Children grow and change rapidly during their first three years. Think of your child and how they are growing. You know your child best. You notice things like how and when your child smiles, sits up, walks, talks or holds a cup. What you are seeing is how your child is growing through the different developmental stages. When a child has a delay in development, services are available throughout the state. DEAP provides Montana Milestones services in Carter, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, McCone, Phillips, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Treasure, Valley, and Wibaux counties.
Birth to Three – Growth and Development
Birth – 3 Months
Does your child…
- Lift their head and chest when on their stomach
- Move their arms and legs easily
- Follow your movements by turning their head side to side
- Easily take a bottle or breast and suck well
- Startle or cry at sudden loud noises
- Look at you, watch your face
- Make gurgling or cooing sounds
- Smile in response to your smile or talk
- Quiet easily when comforted
3 – 6 Months
Does your child…
- Play with feet when on their back
- Lift their head and chest with their weight on hands when on their stomach
- Hold their head upright and steady without support
- Roll from stomach to back and back to stomach
- Play with their own hands by touching them together
- Reach for a toy
- Pick up a toy placed within reach
- Turn their head toward sounds
- Make lots of different sounds
6 – 12 Months
Does your child…
- Pull themselves to stand with some help
- Sit without help while playing with toys
- Transfer objects from one hand to the other
- Feed themselves finger food
- Imitate waving bye-bye
- Let you know their needs with motions and sounds
- Copy speech sounds (“ba-ba”, “ga-ga”)
- Take turns while playing with adult (actions, sounds, or facial expressions)
- Let you know they understand a simple question (“Do you want some more?”)
- Know parents from strangers
12 – 18 Months
Does your child…
- Walk alone
- Pick up small objects (raisin size)
- Put objects in and dump from containers
- Put one object on top of another
- Feed themselves with spoon
- Say two or three different words in addition to
- “Mama” or “Dada”
- Ask for things using words
18 Months – 2 Years
Does your child…
- Walk up and down stairs with their hand held Scribble
- Move their body in time to music
- Put two words together (“more juice”)
- Begin to ask questions, (“juice?”, “bye-bye?”)
- Feed themselves a sandwich, taking bites
- Take off socks and shoes
- Look at story book pictures with an adult
- Make simple choices among toys (puzzles or trucks)
- Copy another child’s play (pouring sand, throwing ball)
2 – 3 Years
Does your child…
- Walk well, run, stop, step up and squat down
- Stack 3 or more objects
- Use the spoon and cup all by themselves
- Follow two-step directions (“Get the book and put it on the table”)
- Name five to six of their body parts
- Take part in simple conversation
- Answer simple “what” and “what do” questions (“What do you want for lunch?”)
- Point to or name objects when told their use (“What do you drink with?”)
If you have concerns about your child’s development or questions about services, please fill out the secure form below and click the SUBMIT button. Someone from our office will contact you directly.