Here's what you might see your child doing between the ages of 15 and 18 months.

Daily Activities

• Avidly explores everything.
• Revels in water play.
• Likes to feed self.
• Begins to use more objects conventionally (for example, may put comb in hair).
• Enjoys throwing, rolling, pushing, pulling toys.

Motor Skills

• Stands unsupported.
• Walks without assistance with wide stance and outstretched arms.
• Climbs stairs with assistance.
• Refines grasp.
• Picks up objects from a standing position.

Language Development

• Adds gestures to speech.
• Prefers adults to other children.
• Likes to watch and imitate activities.

Cognitive Development (Thinking and Learning)

• Looks to parent for help in solving problems.
• Learns cause-effect relationship (repeats enjoyable actions).
• Looks for hidden objects in last place seen.
• Begins to experiment through trial and error.

Each child is unique. It is therefore difficult to describe exactly what should be expected at each stage of a child's development. While certain attitudes, behaviors, and physical milestones tend to occur at certain ages, a wide spectrum of growth and behavior for each age is normal. These guidelines are offered as a way of showing a general progression through the developmental stages rather than as fixed requirements for normal development at specific ages. It is perfectly natural for a child to attain some milestones earlier and other milestones later than the general trend.

If you have any concerns related to your child's own pattern of development, check with your health care provider.

Pediatric Advisor 2006.4; Copyright © 2006 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved. Written by Donna Warner Manczak, PhD, MPH and Robert Brayden, MD. This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.