Development milestones: Your one-year-old
BELOW is a guide for what you should be expecting from your one-year-old, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their Milestone Moments guide.
What children do at this age
Social/emotional
•Is shy or nervous with strangers
•Cries when mom or dad leaves
• Has favourite things and people
•Shows fear in some situations
•Hands you a book when he/she wants to hear a story
• Repeats sounds or actions to get attention
• Puts out arm or leg to help with dressing
•Plays games such as “peek-a-boo” and “pat-a-cake”.
Language/communication
•Responds to simple spoken requests
• Says “mama” and “dada” and exclamations like “uh-oh!”
•Tries to say words you say
• Uses simple gestures, like shaking head “no” or waving “bye-bye”
•Makes sounds with changes in tone (sounds more like speech).
Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)
• Explores things in different ways, like shaking, banging, throwing
• Finds hidden things easily
• Looks at the right picture or thing when it’s named
• Bangs two things together
•Starts to use things correctly; for example, drinks from a cup, brushes hair
•Lets things go without help
•Copies gestures
•Pokes with index (pointer) finger
• Puts things in a container, takes things out of a container
• Follows simple directions like “pick up the toys”.
Act early by talking to your child’s doctor if your child:
• Doesn’t crawl
•Can’t stand when supported
•Doesn’t search for things that he/she sees you hide
•Doesn’t point to things
•Doesn’t learn gestures like waving or shaking head
•Doesn’t say single words like “mama” or “dada”
•Loses skills he/she once had.
Tell your child’s doctor or nurse if you notice any of these signs of possible developmental delay for this age.
