2025 – PAGE 190 – DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES & ANTICIPATORY GUIDANCE
SURVEILLANCE MILESTONES – 18 MONTHS OF AGE
| AGE | LANGUAGE &
COMMUNICATION |
MOVEMENT & PHYSICAL | COGNITIVE | SOCIAL &
EMOTIONAL |
| 18 mo
“vote” |
Uses ³ 3 words in addition to “mama” and “dada”; follows one-step directions WITHOUT using any motions | Walks without any help; scribbles; drinks independently from a cup without a lid; uses own fingers to feed themselves; attempts to use a spoon; climbs up and down chairs or couches without assistance | Imitates chores like sweeping a broom; plays with simple toys like pushing around a toy truck | Wanders off, but looks back to make sure you’re still there; points at something interesting to show; sticks hands out for them to be washed by you; looks at book pages with you; needs your help dressing, but can stick arms through sleeves and lift up feet |
MNEMONIC STORY: The PBR memory peg for the number 18 is VOTING (age in years when you can VOTE). Now imagine an 18-year-old African-American with dwarfism who lives with his parents. It’s an election year, and the boy sees his dad reading a book about the presidential candidates. He CLIMBS UP THE COUCH to LOOK AT THE PAGES together with his dad. He lives in the cold and windy city of Chicago, so he POINTS TO SHOW HIS INTEREST in the Chicago candidate, Barack Obama. His dad gives him a ONE-STEP COMMAND (without gestures) and says, “GO VOTE TODAY!” He CLIMBS DOWN THE COUCH and WONDERS AWAY to get ready to go to the polling site but LOOKS BACK AT DAD to make sure he is still there. He NEEDS HIS HELP TO GET DRESSED due to the shape of his fingers, but then WALKS WITHOUT HELP to the poll site. He SCRIBBLES DOWN his vote when suddenly his stomach growls. He grabs a cup of chocolate ice cream from his coat and TRIES TO USE A SPOON, but the ice cream has melted. He then decides to INDEPENDENTLY DRINK FROM THE CUP and USES HIS FINGERS TO FEED himself the rainbow sprinkles at the bottom. He accidentally makes a mess on the floor. As he’s about to leave, he is asked to help SWEEP up his mess of sprinkles. Once he gets home, he STICKS HIS HANDS OUT TO BE WASHED by his dad so he can go PLAY WITH HIS TOY TRUCKS without any sticky fingers.
- NOTES: “VOTE THIS YEAR” refers to knowing ³ 3 words besides Mama and Dada.
18-MONTH-OLD MILESTONES TO KEEP ON YOUR RADAR
| AGE | LANGUAGE | GROSS MOTOR | FINE MOTOR | COGNITIVE | SOCIAL | RED FLAGS |
| 18 mo | Asks for mom or dad; says “hi,” “bye,” and “please” | Carries a doll; tosses ball underhand | Recognizes self in mirror/photos; uses trial and error to problem solve; understands 75–100 words | Shares toys with parents | No words |