Development milestones 12 to 15 months

What should a baby be able to do between 12 and 15 months?

[mme_highlight] At this time your child can begin to walk. By the end of 15 months, toddlers know on average 3 words besides “mama” and “dada.”Children at this age like to draw attention to himself/herself and use various behaviors to achieve this. Kids also love to imitate their parents and perform pretend play. [mme_highlight]

During this period dramatic changes occur in the development of your child. Many parents are excited and can`t wait to see what will happen the next day, because the child begins to independently walk and says the first word. In addition, children enjoy imitating their parents and they develop new fine motor skills, so they can now use a spoon to eat.
However, the child is still dependent on his/her parents and he/she needs full care and attention. Therefore, parents should not leave the child alone with strangers, because in this period stranger anxiety is emphasized.

Cognitive development

Children enjoy their reflection in the mirror. By the end of 15 months, 28% of children can recognize the image in the mirror as himself/ herself. Kids also love to imitate their parents and perform pretend play:

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  • 18 % of children exhibit pretend play by the end of 12 months;
  • 40 % of children exhibit pretend play by the end of 15 months;
  • 40% of children perform a synchronic imitation (imitation while watching their parents).

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Motor development

At this time your child can begin to walk.

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  • 97 % of children can walk with assistance at the age of 12.4 months;
  • 90 % of children can stand alone with 13.4 months;
  • 75 % of children can walk independently with 13.4 months.

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Changes regarding manners of food intake are also noticeable:

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  • 90% of children can remove food from spoon with lips between 12 to 14 months of age;
  • 29 % of children can independently eat using the spoon between 12 to 14 months of age;
  • 14 % of children can drink from regular cup without help;
  • 90 % of children can eat bread or biscuit by the end of 15 months.

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Toddlers can squat and stand and squat again without assistance. Also, children can crawl up and down the stairs. Many of children can give “high five”.

Regarding fine motor skills, the child also uses one hand to hold the object and the other hand to manipulate it. Also, a child uses his/ her index finger to point.

Social/ Emotional development

The child still does not show interest in play with his/ her peers. If two or more children play together, they will perform parallel play. In this period, children still consider that they are the center of the world and treat other children like toys/ objects. The child is still afraid of the presence of strangers.

In addition, children at this age like to draw attention to himself/herself and use various behaviors to achieve this. They can begin to scream or laugh and then frequently use certain type of behavior which is the most effective in order to accomplish his/ her desires. This behavior is the part of socialization process.

Language development

Children understand the simple (one-step) commands and execute them without gestures. By the end of 15 months, toddlers know on average 3 words besides “mama” and “dada.” Now, children babble and combine vocals to invent new words. Children of this age are nodding their heads in order to say “no.”

What are the risk factors that can impair development?

As children in this period begin to say the first words, we should pay attention to the way in which they communicate, because parents detect some early signs of autism. If a child does not say any word at all or if he/ she cannot establish eye contact these can be early signs of autism, and therefore you should contact a pediatrician.

As children now begin to move independently, parents should pay attention if their child uses predominantly one side of the body over the other or if one side of body is too limp/ rigid. This may indicate a potential problem, so parents should contact a doctor.

What are the alarm signs parents should be aware of?

  • The child does not say a word;
  • The child does not know the function of objects such as a spoon, phone, hairbrush;
  • The child does not walk (with or without assistance) by the end of 15 months;
  • The child loses skills which had already been achieved.

What should parents do to encourage the development of toddlers at this age?

Parents must encourage children to talk, so they can play a kind of “repeat after me” game. Also, while parents are doing daily routines, they should explain what they are doing. This simple procedure also improves your child’s cognitive development.

A child of this age loves to use things that adults use every day. However, this can lead to injury sometimes. Therefore, children should be provided with copies of that objects that are safe (e.g. plastic toy keys instead of real keys).

Although children of this age do not play together, you can encourage your child to establish social contacts. So, you can provide toys that are designed to be shared with other children. In addition, children should be placed in many different situations in order to learn how to behave.

Summary and Recommendations

  • Between 12 and 15 months, your child will show developmental progresses every day. Knowing what to expect makes it easier for you to recognize the progresses and help the child to achieve them.
  • Cognitive Development: Children imitate parents and perform pretend play.
  • Motor Development: most children can stand alone and the majority can walk by 15 months. Fine motor skills and eating skills are also improved: children can eat with a spoon, eat biscuits and some can drink from a regular cup.
  • Social/Emotional Development: Children show a self-centered playing and behavior, using different strategies to be the centre of all attentions.
  • Language Development: Children can understand one step commands and have a lexicon with 3 words other than “mama” and “dada”.
  • Your child moves more and more, so parents must ensure safety of the environment where the baby stays, preventing falls, shocking, poisoning and drowning.
  • Each child has her/his own pace, but if you think your child is not developing adequately, seek for medical advice.

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References

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