every 2-4 hours during the day?
- Lift head when on tummy?
- Hold head up when held at your shoulder?
- Move arms and legs?
4 Months
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY FOUR MONTHS OF AGE, DOES YOUR BABY:
- Following a moving toy or person with eyes?
- Glance from one object to another?
- Make some sounds when looking at toys or people?
- Brighten to sound, especially to people's voices?
- Respond to you by making sounds and moving arms and legs?
- Laugh and smile in response to your laughs and smiles?
- Finish each feeding within 45 minutes?
- Lift head and chest and support self on forearms when placed on tummy?
- Bring both hands to chest and keep head in midline when laying on back?
- Hold head steady when supported at the chest or waist in sitting position?
- Reach for an object when supported in a sitting position?
- Hold an object briefly when placed in hand?
6 Months
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY SIX MONTHS OF AGE, DOES YOUR BABY:
- Swipe at and reach for objects within view?
- Turn head and look in the direction of a new sound?
- Respond to own name?
- Smile and babble when given adult attention?
- Vocalize pleasure and displeasure?
- Seem to respond to some words?
- Make sounds while you are talking to him/her?
- Roll from back to side?
- Push up on hands when on tummy?
- Sit with support?
- Use hands to reach, grasp, bang, and splash?
- Bring hands to toy or mouth?
- Pat and pull at your hair, glasses, or face?
- Sleep and feed at regular times?
9 Months
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY NINE MONTHS OF AGE, DOES YOUR BABY:
- Look for a hidden toy?
- Imitate facial expressions?
- Turn to look for a source of sound?
- Understand short instructions?
- Babble a series of different sounds?
- Make sounds or gestures to get attention or help?
- Sit without support for a few minutes?
- Attempt to move by crawling, "bum" shuffling, or pivoting on tummy?
- Stand with support when helped into standing position?
- Pass an object from one hand to the other?
- Pick up small items using thumb and first finger?
- Bang two objects together?
- Play games with you?
- Fuss or cry if familiar caregiver looks or behaves differently?
- Reach to be picked up and held?
12 Months
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY TWELVE MONTHS OF AGE, DOES YOUR BABY:
- Look at the person saying the baby's name?
- Understand simple requests and questions?
- Combine sounds together as though talking?
- Take turns making sounds with you?
- Consistently use three or more words?
- Hold, bite, and chew crackers?
- Get up into a sitting position from lying down without help?
- Crawl or "bum" shuffle easily?
- Pull up to stand at furniture?
- Walk holding onto your hands or furniture?
- Pick up small items using tips of thumbs and first finger?
- Take things out of containers?
- Show many emotions such as affection, anger, joy, or fear?
- Start games with you or show you toys?
- Seek comfort?
- Use facial expressions, actions, sounds, or words to make needs known or to protest?
15 Months
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY FIFTEEN MONTHS OF AGE, DOES YOUR BABY:
- Use five or more words?
- Look at pictures while you name them?
- Try to show you something by making sounds or words while reaching or pointing and looking at you?
- Imitate a few animal sounds?
- Use connected sounds that seem like little stories?
- Respond to own name when called?
- Pick up and eat finger food?
- Recognize some body parts on self and dolls?
- Crawl up stairs?
- Walk sideways holding onto furniture?
- Try to squat to pick up a toy from the floor?
- Remove socks and try to undo shoes?
- Stack two blocks?
- Use two hands while playing with a toy?
- Repeat an action that made you laugh?
- Look at you to see how to react?
18 Months
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY EIGHTEEN MONTHS OF AGE, DOES YOUR CHILD:
- Identify pictures in a book?
- Use a variety of familiar gestures?
- Follow directions using "on" and "under"?
- Make at least four different consonant sounds?
- Point to at least three different body parts when asked?
- Say 20 or more words?
- Hold a cup to drink?
- Pick up and eat finger food?
- Help with dressing by putting out arms and legs?
- Walk up a few stairs holding your hand?
- Walk alone?
- Squat to pick up a toy and stand back up without falling?
- Push and pull toys or other objects while walking forward?
- Stack three or more blocks?
- Show affection towards people, pets, or toys?
- Point to show you something?
- Look at you when you are talking to playing together?
2 Years
BY TWO YEARS OF AGE, DOES YOUR CHILD:
- Understand one and two step directions?
- Ask for help using words?
- Learn and use one or more new words a week?
- Join two words together?
- Eat most foods without coughing and choking?
- Eat with a utensil with little spilling?
- Take off own shoes, socks, or hat?
- Try to run?
- Play in a squat position?
- Walk backwards or sideways pulling a toy?
- Make scribbles and dots on a paper or in sand?
- Put objects into a small container?
- Like to watch and play near other children?
- Say "no", and like to do something without help?
- Use toys for pretend play?
- Use skills already learned and develop new ones?
- Copy your actions?
30 Months
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY THIRTY MONTHS OF AGE, DOES YOUR CHILD:
- Give you the right toy when asked?
- Join three or more words together?
- Name most common items?
- Use pronouns such as I, you, me, and mine?
- Use word endings?
- Lift and drink for a cup and replace it on the table?
- Imitate drawing vertical and horizontal lines?
- Remove clothing already unzipped and unbuttoned?
- Run without falling most of the time?
- Kick a ball forward?
- Jump off the floor with both feet?
- Try to join in songs and rhymes with you?
- Listen to simple stories?
- Act out daily routines with toys?
- Wait briefly for needs to be met?
- Recognize self in mirror or picture?
3 Years
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY THREE YEARS OF AGE, DOES YOUR CHILD:
- Speak clearly enough to be understood all of the time by family?
- Understand two and three step directions?
- Speak in sentences of five or more words?
