How do I know if my child is meeting his/her gross motor milestones on time?

A very common concern that parents have is whether or not their child’s gross motor skills are age appropriate.  A great place to start is by asking your child’s pediatrician.  Every child should be followed by a pediatrician, and pediatricians are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to typical development.  You can also ask a pediatric physical therapist.  Every child is different.  Do not use other children as a strict frame of reference when trying to determine what is age appropriate for your child.  There is variability in the time frame in which children meet their gross motor milestones. (1)

Is it going to be a little while before your child’s next visit to the pediatrician?  Looking for some helpful online resources? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has information on typical development in multiple areas of development (gross motor, fine motor, social and emotion, etc).  Go to https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html to find this information.  Through this link you will also find the CDC’s developmental checklists that you can download for free.

If you are looking for another online resource, go to https://pathways.org/ to find more information on typical development.

Do you have a question that is specific to your child?  Does your pediatrician have concerns regarding your child’s gross motor development?  Or are you looking to speak to someone who can evaluate your child’s gross motor development to make sure they are on track?  Feel free to reach me at jraheb@rahebpt.com.  I’m more than happy to discuss your concerns, answer your questions, or help find answers to your questions.

-Jenna Raheb, PT, DPT, PCS

1.  “WHO Motor Development Study: Windows of achievement for six gross motor development milestones.” Acta Pediatrica. 2006; 450: 86-95.

Last updated January 3, 2022.

Raheb Physical Therapy