| Healthy Development |
What It Means |
Questions to Ask Now |
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Shared attention and emotional regulation
(0-3 months) |
Many subtle back-and-forth emotional interactions and ability to self-soothe in response to sights, sounds, touch, movement and other sensory experiences. |
1. How do you feel about the way your baby looks at you?
2. Does your baby look toward you when you talk, smile or when you give him other interesting looks?
3. How do you feel about the way you are able to help your baby calm down? Are you able to calm your baby?
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Engaging and relating
(2-5 months |
Develops emotional and intimate relationships with caregivers. |
1. How do you feel about your relationship with your baby?
2. Is your baby usually happy and smiling and making interesting sounds when he sees you? |
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Purposeful, two way emotional interactions
(4-10 months) |
Initiating and responding with back-and-forth interactions involving a range of gestures and sounds: cooing, head nodding, turning to look.
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Back-and-forth emotional signaling and shared social problem solving
(10-18 months) |
Solving problems through many social and emotional interactions in a row. |
1. How do you feel about the way your baby or toddler interacts with you?
2. Does your baby initiate interactions with sounds or smiles and then respond with more sounds and smiles after you respond?
3. Does your baby look at you for decisions?
4. Does your toddler (12-18 months) show you what he wants and try to get your help?
5. Does your toddler take delight in showing you a toy or favorite picture in a book?
6. Does your toddler come to you for support? |
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Creating emotionally meaningful symbols and words
(18-30 months) |
Meaningful use of ideas and words to express ideas in pretend play or real-life situations. |
1. How do you feel about the way your child uses words or ideas?
2. Does he use words to let you know what he wants or share his feelings?
3. Does he engage in pretend play (feeding a doll)?
4. Does he use several ideas in a row in a way that makes sense to you? (30-48 months)
5. Does he ask questions, such as “Where is the truck going? |
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Building logical bridges between meaningful ideas
(30-42 months) |
Connecting ideas logically |
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Source: Engaging Autism: Using the Floortime Approach to Help Children Relate, Communicate, and Think, by Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D., and Serena Wieder, Ph.D.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental Learning Disorders: Collaboration Report on a Framework for Early Identification and Preventive Intervention of Emotional and Developmental Challenges |
