CDC milestone checklist (ages 2 months to 5 years)
Developmental milestones are skills most children reach in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move. The CDC updated its milestone checklists in February 2022 with the American Academy of Pediatrics so that listed skills are ones at least 75% of children are expected to show by each age.
This page helps you note what you are seeing at home and know when to talk with your pediatrician. It does not replace validated screening tools or your clinician's judgment. The AAP recommends developmental screening at 9, 18, and 30 months, and autism screening at 18 and 24 months or whenever there is concern.
Check milestones by age
Select your child's age band and mark what you are seeing at home. Wording matches CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. checklists (2022 revision). This is a note-taking aid, not screening.
Milestones are things most children (75% or more) can do by this age per CDC. This checklist is not a substitute for validated developmental screening.
Your notes
Check off milestones as you observe them. Bring gaps or lost skills to your pediatrician, not the group chat.
Why diaspora families use milestone lists differently
Relatives may compare your child to cousins abroad on a different schedule, or praise early walking while dismissing speech delays. CDC milestones are population guides, not grade cards for filial pride.
If your child is learning multiple languages, brief quiet periods or mixing words can be normal. Persistent loss of skills or missing several milestones still warrants a conversation with your doctor, not a wait-and-see approach because a grandparent said you were slow too.
For comparison anxiety scripts and trimester tables, see our pregnancy and milestone benchmarks guide. Read keeping language alive at home when relatives confuse bilingual silence with delay.
Source: CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. (NCBDDD). Official PDF and app checklists: cdc.gov/act-early/resources/milestones-checklist-by-age.html