Building off of last month’s 1 year check-list for Pediatrician check-ups, we bring you a check-list to look at prior to your child’s 2 year old check-up. Again Pediatricians have a set of developmental red flags, but these only hit the “big-bad-uglys” as we like to call them, including the following questions: does your child get frustrated when trying to talk, can he or she jump or attempt to jump, did your child walk by 18 months. These red flags are very specific, meaning a child who exhibits these red flags would be identified for services, but not very sensitive, meaning many children who would benefit from therapy services are missed. To help bridge the gap between Pediatricians’ red flags and children who need therapy services, I have put together a checklist of things to discuss with your Pediatrician at your child’s 2 year check-up.
2-Year Check-Up Red Flags:
Gross Motor Skills
- Runs forward 10 feet, without a loss of balance
- Jumps in place, jumps forward, and jumps down from a step
- Walks forward, backwards, and sideways independently and without a loss of balance
- Walks up and down a set of stairs, using a handrail
- Kicks a ball forward 3 feet
Fine Motor Skills
- Turns pages of thick page book, 1 at a time
- Stacks 5 cubes
- Draws vertical lines given demonstration
- Takes off button-less clothing and socks independently
Speech Skills
- Begins saying 2 word phases and 2 word questions
- Increases vocabulary to saying >50 words and understanding >300 words, with new words added every week
- Answers “yes or no” questions
- Points to objects named
- Speech should be understood at least 50-75% of the time by a familiar listener
Take this checklist with you to your 2-year visit. If you have further concerns, schedule a pediatric physical therapy evaluation.
