Developmental Skills for 6-9 Months

Developmental Skills for 6-9 Months
Developmental Skills for Babies and Infants 6-9 Months Old

Social and Emotional

qEnjoys  Increased eye contact to people
q Increased attention to toys
q Smiles and laughs to show pleasure
q Responds to “no”, but does not necessarily obey (briefly stops activity when “no” is heard then returns to the activity)

Speech and Language

qMay respond to “no” (briefly stops doing something  Imitates simple gestures
qUses simple gestures
qBabbles, may produce a string of varied syllables (ba-ba-de-go)  

Sensory

qBegins to finger feed self
qTakes bite of a cracker
qTurns head toward direction of sounds

Cognitive

qFinds Responds to name (looks when hears name)
qEngages and enjoys interactive games (e.g. peek-a-boo)
qIncreased attention to a new or preferred toy (3-5 minutes)

Gross Motor

qSits alone and is able to play while sit- ting
qPulls self to standing position
qCrawls forward on stomach
qWalks with 2 hands held
qGets in a lying down position from sit- ting position

Fine Motor

qHolds smaller objects with thumb and side of index finger
qTransfers object from hand to hand
qClasps hands together
qWhile lying on stomach bears weight on one arm while reaching with other

Each child develops at his/her own pace. Do not be alarmed if your child does not follow this exact sequence. If you have concerns about your child’s development, contact your doctor.  A child in this age range would be referred to the Early Intervention Program. For more information contact your physician or the Public Health Department in your county:

Oswego County Health Services EI (315) 349-3500
Onondaga County Health Dept Special Svs (315) 435-3230
Jefferson County Community Services: (315) 785-3283
Lewis County Public Health Agency: (315) 376-5849
Madison County Public Health Department: (315) 366-2361
Oneida County Health Department: (315) 798-5249


You may request that Little Lukes coordinate the evaluation or provide Early Intervention services including speech therapy, occupational therapy or physical therapy.   Little Lukes is a leading provider of Early Intervention pediatric therapy services in Central New York.   Visit www.littlelukes.com for information.