CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. (CDC-LTSAE) Milestones

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 — a clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care.