Here are some suggested developmental goals for younger children.

Cognitive Goals

• Visually follows object or person

• Locate object or person that disappear

• Use simple actions on toys (banging, shaking)

• Activate cause and effect toys

• Imitate actions

• Imitate sounds or words

• Solve simple problems

• Use objects or toys in a pretend way

• Group or sort objects in basis categories

Adaptive or Self-care Goals

• Bite and chew soft and crisp foods

• Bite and chew hard foods

• Drink from cup or glass

• Suck liquids through a straw

• Eat with fork and spoon

• Undress independently

• Unfasten fasteners on clothes

Social Goals

• Participate in “nursery games” with an adult

• Initiate and maintain social play with adults

• Initiate and maintain communication (using sound or words) with familiar adult

• Initiate and maintain interactions with another child

• Participate in familiar routines

• Display affection toward familiar adult

• Take turns during activities

• Communicate personal likes and dislikes through verbal and non-verbal actions and choices

• Separate comfortably from parents for routine activities (going to childcare or the babysitter)

• Play with others as play partners

• Play independently

• Calm self when stressed or anxious

• Transition smoothly between activities in the home or other settings

Gross Motor Goals

• Roll from stomach to back and from back to stomach

• Get into a sitting position and sit independently

• Creep on hands and knees with tummy off the floor

• Walk independently

• Walk up and down stairs

• Jump forward

• Pedal and steer a tricycle

• Kick, throw and roll a ball

• Move up and down steps on a slide or play structure

Fine Motor Goals

• Reach and grasp objects

• Bring two objects together to bang

• Transfer object from one hand to the other

• Grasp small object with tip of the index finger and thumb

• Release objects into containers

• Stack same size objects

• Use an index finger to activate objects

• Imitate drawing lines on paper

• Assemble toys or objects that require putting pieces together

• Fit shapes into a shape sorter or puzzle

• Turn paper pages of books one at a time

• Use two hands to manipulate objects

Receptive Communication Goals

• Turn and look towards person speaking

• Respond to own name when called

• Follow a person’s pointing gesture

• Identify familiar objects or people

• Identify pictures in familiar books

• Identify pictures in unfamiliar books

• Follow one-step directions

• Follow two-step directions

• Follow person’s gaze to establish joint attention

• Listen to a simple story and pay attention

• Anticipate events in a familiar story by vocalizing or demonstrating what happens next when asked by an adult

Expressive Communication Goals

• Vocalize different consonant-vowel combinations

• Use gestures to communicate

• Use word approximations

• Ask for help and gain and direct an adult’s attention

• Use single words to communicate

• Use two-word phrases or sentences