What tends to emerge, age by age.

Try nowFace-to-face talk at close range, short supervised tummy-time sessions, slow tracking with a face or a high-contrast object, and answering her sounds as if they were words — because to her, they are.

Bring it upIf she does not respond to loud sound, does not watch faces, or seems unusually floppy or stiff.

Try nowPause after speaking so she can answer. Place safe toys within reach rather than in her hands. Read short books. Offer supervised floor play every day, on her back and on her tummy.

Bring it upIf she rarely moves one or both arms, cannot hold her head up at all, does not make sounds or smile back, or still cannot hold her head steady without support by the end of this window.

Try nowOffer safe textures to mouth, copy her sounds back, put toys just within reach rather than in her hand, and let her explore upright with support. This is the window to discuss starting solids — see the readiness signs.

Bring it upIf she does not reach for objects, does not show affection, does not make vowel-like sounds, or is not gaining head control.

Try nowCreate a genuinely safe floor area and stop fencing it off. Play hide-and-find with a cloth. Name what she touches. Offer soft finger foods once she sits with support and brings things to her mouth — always seated and watched.

Bring it upIf she is not sitting without support by 9 months, does not bear weight through her legs, does not respond to sound or to her name, or uses very few sounds.

Try nowPractice pointing and waving — gestures come before words and matter more than most parents realize. Give one-step directions with a gesture. Stack and fill containers. Let her feed herself safe pieces, and expect the mess.

Bring it upIf she does not use gestures, does not share sounds back and forth, does not sit independently, or puts no weight on her legs. Note that crawling style varies widely and some children skip crawling entirely — that alone is not a concern.

Try nowName what she points at. Let her turn board-book pages. Offer a spoon even when it is slower. Invite her to help put items in a basket. Give safe things to climb on rather than banning climbing.

Bring it upIf she loses any skill she had, does not point to share interest, is not trying at least three words besides caregiver names by 18 months, does not walk independently, or rarely seeks shared attention with you.

Try nowExpand her words — “dog” becomes “yes, a big brown dog.” Offer pretend play. Use simple either/or choices. Practice handwashing as a game. Let her scribble with chunky crayons.

Bring it upIf she is not combining two words, has very few gestures, does not follow simple directions, or has lost language or social skills.

Try nowOffer two acceptable choices instead of open questions. Narrate feelings out loud. Sing rhymes. Sort socks. Practice dressing with elastic waists. Begin toilet learning only when the readiness signals show up.

Bring it upBy age 3: if other people cannot understand her speech most of the time, if she does not follow familiar two-step directions, if there is very little symbolic or pretend play, if she shows no interest in joining other children, or if she struggles with walking or using both hands.

Try nowRetell the day together at dinner. Play turn-taking games. Let her cut with child-safe scissors. Count real objects rather than reciting. Give small jobs with a clear beginning and end.

Bring it upIf others rarely understand her, if she cannot join simple pretend play, if she falls often, or if she consistently avoids eye contact and shared play.

Try nowAsk open questions about stories you read together. Practice drawing and early writing without pressure or correction. Play rule-based games. Build independence in dressing and cleanup.

Bring it upBy age 5: difficulty sustaining a multi-exchange conversation, telling a two-event story, following simple game rules, counting to ten, attending to an activity for 5–10 minutes — or any loss of previously held skills.