Milestones, Mindful Observations, and Knowing When to Reach Out
As a parent, you are the most important partner in your child's developmental journey. Every baby develops at their own unique pace, but early learning doesn't happen in isolation—it unfolds dynamically through the everyday routines, smiles, and glances you share together. Below is a parent-friendly guide based on the evidence-based Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) curriculum checklist.
0–6 Months
Building Social ConnectionÂ
6–12 Months
12–18 Months
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Enjoys Face-to-Face Interaction: Looks at caregiver's face and shares eye contact.
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Social Smiles: Smiles in response to familiar people.
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Takes Turns in Interaction: Participates in simple back-and-forth exchanges.
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Early Vocalizations: Coos, babbles, and responds to voices.
Growing Communication &
Engagement
Learning Through Play
& Interaction
18–24 Months
Expanding Communication & Independence
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Responds to Name: Turns toward familiar voices.
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Joint Attention: Looks between a person and an object of interest.
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Intentional Communication: Uses gestures, sounds, or reaching to communicate.
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Imitation: Copies simple actions such as clapping or banging toys.
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Early Functional Play: Explores toys appropriately and with curiosity.
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Uses Gestures & Words Together: Combines pointing, eye contact, sounds, and words.
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Social Imitation: Copies actions during songs, routines, and play.
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Expanding Vocabulary: Uses several meaningful words to communicate.
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Functional Play: Plays appropriately with everyday toys.
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Follows Simple Directions: Understands familiar one-step requests.
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Two-Word Combinations: Begins combining words to communicate wants and ideas.
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Pretend Play: Feeds a doll, talks on a toy phone, or imitates everyday routines.
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Flexible Play: Uses toys in different ways and joins simple pretend games.
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Reciprocal Interaction: Takes turns and enjoys shared play with others.
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Early Problem Solving: Tries different strategies to achieve a goal.
I am a board certified behavior analyst, developmental consultant and parent coach, not a medical doctor, and I do not provide diagnoses. The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have concerns about your child’s development, please talk with your pediatrician or a licensed specialist.
When Skills Seem to Slip Away: Understanding Regression
It can be one of the most unsettling experiences for a parent—noticing that a skill your child once had, like waving goodbye, making eye contact, or saying a few words, seems to have vanished. In developmental consulting, we look at these shifts not as a permanent loss, but as a critical signal that your child's developmental path needs specific navigation and support.
The Timing: When to Mind the Gap
Regression typically occurs most noticeably between 15 and 24 months of age. While it can happen earlier or slightly later, this window is a primary period for the consolidation of social-communication skills. If you notice a plateau or a decline in your child's social engagement during this timeframe, it is an essential moment to pause and observe more closely.
What Does Regression Look Like?
Regression isn't always a dramatic 'disappearance' of language. It often looks like a gradual thinning of social threads. This might include less frequent responding to their name, a decrease in the variety of gestures (like pointing or waving), or a child appearing more 'in their own world' where they previously were eager to share play with you.
What is Happening Beneath the Surface?
Inside your child's developing brain, regression often suggests that the neural pathways responsible for social motivation and social learning are facing a challenge. Instead of the social world being naturally rewarding, your child may start to find more 'noise' than 'signal' in human interaction, leading them to retreat into more predictable, repetitive patterns of behavior or play.
Why Catching This Early Matters
The brain is at its most 'plastic'—most able to change and rewire—in these early years. By catching regression early, we can implement strategies like the ESDM that re-ignite social motivation. Our goal is to jump-start that shared engagement before the 'gap' between your child and their peer-level development grows wider, ensuring we keep the door to social learning wide open.
Risk Factors & Red Flags: What to Watch For
When we assess a child's risk for developmental delays or autism, we focus on two important areas: social communication and behavioral flexibility.
Social & Communication Red Flags
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Missed Communication Milestones: No consistent babbling by 12 months, no single words by 16 months, or no spontaneous two-word phrases by 24 months.
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Limited Use of Gestures: Not pointing, waving, showing, or reaching to communicate with others by 12 months.
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Limited Response to Name: Consistently not responding or turning toward their name being called, despite having normal hearing.
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Reduced Eye Contact and Social Engagement: Limited or decreasing eye contact, or appearing less engaged in back-and-forth social interactions (sometimes described as the "caregiver-infant dance").
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Loss of Previously Acquired Skills: Any loss of speech, babbling, gestures, social interaction, or other developmental skills at any age should be evaluated promptly.
Behavioral & Play Red Flags
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Highly Repetitive Play Patterns: Consistently playing with toys in the same fixed way for extended periods, with limited exploration or variation in how objects can be used.
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Repetitive Body Movements: Frequent or prolonged movements such as rocking, hand flapping, or finger flicking/wiggling that can be hard to redirect or interrupt.
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Strong Resistance to Change: Significant distress, prolonged meltdowns, or difficulty coping with small changes in routines, transitions, or expectations.
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Limited Social Interest: Showing little interest in interacting with caregivers, siblings, or peers, and often preferring to play or engage alone most of the time.
Trust Your Instincts. Let’s Connect.Â
You know your child better than anyone else. If something about their communication or behavior feels a little different, it’s worth exploring. You don’t have to wait on long community waitlists to get answers or start support. Together, we can look at your child’s unique strengths and needs and build a plan that supports more confidence, connection, and ease at home.