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CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. (CDC-LTSAE) Milestones
The CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. (CDC-LTSAE) Milestones are free, age-based checklists from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that describe what most children can do at key ages across four areas — social-emotional, language and communication, cognitive (learning and problem-solving), and movement. They are a tool to track development and prompt timely action, not a diagnostic test, and they give no score or label. If a checklist raises a concern, the message is to act early and ask a clinician for a developmental check.
In this answer 5 sections
A free, friendly set of checklists from the CDC that helps families notice how a child plays, learns, speaks, acts and moves as they grow.
In short
The CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. (CDC-LTSAE) Milestones are a free public-health resource from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They are simple, age-based checklists of the things most children can do by certain ages — in playing, learning, speaking, acting and moving. They are a way to track a child's development and to start a timely conversation if something seems different. They are not a diagnostic test and they do not give a score or a label.
What the CDC-LTSAE Milestones assess
The milestones are organised by age, with checklists at key points across the early years (for example around 2 months, 6 months, 1 year, 18 months, 2 years and beyond). At each age they describe what most children can do across four everyday areas:
- Social and emotional — how a child connects with people, shows feelings and responds to others.
- Language and communication — sounds, gestures, first words, understanding and putting words together.
- Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving) — exploring, remembering, and figuring things out through play.
- Movement and physical development — both large movements (rolling, sitting, walking) and small hand skills.
Each milestone is phrased as something most children do by that age, so a checklist makes it easy for a parent to see the bigger picture rather than worry over a single skill. The free CDC Milestone Tracker app lets families keep a photo-and-tick record over time. Importantly, this is an awareness and tracking tool — it helps you decide whether to ask for a fuller look, not to make any conclusion yourself.
When to act early
The heart of the message is in the name: act early. If a checklist makes you pause — your child has lost a skill they once had, or is some way behind several milestones for their age, or simply something feels different — that is a reason to talk to your paediatrician and ask about a developmental check, not a reason to panic. Acting early opens the door to support during the years when a young brain learns most readily.
The Pinnacle way
The CDC-LTSAE Milestones are a wonderful first step at home — but checklists do not diagnose. A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care, never from an app or a form. Our team uses tools like the CDC-LTSAE milestones as a starting conversation, then looks at the whole child and, where helpful, draws on supports such as speech therapy to build an individualised plan.
Trusted sources
CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestone guidance and the free Milestone Tracker app; the American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren on developmental milestones and developmental monitoring; WHO Nurturing Care Framework on early childhood development.
Next step — If a milestone checklist has left you wondering, book a developmental review at your nearest Pinnacle Blooms Network centre to understand your child's strengths and start any helpful support early.
This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
CONNECT THE ANSWER TO YOUR CHILD’S DAY
Something to notice. Something to discuss.
What to notice
A child losing a skill they once had, being noticeably behind on several milestones for their age across playing, speaking, acting or moving, or a parent simply sensing something feels different — all reasons to ask a clinician for a developmental check.
In everyday life
Download the free CDC Milestone Tracker app and tick off skills as your child grows — it turns everyday play into a gentle record you can share with your paediatrician at routine visits.
Bring your observations and questions to your child’s professional. Choose activities that suit your child’s comfort, abilities and agreed plan.
Bring your questions to a first visitQuestions families ask
Is the CDC-LTSAE milestone checklist a diagnostic test?
No. It is a free awareness and tracking tool that describes what most children do at each age. It does not diagnose any condition or give a score — it simply helps you notice whether to ask a clinician for a fuller developmental check.
What ages do the CDC milestones cover?
They cover the early years with checklists at key points such as 2 months, 6 months, 1 year, 18 months, 2 years and beyond, each describing skills most children show by that age across four developmental areas.
What should I do if my child has not reached some milestones?
Don't panic — children develop at their own pace. But if your child is behind on several milestones, has lost a skill, or something feels different, the CDC's advice is to act early: talk to your paediatrician and ask about a developmental review.
FOLLOW THE SOURCE
References behind this answer.
- Source referenceCDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. Milestones
- Organisation website · further readingAAP HealthyChildren on developmental milestones
- Organisation website · further readingWHO Nurturing Care Framework
References are supplied with this answer. An organisation homepage offers further reading; it does not establish an independent review of this page.
Content attribution: SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network.
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