What if my kiddo isn't hitting their milestones?
The CDC's milestone checklists were rebuilt so that, in their words, "Milestones were placed at ages by which at least 75% of children would be expected to exhibit them."6 So a milestone age is not an average — most kids get there earlier. That's designed to make a miss meaningful without making it scary: it's a reason to have a conversation, not to panic. The CDC also notes the checklists are not diagnostic tools.6
"You know your child best. Don't wait. If your child is not meeting one or more milestones, has lost skills he or she once had, or you have other concerns, act early. Talk with your child's doctor, share your concerns, and ask about developmental screening."— CDC, Learn the Signs. Act Early.1
If concerns remain, the CDC's next steps: "Ask for a referral to a specialist who can evaluate your child more" and "Call your state or territory's early intervention program to find out if your child can get services to help."1
Note the CDC's wording: being late on a milestone is a talk-to-the-doctor item, but losing a skill a child once had is always an act-early item.1
Per the AAP, formal developmental screening happens at the 9-month, 18-month, and 30-month well visits, plus autism screening at 18 and 24 months — and "Screening also can be done whenever a parent or provider has a concern."7