- Chester County Intermediate Unit
- Preschool Special Education
- Early Warning Signs
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The following benchmarks are offered to assist parents in identifying a problem in their child's development as early as possible. CCIU can help. Request a free screening with a professional educator who can evaluate your child's needs. Parents with questions or concerns regarding their child's development are urged to complete an online referral form in English (online referral form in Spanish).
Is your child having trouble?
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Your child may have trouble TALKING if he or she:
- cannot say "mama" and "dada" by age 1
- cannot say the names of a few toys and people by age 2
- is not talking in three or four-word sentences by age 3
- is not understood by people outside the family by age 4
- does not make up a short story and tell it by age 5
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Your child may have trouble HEARING if he or she:
- does not turn to face the source of strange sounds or voices by six months of age
- talks in a very loud or very soft voice
- does not respond if you call from another room
- turns the same ear toward a sound he or she wishes to hear
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Your child may have trouble SEEING if he or she:
- is often unable to locate and pick up small objects
- frequently rubs his or her eyes or complains that they hurt
- holds his or her head in a strained or awkward position (tilts head to either side - thrusts head forward or backward) when trying to look at a particular person or object
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Your child may have trouble THINKING if he or she:
- does not react to his/her name when called by age 1
- is unable to identify hair, eyes, ears, nose and mouth by pointing to them by age 2
- does not understand simple stories by age 3
- does not give reasonable answers to such questions as "What do you do when you are sleepy?" or "What do you do when you are hungry?" by age 4
- does not understand the meaning of the words "today," "tomorrow," "yesterday" by age 5
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Your child may have trouble PLAYING if he or she:
- does not play games such as "peek-a-boo" and "pat-a-cake" or wave "bye-bye" by age 1
- does not imitate parents doing routine household chores by age 2 to 3
- does not enjoy playing alone with toys, pots, and pans by age 3
- does not play group games such as hide-and-seek, tag, or ball with other children by age 4
- does not share and take turns by age 5
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Your child may have trouble MOVING if he or she:
- is unable to sit up without support by age 1
- cannot walk without help by age 2
- does not walk up and down steps by age 3
- is unable to balance on one foot for a short time by age 4
- cannot throw a ball overhand and catch a large ball bounced by age 5
Activities to Try With Your Preschooler
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Activities
- Encourage your preschooler to tell you a story. Together, make a picture of the story.
- Help your child make a puppet using socks or paper bags, and put on a puppet show.
- Give your preschoolers a simple chore, like setting a table, dusting a shelf, making a bed. Praise all efforts!
- Cut pictures out of magazines to make different types of theme “books,” such as animals, food, shapes or colors.
- Set up an obstacle course for your preschooler.
- Give your preschooler a pail of water and a large paintbrush to “paint the sidewalk,” the fence or the side of the house.
- Play table games that encourage turn taking, such as Candyland or Chutes and Ladders.
- Give two simple directions, such as “Get a spoon,” then “Put the spoon on the table.” Gradually increase to three directions at a time, then four.
*If your child struggles to play with you and follow directions on any of the above activities, it may be time to evaluate his/her development. Call our team for your free pre-screening at the number listed below.
