The Developmental Milestones Your Child Needs to Meet By the Age of 2
- Dr. J.J. Tomash
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Welcoming a child into your life is a joyous experience with enjoyable challenges and countless rewards. You feel proud and fulfilled, majorly when you see them grow and accomplish every milestone.
But wait a minute!
Your baby is a year and a half older and does not participate in pretend play or has not started to crawl, let alone walk. This could be worrisome for any parent, so yes, your concern is understandable.
A delay in development means that a child is not able to reach growth milestones compared to their peers. This can include physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and language skills. While slight delays can resolve on their own, they can often hint at a condition requiring your attention.
At BehaviorSpan, we offer ABA therapy services in Denver to aid children in their developmental journeys despite delays. However, before telling you about that, let us learn the developmental milestones your child needs to hit at 2 years of age and how to deal with delays.
Why do Developmental Milestones Matter?
From their first smile to the first step, a child attains specific skills at a certain age, known as a milestone. They mark the child’s transition to childhood from infancy. They also provide a structure to help understand a child’s neurological growth by telling if the brain is developing at the expected rate. They are emotional/social, cognitive, language, and motor. Understanding and identifying any delay in these can allow for timely interventions. This can ensure that the child has all the means to develop healthily and reach their full potential. These also help pediatricians identify any possible problems or delays.
Understanding the Key Developments
You can understand the child’s development stages around the period of their growth. In this section, we will walk you through them while telling you about possible milestones they must hit by that age.
Development Milestones by Age 2
As the baby reaches age 2, you can expect crawling, talking, and walking. Here are some milestones you can expect to see in different areas of their life.
Social and Emotional
By age 2, children become more aware of themselves and exhibit growing independence. You may see them imitate others around them; they can get more excited when surrounded by other children.
Communication and Language
Children recognize the names of familiar objects, people, and family members. They can speak several words when they are 15-18 months old. From 18-24 months of age, they can use simple phrases. They can imitate names they have overheard.
Movement and Physical Development
Your child can climb and get down off the furniture without any assistance. You can expect them to walk alone, stand on tiptoes, run, kick a ball, and carry many toys when running. They can throw a ball above their head as well.
Fine Motor Skills/ Hand and Finger Skills
You can expect your child to scribble, pour contents out of a container, and possibly turn it over. In block games or legos, they can make a tower of 4 blocks. They may use one hand over the other.
Cognitive
You can expect them to classify colors and shapes. They participate in make-believe games and follow two-step instructions. They can discover items hidden under different covers and complete sentences from familiar books like a story you read in bed.
What if the Child Misses the Development Milestones?
Now, let us come to the most crucial question- what if your child does not reach the development milestones? Developmental delays in children can indicate underlying conditions, ranging from temporary setbacks to attention-worthy concerns. Conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are some of them. They are indicated by behavioral, social, and emotional delays. Fortunately, structured interventions can make a difference in how your child grows and develops.
Initially, you need to have a checklist of development milestones. Fortunately, this blog has already provided you with a list of what your child needs to reach by age 2. Let us talk about what to do if they are behind. After recognizing the delays, you must act, as early intervention can make a difference.
Seek Developmental Screening
It is often advisable to screen your child for developmental screening when they reach 9,18, or 30 months. You can screen the child at 18 and 24 months for autism. Once the doctor verifies the delays, consider it time for a more in-depth evaluation. You can reach out to developmental pediatricians, child psychologists, neurologists, or other specialties. You can ask your doctor for referrals.
Get an Intervention
Intervention means interfering with the course or the outcome of a condition. You can reach your local authorities to learn if your child qualifies for intervention. You can also connect with professionals offering interventions such as therapy. At BehaviorSpan, we offer ABA for early intervention for children with developmental delays. However, before you learn more about that, let us walk you through how early intervention can help.
Understanding Early Intervention
Early intervention refers to services and support for babies and children with developmental delays in the early age. These can include physical and speech therapy, or more, depending on the child’s needs. Its purpose is to make the best of a child's potential and enhance the long-term outcome. It works on the child’s ability to grasp new skills and become more successful. Fortunately, early intervention programs are available in every state.
Applied Behavior Analysis for Developmental Delays
Applied Behavior Analysis can provide structured interventions aimed at social, behavioral, and communication skills. It strengthens positive behavior and lowers problematic behavior in children. Here are some benefits to expect from ABA for developmental delays:
Better communication skills
Improved social skills
Independence
Lower problematic behavior
Structured learning
Evidence-based interventions
Final Thoughts
It is time we wrap up the discussion on the developmental milestones your child needs to meet by age 2. However, before that, let us run through what you have learned here. This post was your checklist for necessary developmental delays, including social, emotional, communication, physical, movement, fine motor, and cognitive milestones your child needs to meet by the time they turn 2. These can include exhibiting independence, climbing on and off the furniture without assistance, and scribbling simultaneously. The child shall be able to define and differentiate the shapes and colors, speak several words, or kick a ball.
If the child misses any milestones, you can reach a doctor for a developmental screening. On verification, you can connect with other professionals and get an in-depth understanding of the conditions. Following that, you can begin with the intervention. Timely intervention plays a pivotal role, as young children are more likely to grasp new behaviors. That is because of many factors, such as a highly adaptable brain, willingness, and curiosity.
At BehaviorSpan, we offer ABA therapy in Denver to walk hand in hand with a child during their developmental journey. We work with children with developmental delays, such as ASD. We offer center-based learning to deliver intensive training to children. We assist children from as early as 1 years of age to maximize their growth in such a crucial period of their lives.
If you want to know more about our services or inquire about your child, reach us!
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