Children’s Health Queensland has launched two new handy guides to help parents and carers track their child’s development milestones, celebrate their achievements and know what to expect as they grow.
The Milestone Checklists for Child Development provide families with a simple guide to the common, everyday milestones children reach as they grow, learn and develop during their first five years of life.
The checklists, covering the periods of birth to 18 months, and 2 to 5 years, replace the previous ‘Red Flags Early Identification Guide’, which has been used across Australia since 2010.
Child development is the process of learning and mastering everyday skills such as sitting, walking, talking, eating, thinking and toileting. Children typically learn these new skills, known as developmental milestones, during predictable periods of time.
When developmental and behavioural issues are identified early, families can be connected with appropriate supports to promote positive outcomes and minimise longer-term impacts on a child’s life.
Children’s Health Queensland Child Development Service Medical Director Dr Jo Thomson said the new and improved, strength-based checklists made developmental monitoring a positive and practical part of everyday life for families.
“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 cover four key areas of development – social and emotional, language and communication, movement and self-care, and thinking and learning – from birth to five years.
The goal is to also provide families, healthcare professionals, and educators with a shared framework, helping everyone involved in a child's life to have consistent conversations about development.
“Every child develops at their own pace, and there is no one-size-fits-all pathway for development. 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,” she said.
“If a child is not reaching their expected milestones, the checklists can help families identify concerns early, start a conversation with their child health nurse or GP, and ensure a child gets the support they need to help them reach their full potential.
"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:
ENDS