INCLUSIVE FAMILY
Why Monitor
Early Childhood
Milestones? Why They Matter for Children with
Developmental Disabilties
BY FRANCES SCHEFTER, ESQ.

US Department of Education:
Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA):
sites.ed.gov/idea The earlier
a developmental
delay is detected,
the earlier services
can begin.

Developmental milestones
for preschoolers (3-5 years old)
The CDC cites the following milestones
for early childhood education at cdc.gov/
ncbddd/actearly/milestones/index.html. F 3-year-olds
• Strings beads
• Helps with putting on clothing
• Uses a fork
• Talks so that others can understand
F 4-year-olds • Uses 4-or-more -word sentences
• Names a few colors
• Plays make believe (acts as a super-
hero or dancer)
• Holds pencil between
fingers and thumb
F 5-year-olds • Takes turns when playing
• Answers questions about a story
• Counts to 10
• Hops on one foot
Concerned about your
child’s progress?
If your child is not meeting the recom-
mended age-appropriate milestones, the
first step is to call your county school sys-
tem. Say that you are concerned that your
child is not on track and that you want an
evaluation. Give specifics, if asked. For
example, “No one understands her” or “He
is not counting or naming colors.” Once
you complete the intake process, you will
have to sign a consent to evaluate form.

Ask the person doing the intake to send
you the consent form immediately or ask
where to email your written consent. Your
written consent starts the clock, and from
that point the school system has 60 days
to evaluate your child and hold a meet-
ing to review the results. (This means 60
calendar days, regardless of holidays or
summer break.)
Note: Federal law sets the 60-day timeline.

However, check your state laws because some
states have shortened the timeline to 30 or 45
WashingtonFAMILY.com 25
FATCAMERA / E+ / GETTY IMAGES
Resources: Shefter Law, PA Blog:
shefterlaw.com/blog B
eing a new parent can be over-
whelming and stressful. Am I
doing this correctly? Should I lis-
ten to Opinion A or Opinion B, or should
I ignore everyone else’s opinion and trust
my gut? As a parent, we ask ourselves these
questions on a regular basis—regardless
of how old our children are. But the most
important question when our children are
young is, “Is my child meeting his/her/their
developmental milestones?”
Why are developmental milestones so
important? Because the earlier a devel-
opmental delay is detected, the earlier
services can begin. Early treatment for
developmental disabilities can make a
huge impact on your child’s ability to
learn new skills, according to informa-
tion on milestones provided by Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention. The
CDC estimates that one out of six chil-
dren have developmental delays—and half
of these children are not identified before
starting school.

Breathe. It’s OK. This article will give
you some pointers on what to look for and
what to do if you think your child has a
developmental delay.