{"h1":"At what age is the CDC LTSAE milestone tool used?","faq":[{"a":"They cover children from 2 months up to 5 years (60 months), with checklists at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48 and 60 months.","q":"What age range do the CDC LTSAE milestone checklists cover?"},{"a":"No. It is a free, friendly milestone checklist that helps parents and clinicians track development and notice early if support may help — it never diagnoses a child. Any diagnosis is formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.","q":"Is the CDC LTSAE checklist a diagnostic test?"},{"a":"If your child has not reached several expected milestones at a checklist age, or seems to have lost a skill, talk with a paediatrician or book a developmental review. Acting early simply means adding the right support sooner.","q":"What should I do if my child misses milestones on the checklist?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"at-what-age-is-the-cdc-ltsae-developmental-assessment-used-for-a-child","title":"At what age is the CDC LTSAE milestone tool used for a child?","entity":{"key":"cdc_ltsae","kind":"instrument","name":"CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. Milestones","slug":"cdc-ltsae"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Definition","value":"definition"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Measure","value":"measure"},{"kind":"route","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"assessments","label":"Assessments"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-developmental-milestones","title":"What Are Developmental Milestones?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-my-child-have-a-cdc-ltsae-assessment-and-what-does-it-involve","title":"Should my child have a CDC-LTSAE assessment, and what does it involve?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-the-cdc-ltsae-compare-with-the-abilityscore-developmental-assessment","title":"How does the CDC-LTSAE compare with the AbilityScore developmental assessment?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-is-the-cdc-ltsae-indicated-and-what-are-its-strengths-and-limits-in-early-childhood","title":"When is the CDC-LTSAE indicated, and what are its strengths and limits?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-community-health-volunteer-how-can-i-use-a-simple-developmental-checklist-in-the-community","title":"Using a Simple Developmental Checklist in the Community"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-cdc-learn-the-signs-act-early-milestones-cdc-ltsae-and-what-does-it-assess","title":"What is the CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. (CDC-LTSAE) Milestones?"}],"summary":"The CDC \"Learn the Signs. Act Early.\" (LTSAE) milestone checklists are designed for children from 2 months up to 5 years (60 months) of age, with checklists at set ages: 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48 and 60 months. They are a free, friendly checklist for tracking play, learning, speech, behaviour and movement — not a diagnostic test. The tool helps parents and clinicians notice early if support may help and start a conversation, never to label a child.","answer_md":"*A simple, free checklist from babyhood through the preschool years — that is what the CDC's milestone tool is built for.*\n\n## In short\nThe **CDC \"Learn the Signs. Act Early.\" (LTSAE) milestone checklists** are designed for children from **2 months up to 5 years (60 months)** of age. They are not a diagnostic test — they are a friendly, free parent-and-clinician checklist for tracking how a child plays, learns, speaks, acts and moves across that early window. There are checklists at set ages: 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48 and 60 months.\n\n## How the LTSAE milestones work across the ages\nThe CDC milestone checklists give parents a clear set of \"most children can do this by this age\" markers, organised into social-emotional, language and communication, cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving), and movement and physical development. Because the early years are when development moves fastest, the checklists are spaced more closely in infancy (every two to three months) and a little wider as a child grows. The idea is gentle and ongoing — you tick what your child is already doing, celebrate progress, and notice early if a skill seems slow to arrive. The tool is meant to start conversation and prompt timely action, never to label a child.\n\n## When to seek a review\nIf, at any of these ages, your child has not yet reached several expected milestones — or if a skill they once had seems to fade — that is a sign to talk with a paediatrician or book a developmental review. Acting early simply means adding the right support sooner; it protects a child's confidence and momentum. A checklist that flags a concern is an invitation to look more closely, not a verdict.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — a clinical [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care, never from an app or checklist alone. Our clinicians use structured, clinician-administered assessment to understand the whole child, drawing on the [CDC LTSAE milestones](/cdc-ltsae) as a starting reference and building an individualised plan that may include [child development support](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/pinnacleai) as needed.\n\n## Trusted sources\nCDC \"Learn the Signs. Act Early.\" developmental milestone guidance covering ages 2 months to 5 years; the American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren guidance on developmental surveillance and milestones.\n\n**Next step —** If a milestone checklist has raised a question, or you simply want clarity on your child's development, book a developmental review with our team to map strengths and start any helpful support early.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/at-what-age-is-the-cdc-ltsae-developmental-assessment-used-for-a-child","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/at-what-age-is-the-cdc-ltsae-developmental-assessment-used-for-a-child","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"assessments","label":"Assessments"}],"meta_title":"CDC LTSAE Milestones: What Age Range?","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Keep the CDC checklist for your child's current age handy and tick skills off during everyday play — it turns milestone-tracking into a relaxed, ongoing habit rather than a one-off worry.","published_at":"2026-06-10T14:16:00.221239+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-is-the-cdc-learn-the-signs-act-early-milestones-cdc-ltsae-and-what-does-it-assess","title":"What is the CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. (CDC-LTSAE) Milestones?","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"Understand the subject","total":1},{"key":"assess","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"should-my-child-have-a-cdc-ltsae-assessment-and-what-does-it-involve","title":"Should my child have a CDC-LTSAE assessment, and what does it involve?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-is-the-cdc-ltsae-indicated-and-what-are-its-strengths-and-limits-in-early-childhood","title":"When is the CDC-LTSAE indicated, and what are its strengths and limits?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-the-cdc-ltsae-compare-with-the-abilityscore-developmental-assessment","title":"How does the CDC-LTSAE compare with the AbilityScore developmental assessment?","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"Understand assessment","total":3},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-developmental-milestones","title":"What Are Developmental Milestones?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"as-a-community-health-volunteer-how-can-i-use-a-simple-developmental-checklist-in-the-community","title":"Using a Simple Developmental Checklist in the Community","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":2}],"what_to_watch":"Missing several expected milestones at a checklist age (2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48 or 60 months), or a skill your child once had seeming to fade.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC — Learn the Signs. Act Early. Milestones"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org/English/MotorDelay/Pages/default.aspx","label":"AAP HealthyChildren — Developmental milestones"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T14:16:00.221239+00:00","meta_description":"The CDC \"Learn the Signs. Act Early.\" milestone checklists are for children aged 2 months to 5 years. Here's how they work and when to seek a review.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}