- Understand and use some describing words?
- Walk up the stairs using the handrail?
- Stand on one food briefly?
- Throw a ball forward at least one meter (three feet)?
- Twist lids off jars or turn knobs?
- Turn the pages of a book one at a time?
- Play make-believe games with actions and words?
- Dress or undress with help?
- Share some of the time?
- Show affection with words and actions?
- Play with other comfortably?
- Co-operate with parent's request half of the time?
- Listen to music or stories for 5-10 minutes with you?
- Greet friends and familiar adults when reminded?
4 Years
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY FOUR YEARS OF AGE, DOES YOUR CHILD:
- Understand three-part related directions and longer sentences?
- Say rhymes or sing children's songs?
- Ask and answer a lot of questions?
- Speak clearly enough to be understood most of the time without repeating or stuttering on sounds or words?
- Tell stories with a clear beginning, middle, and end?
- Show you four colors when asked?
- Tell what is happening in a picture when asked?
- Go up and down the stairs alternating feet?
- Stand on one foot for one to three seconds without support?
- Try to hop on one food?
- Catch a large ball with outstretched arms?
- Snip paper with scissors?
- Draw a person with three or more body parts?
- Hold a crayon or pencil correctly?
- Undo buttons and zippers?
- Use the toilet/potty during the day?
- Take turns and share with other children in small group activities?
- Try to comfort someone who is upset?
- Play near and talk to other children while continuing with own activity?
- Look for adult approval?
5 Years
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY FIVE YEARS OF AGE, DOES YOUR CHILD:
- Count out loud or on fingers to answer "How many are there"?
- Know common shapes and most of the letters of the alphabet?
- Speak clearly in adult-like sentences most of the time?
- Tell long stories about own past experiences?
- Use sentences to describe objects and events?
- Walk on a straight line only stepping off once or twice?
- Stop, start, and change direction smoothly when running?
- Throw and catch a ball successfully most of the time?
- Climb playground equipment without difficulty?
- Hop on one foot several times?
- Hold a crayon or pencil correctly?
- Draw lines, simple shapes, and a few letters?
- Use scissors to cut along a thick line drawn on a piece of paper?
- Dress and undress with little help?
- Usually play well in groups?
- Cooperate with adult requests most of the time?
- Talk about having a best friend?
- Share willingly with others?
- Work alone at an activity for 20-30 minutes?
- Separate easily from you?
- Play make-believe games with others?
- Respond verbally to "Hi" and "How are you"?
6 Years
The Looksee Checklist is designed to help monitor your child's development.
BY SIX YEARS OF AGE, DOES YOUR CHILD:
- Understand some words about time and order?
- Identify sounds at the beginning of some words?
- Correctly say almost all of the sounds in words?
- Speak clearly enough to be understood by everyone?
- Recognize some familiar written words?
- Tell about own experiences and ask about yours?
- Skip across a room?
- Walk on a beam without falling?
- Catch a small ball?
- Hop on one foot for 3 meters (10 feet)?
- Copy shapes?
- Cut out simple shapes following an outline?
- Know right from left on own body?
- Pay attention and follow instructions in a group?
- Play cooperatively with 2-3 children for 20 minutes?
- Complete washroom routines without help?
- Apologize for actions he/she didn't mean to do?
- Listen while others are speaking?
- Show an understanding of right and wrong?
- Help others?
- Explain rules of a game or activity to others?
Signs of Autism in Early Childhood
If there are concerns with the signs below, parents should ask their child's family doctor for referral to a developmental pediatrician for assessment or contact THRIVE Child Development Centre at 705-759-1131 ext. 2 or toll free 1-855-759-1131. Members of the Garden River First Nation requiring services can contact the Garden River Wellness Centre at (705) 946-5710.
Communication Signs
- No babbling by 11 months of age
- No simple gestures by 12 months (e.g., waving bye-bye)
- No single words by 16 months
- No 2-word phrases by 24 months (noun + verb - e.g., "baby sleeping")
- No response when name is called, causing concern about hearing
- Loss of any language or social skills at any age
If there are any concerns, you can contact THRIVE Child Development Centre at 705-759-1131 ext. 2 or toll free 1-855-759-1131. Members of the Garden River First Nation requiring services can contact the Garden River Wellness Centre at (705) 946-5710.
Behavioural Signs
- Odd or repetitive ways of moving fingers or hands
- Oversensitive to certain textures, sounds or lights
- Lack of interest in toys, or plays with them in an unusual way (e.g., lining up, spinning, opening/closing parts rather than using the toy as a whole)
- Compulsions or rituals (has to perform activities in a special way or certain sequence; is prone to tantrums if rituals are interrupted)
- Preoccupations with unusual interests, such as light switches, doors, fans, wheels
- Unusual fears
If there are any concerns, you can contact THRIVE Child Development Centre at 705-759-1131 ext. 2 or toll free 1-855-759-1131. Members of the Garden River First Nation requiring services can contact the Garden River Wellness Centre at (705) 946-5710.
Social Signs
- Rarely makes eye contact when interacting with people
- Does not play peek-a-boo
- Doesn't point to show things he/she is interested in
- Rarely smiles socially
- More interested in looking at objects that at people's faces
- Prefers to play alone
- Doesn't make attempts to get parent's attention; doesn't follow/look when someone is pointing at something
- Seems to be "in his/her own world"
- Doesn't respond to parent's attempts to play, even if relaxed
- Avoids or ignores other children when they approach
If there are any concerns, you can contact THRIVE Child Development Centre at 705-759-1131 ext. 2 or toll free 1-855-759-1131. Members of the Garden River First Nation requiring services can contact the Garden River Wellness Centre at (705) 946-5710.
Last Modified: November, 2022