From a baby's first smile to toilet training and learning to count to 10, parents and carers can now track and celebrate their child's development in the crucial early years with the help of two new milestones checklists.
Children's Health Queensland has launched the Milestones checklists for child development to help families understand the skills most children develop as they grow and recognise when they may need to seek advice or support.
The checklists cover two age groups: birth to 18 months and 2 to 5 years. They replace the Red Flags Early Identification Guide (birth to 5 years), which has been used across Australia since 2010.
Milestones include the everyday skills children learn as they grow, from smiling and communicating to walking, learning and becoming more independent.
Children’s Health Queensland’s Child Development Service Medical Director Dr Jo Thomson said the new checklists made it easier for families to follow and track their child’s development.
“The first five years of life are a critical period for children’s development, with new skills emerging all the time,” she said.
“The new checklists focus on the skills children develop and the things they can do as they grow and learn, rather than what they may not be doing yet.”
The checklists help families track progress across four key areas of development: social and emotional skills, language and communication, movement and self-care, and thinking and learning.
They are intended to support families as well as health professionals and educators by providing a shared framework for discussing a child's development.
Dr Thomson said identifying developmental and behavioural concerns early can help families access support sooner, improving outcomes for children and reducing the potential impact of delays later in life.
"Every child develops at their own pace, and there is no one-size-fits-all pathway for development," she said.
"The checklists are designed to support families to monitor their child's development over time, celebrate their achievements and recognise when it's time to seek further advice."
The checklists also help parents and carers feel more confident about when to seek support from a child health nurse or GP.
"Having this information at their fingertips empowers parents and carers to get advice and support for their child at the right time, helping to reduce the impact of development delays.”
Download the Milestones Checklists for Child Development.
Read the milestones checklist media release.
ENDS