DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES AND

FUNCTIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING

http://understandingmilestones.wikispaces.com

Stages and sequences that ALL individuals go through from birth to adulthood.

Universal. Scaffolding process. Need pre-requisite skills before new skills

can be developed.

What are developmental milestones?

Preparation for ALL students. Education versus academics. Skills for life. Difference between education and daycare. Special Programs and education.

What is the purpose of Education?

Function is dependent on long term goals. Every student should be receiving

functional programming – not just IS students.

Samples of functional programming:◦ University Program Goal◦ Applied Program Goal◦ Work Entrance Goal◦ Life Skills Goal

What is Functional Programming?

Communication Skills Motor Skills Thinking and Problem Solving Skills Social and Play Skills

Developmental Milestones (4 Categories)

Developmental Milestones 6 Months

Communication

Motor Skills Thinking and Problem Solving

Social and Play Skills

Gurgles, Coos, Giggle, Squeals

Sits with support

Inspects objects for a long time

Explores textures, tastes, sounds

Focuses on other’s mouths when they speak

Rolls front to back, then back to front

Retrieves a partially hidden toy

Sensory-motor play evident

Mouths everything

Grasps objects (full hand)

Shakes and bangs toys

Enjoys and imitates social play

Eye gaze Tries to cooperate with dressing

Signals for ‘more’ – enjoys repeated play

Prefers to attend to faces rather than objects

Developmental Milestones 12 Months

Communication

Motor Skills Thinking and Problem Solving

Social and Play Skills

Identifies objects when named (pointing)

Sits independently; stands alone and takes 1st steps

Can shift attention from person to object

Turn-taking in play and social interactions

Responds to ‘where is’ by pointing

Accurately reaches for toys

Finds hidden toy and will search for toy

Functional play with actual objects

Understands about 50 words

Self feeds with fingers

Overgeneralizes learning

Tries to make adults laugh

Joint Attention Greater control releasing than grasping objects

Stacks objects; can match simple shapes

Social referencing

Developmental Milestones 18-24 Months

Communication

Motor Skills Thinking and Problem Solving

Social and Play Skills

Identifies simple body parts

Hops on two feet

Purposefully explores toys

Loves chasing games

Responds appropriately to yes/no question

Can move small objects from palm to fingers

Knows cause and effect

Functional and Dramatic play

Combines words into 2 word sentences

Builds tower of 4 blocks

Long term memory for events

Reacts to emotions of others

Takes 1-2 turns in communications

Simple tool use Begins sharing – but will take another’s toy without concern

Parallel play

Developmental Milestones 2 ½ - 3 Years

Communication

Motor Skills Thinking and Problem Solving

Social and Play Skills

Knows big and little

Walks upstairs/down – alternating feet

Attends to more than 1 stimulus at a time

Plays with dolls/figures in sequenced play

Asks and answers what/where questions

Catches large ball against chest

Completes a simple puzzle

Can recover from tantrums on own

Identifies gender

Pincer grasp developing

Can sequence play/learning in 2-3 steps

Shows fears

Understands amount - ‘one’ versus ‘all’

Toileting Starting to categorize

Associative Play

Developmental Milestones 3-4 Years

Communication

Motor Skills Thinking and Problem Solving

Social and Play Skills

Follows 2-3 steps of unrelated activities

Catches and throws ball

Relates detailed experiences

Prefers to play with peers rather than alone

Knows opposites

Colours within the lines

Understands how/why questions

Develops themes in play

Takes 3-4 turns in conversation

Can do zipper with help and snaps

Categorizes according to different features

Can play in a group – cooperative play

Speech paired similar to an adult

Can imitate horizontal line and circle

Initiates plans; problem-solves on own

Believes he/she can do anything

Developmental Milestones 4-6 Years

Communication

Motor Skills Thinking and Problem Solving

Social and Play Skills

Describes how to do things

Kicks to a target

Thinks up new uses for objects

Likes group games and sports

Creates rhymes Able to skip Attends to letters and numbers

Makes up costumes for play

Retells sequence of a story

Draws shapes with spatial understanding

Listens to long stories

Wants to please peers

Uses humour, argues, answers ‘what happens if’ questions

Can imitate cross (at 4) and X at about 5

Makes inferences about motives of others

Can wait for a turn; makes up jokes, tattles.