Your Child’s First 18 Months

By 2 months old, your child should be:

• Looking at your face
• Smiling when you talk to, smile at, or walk up to them
• Easily looking at faces and object that are near them
• Able to orient toward your voice and change what is being done in response to a caregiver or adult
• Exploring their body by touching and mouthing
• Moving both arms and both legs

By 4 months old, your child should be:

• Smiling and laughing when you make a silly sound or a toy makes a fun noise
• Looking at you, moving, or making sounds to get or keep your attention
• Making sounds back when you talk to them
• Looking at hands with interest
• Able to hold a toy when you put it in their hand
• Pushing up onto elbows/forearms when on tummy

By 6 months old, your child should be:

• Looking at themself in the mirror
• Laughing
• Shifting their attention from you to an object and back to you
• Blowing “raspberries” (sticks tongue out and blows)
• Reaching to grab a toy they want
• Rolling from tummy to back

By 9 months old, your child should be:

• Showing several facial expressions, like happy, sad, angry, and surprised
• Looking when you call their name
• Making different noises with their mouth and make different sounds
• Banging two things together
• Sitting without support

By 1 year old, your child should be:

• Waving “bye-bye”
• Calling a parent “mama” or “dada” or another special name
• Using gestures like showing and pointing to get you to notice what they are interested in
• Able to follow simple directions like “come here” or “give it to me” when prompted with gestures
• Pulling up to stand
• Drinking from a cup without a lid, as you hold it

Your Child at 18 – 30 Months

Between 18 and 24 months, the symptoms of autism become apparent enough that a definitive diagnosis is possible. If your child is not meeting these milestones, you need a formal evaluation by an expert clinician.

By 15 months old, your child should be:

• Clapping when excited
• Able to communicate to get your attention and check in with you regularly
• Looking at a familiar object when you name it
• Using at least 5 different words that mean something
• Trying to use things the right way, like a phone, cup, or book
• Stacking at least two small objects, like blocks
• Taking a few steps on their own

By 18 months old, your child should be:

• Pointing to show you something interesting
• Putting hands out for you to wash them
• Using at least 10 different words that mean something
• Copying you doing chores, like sweeping with a broom
• Walking without holding on to anyone or anything
• Climbing on and off a couch or chair without help