Social-Emotional and Cognitive Development
These milestones provide a general framework for monitoring the development of social-emotional skills and cognition across childhood and adolescence. However, it's important to remember that every child develops at their own pace, and variations within these ranges are normal. Regular monitoring and support from caregivers, educators, and occupational therapists can help promote healthy social-emotional development and cognition in children and adolescents. For more information on Delays, please follow this link.
Birth to 6 Months:
Social-Emotional Development:
Begins to make eye contact and responds to faces (around 1-2 months)
Smiles and engages in social interactions with caregivers (around 2-3 months)
Shows signs of attachment and seeks comfort from familiar caregivers (around 3-4 months)
Begins to imitate facial expressions and vocalizations (around 4-6 months)
Cognition:
Begins to recognize familiar faces and objects (around 1-2 months)
Demonstrates curiosity by exploring objects with hands and mouth (around 3-4 months)
Shows early signs of cause-and-effect understanding (e.g., reaching for a toy and grasping it, around 4-6 months)
6 to 12 Months:
Social-Emotional Development:
Develops attachment to primary caregivers and shows distress when separated from them (around 6-9 months)
Engages in social games such as peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake (around 6-9 months)
Demonstrates affection towards familiar people and may display stranger anxiety (around 9-12 months)
Begins to communicate needs and desires through gestures, vocalizations, and simple words (around 9-12 months)
Cognition:
Begins to understand simple object permanence (e.g., searching for hidden objects, around 6-9 months)
Engages in simple problem-solving behaviors (e.g., figuring out how to manipulate objects to achieve desired outcomes, around 9-12 months)
Explores objects and environments through sensory exploration and manipulation (e.g., shaking, banging, dropping objects, around 9-12 months)
12 to 18 Months:
Social-Emotional Development:
Engages in parallel play alongside other children (around 12-15 months)
Begins to demonstrate empathy and comfort others who are upset (around 12-15 months)
Shows increasing independence and may assert preferences and desires (around 15-18 months)
Engages in simple pretend play and imitates adult actions (around 15-18 months)
Cognition:
Demonstrates increased understanding of cause-and-effect relationships (around 12-15 months)
Begins to follow simple directions and routines (e.g., putting toys away when asked, around 12-15 months)
Explores objects and environments through trial and error and begins to understand spatial relationships (around 15-18 months)
18 Months to 3 Years:
Social-Emotional Development:
Begins to assert independence and autonomy (e.g., saying "no" and expressing preferences, around 18-24 months)
Engages in cooperative play with peers and begins to learn social rules and norms (around 24-36 months)
Shows increased emotional expressiveness and vocabulary to label feelings (e.g., happy, sad, angry, around 24-36 months)
Develops early friendships and shows interest in playing with other children (around 24-36 months)
Cognition:
Demonstrates increased curiosity and asks questions about the world (e.g., "Why?" "What's that?" around 18-24 months)
Begins to sort objects by simple attributes (e.g., color, shape, size, around 24-30 months)
Starts to use early problem-solving strategies (e.g., trial and error, imitation, around 24-36 months)
3 to 5 Years:
Social-Emotional Development:
Engages in cooperative play with peers, sharing toys and taking turns (around 3-4 years)
Begins to understand empathy and perspective-taking, showing concern for others' feelings (around 4-5 years)
Demonstrates early conflict resolution skills and negotiation abilities (around 4-5 years)
Cognition:
Demonstrates increased attention span and focus during play and learning activities (around 3-4 years)
Recognizes letters of name (between ages 3-4)
Begins to understand concepts of time (e.g., yesterday, today, tomorrow, around 4-5 years)
Shows interest in solving puzzles, completing simple construction projects, and engaging in imaginative play (around 4-5 years)
5 to 12 Years:
Social-Emotional Development:
Continues to develop empathy and perspective-taking skills, recognizing and considering others' feelings (around 5-7 years)
Forms and maintains friendships, navigating social relationships independently (around 5-7 years)
Shows increased independence and responsibility in daily tasks and activities (around 7-9 years)
Begins to understand and navigate social hierarchies and peer dynamics (around 7-9 years)
Cognition:
Demonstrates improved problem-solving abilities, including planning, organization, and critical thinking (around 5-7 years)
Shows interest in learning new skills and acquiring knowledge in various academic and non-academic domains (e.g., hobbies, sports, around 7-9 years)
Develops more advanced language skills, including reading comprehension, writing, and expressing complex ideas (around 7-9 years)
Adolescence (12+ Years):
Social-Emotional Development:
Continues to refine social skills and emotional regulation strategies, adapting to changing social contexts (around 12-15 years)
Navigates peer relationships, including peer pressure, conflicts, and peer group dynamics (around 12-15 years)
Develops a sense of identity, values, and beliefs, exploring personal interests and aspirations (around 15-18 years)
Begins to establish more mature and independent relationships with peers and adults (around 15-18 years)
Cognition:
Demonstrates advanced cognitive skills, including abstract reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities (around 12-15 years)
Develops metacognitive skills, such as self-awareness, self-monitoring, and reflection on one's own thinking processes (around 15-18 years)
Prepares for transition to adulthood, setting goals, making plans for the future, and exploring career and educational opportunities (around 18-21 years)