{"h1":"CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. (CDC-LTSAE) Milestones","faq":[{"a":"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.","q":"Is the CDC-LTSAE milestone checklist a diagnostic test?"},{"a":"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.","q":"What ages do the CDC milestones cover?"},{"a":"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.","q":"What should I do if my child has not reached some milestones?"}],"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?","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":"what-should-i-do-if-my-child-isn-t-reaching-milestones-like-other-kids","title":"What should I do if my child isn't reaching milestones like other kids?"},{"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":"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?"}],"summary":"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.","answer_md":"*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.*\n\n## In short\nThe **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.\n\n## What the CDC-LTSAE Milestones assess\nThe 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:\n\n- **Social and emotional** — how a child connects with people, shows feelings and responds to others.\n- **Language and communication** — sounds, gestures, first words, understanding and putting words together.\n- **Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)** — exploring, remembering, and figuring things out through play.\n- **Movement and physical development** — both large movements (rolling, sitting, walking) and small hand skills.\n\nEach 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.\n\n## When to act early\nThe 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.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nThe CDC-LTSAE Milestones are a wonderful first step at home — but checklists do not diagnose. 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 a form. Our team uses tools like the [CDC-LTSAE milestones](/cdc-ltsae) as a starting conversation, then looks at the whole child and, where helpful, draws on supports such as [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) to build an individualised plan.\n\n## Trusted sources\nCDC 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.\n\n**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.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-is-the-cdc-learn-the-signs-act-early-milestones-cdc-ltsae-and-what-does-it-assess","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/what-is-the-cdc-learn-the-signs-act-early-milestones-cdc-ltsae-and-what-does-it-assess","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"assessments","label":"Assessments"}],"meta_title":"CDC-LTSAE Milestones: What They Are & Assess","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"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.","published_at":"2026-06-10T14:16:00.221239+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"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?","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":"what-should-i-do-if-my-child-isn-t-reaching-milestones-like-other-kids","title":"What should I do if my child isn't reaching milestones like other kids?","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":2}],"what_to_watch":"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.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. Milestones"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren on developmental milestones"},{"url":"https://nurturing-care.org","label":"WHO Nurturing Care Framework"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T14:16:00.221239+00:00","meta_description":"The CDC Learn the Signs. Act Early. milestones are free, age-based checklists tracking how children play, learn, speak, act and move — an awareness tool, n","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}