Common Developmental Delays

Developmental delays can range from mild to severe. This article provides some developmental benchmarks to help you identify these delays.

In this article, you will find:

Introduction
Self-regulation milestones
Fine motor benchmarks
Gross motor benchmarks
Visual-perceptual benchmarks
Self-help benchmarks
Speech-language benchmarks
Cognitive benchmarks
Social-emotional benchmarks

Self-regulation milestones

Some of the self-regulation milestones are as follows.

By about six months:

  • tolerates and enjoys being touched and moved

  • maintains active interest in objects and people for more than one minute

  • no longer cries for no apparent reason, and can usually self-console
By about nine months:

  • plays attentively with one toy for two to three minutes

  • maintains attention to pictures and to a speaking person
By about twelve months:

  • moves in response to musical rhythms (bounces, moves from side to side)

  • sleeps twelve to fourteen hours at night, naps once or twice daily for one to four hours (may outgrow morning nap)
By about eighteen months:

  • enjoys messy play (such as playing with food, or water and soap)

  • sleeps ten to twelve hours at night, naps once for one to three hours

  • prefers some toys over others
By about twenty-four months:

  • plays purposefully, actively attending, by himself for a few minutes

  • freely plays with paint, Play-Doh, and other substances

  • enjoys roughhousing
By third year:

  • wants to do things independently

  • may give up naps

  • participates in interactive and circle games
By fifth year:

  • attends to an activity without adult supervision for 10 minutes
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