Milestone checklists by age, from the CDC
Wording from the CDC.
Free printable checklists from the CDC, 2 months to 5 years, with a list of what to mention to your child’s doctor.
No ads. No analytics. Nothing you enter is saved or sent.
Work out the corrected age
The corrected age calculator, with what corrected age means
Choose a checklist
What to ask the doctor
Talk with your child’s doctor. You know your child best. If you have a concern, don’t wait for the next visit: call your child’s doctor, share it, and ask about developmental screening.
Screenings at checkups. Doctors are advised to screen every child’s development with a standard questionnaire at the 9-, 18- and 30-month visits, and to screen for autism at the 18- and 24-month visits. You can ask for a screening at any visit.
If your child loses a skill. If your child stops doing something they used to do, at any age, call the doctor. Losing a skill is always worth a call.
You don’t need a referral. If your child is under 3, you can contact your state’s early intervention program yourself. From age 3, contact your local public school district, even if your child doesn’t go there. Find early intervention (CDC)
If you have concerns, talk to your child's doctor.
Sources: Zubler et al. 2022, Pediatrics 149(3) (the 2022 checklists); Lipkin and Macias 2020, Pediatrics 145(1) (the screening schedule); CDC’s early intervention pages.
About these checklists
These are the checklists of CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program, word for word, as CDC revised them in 2022 with the American Academy of Pediatrics. Each item is something most children (75 in 100) do by that age; before 2022 the checklists used the age by which about half of children did it. The change was made so that a “not yet” leads to a conversation with the doctor instead of waiting (Zubler et al. 2022).
CDC says: “Learn the Signs. Act Early. resources are not a substitute for standardized, validated developmental screening tools.” (CDC, Developmental Milestones). A checklist helps you notice; your child’s doctor does the screening.
What these pages add to CDC’s: a corrected-age calculator for babies born early and a list for the doctor that your browser prints without an email step. CDC’s own online checklists and its Milestone Tracker app are free too.
Questions
- Is this a screening test?
- No. It is CDC’s checklist of things most children do by each age, to help you notice and remember what to ask. Screening is done by your child’s doctor with a standard questionnaire.
- What is corrected age?
- The age counted from the due date instead of the birth date, for a baby born 3 or more weeks early. Work it out with the corrected age calculator.
- Should I worry about one “not yet”?
- Mention it at the next visit. If you are worried, don’t wait for the visit: call your child’s doctor.
- Where are the autism questions?
- We don’t host screening questionnaires. Ask your child’s doctor about the autism screening at the 18- and 24-month visits.
More for parents
Milestone checklist: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Learn the Signs. Act Early.”, 2022 revision. Source: CDC. Read the checklists on cdc.gov
Use of CDC material on this page does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.
Prepared by MyTestAtlas from CDC materials.