Early Intervention (ages 0-3)
Updated: Dec 29, 2018

Occupational Therapy is a holistic profession that helps people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. When it comes to pediatrics, occupational therapists provide individualized therapeutic intervention to help kids improve their performance in occupations such as eating, sleeping, self-care, and learning by addressing underlying difficulties like fine motor, problem solving, attention, and sensory processing skills (to name a few). Occupational therapy also takes into account the effect of a task’s difficulty on the child’s performance, as well as the role of the physical and social environment.
Occupational Therapy is creative, scientific, and evidence-based.

Early Intervention Services will address:
• physical development
• cognitive development
• communication development
• Social or emotional development
• adaptive development
Understood.org has typical developmental milestones as outlined below:
Newborn
Physical Milestones
Makes reflex movements like sucking and startling
Has jerky, uncontrolled arm and leg movements
Cognitive Milestones
Learns about things by feel, sound, sight and smell
Begins repeating movements to help brain growth and memory
Social and Emotional Milestones
Starts learning to be comforted by caregivers
Begins getting attached to caregivers
3 Months
Physical Milestones
Props up on arms when on belly
Holds head up unsupported for a short time
Follows an object with eyes from one side to the middle, but not all the way around
Cognitive Milestones
Starts paying attention to, watching and recognizing faces
Recognizes familiar people at a distance
Shows signs of boredom (fussiness) when doing one thing too long
Uses eyes and hands together and plans, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it
Social and Emotional Milestones
Smiles spontaneously
Likes to play with people
Coos and babbles
Develops different cries for different needs (hungry, tired, wet)
Responds to love and affection
Shows happiness and sadness
May imitate facial expressions
5 Months
Physical Milestones
Reaches for and grabs objects
Rocks on tummy; may be able to roll from tummy to back
Puts weight on legs when feet are flat on the floor
Moves things from hand to hand
Cognitive and Language Milestones
Is curious about things out of reach and looks at new things
Explores things by putting them in mouth
Responds to conversation by making sounds
Recognizes and responds to own name
Social and Emotional Milestones
Starts to recognize and react to strangers
Tries to get caregivers to play (sticks out tongue, pats toys, etc.)
7 Months
Physical Milestones
Rolls from back to tummy and tummy to back
Sits without support
Does “push-ups” and starts trying to move forward
Cognitive and Language Milestones
Practices turn-taking when “talking” with caregivers
Jabbers with vowel sound combinations (eh, ah, oh) and starts using sounds like band m
Starts testing cause and effect, such as seeing what happens when shaking a toy
Social and Emotional Milestones
Is interested in looking in the mirror
Uses sounds to express happiness, sadness and anger
9 Months
Physical Milestones
Gets into and out of a sitting position
Starts scooting, creeping or crawling
May stand with support
Picks up small objects using thumb and fingers (pincer grasp)
Follows a falling object with eyes
Looks for hidden object, but only if he sees you hide it
Plays peekaboo and patty-cake
Starts to understand no
Makes vowel-consonant sounds (mama, baba)
Points and copies other gestures
Social and Emotional Milestones
Begins having stranger anxiety
May be upset when separated from caregivers
Has favorite objects or toys
12 Months
Physical Milestones
Walks holding on to hands or furniture
May stand alone
May take a few steps alone
Can let go of items without help
Points
Cognitive and Language Milestones
Finds hidden objects
Looks at or points to a picture when you name it
Bangs, throws and shakes things to see what happens
Explores everyday objects, both in correct ways (using a cup to drink) and incorrect ways (puts a toy in a cup)
Follows one-step directions
Shakes head no and waves
Tries to repeat words
Social and Emotional Milestones
Uses inflection and pauses to make sounds that sound like talking
Uses simple words like mama or uh-oh
Responds to name
Plays favorites with people
Is a little fearful of new things
Uses gestures or sounds to get your attention
Keep in mind that babies do develop at different rates, but if you notice that your child is not developing significant skills around the same age as her peers or older siblings, consult your pediatrician.
You can visit the CDC website for further information on ages that children typically reach specific milestones as well as ways caregivers can help.