Psychologist Ken Pope has posted this article from The Washington Post: 

For the first time in decades, the nation’s top pediatricians have changed the checklist of developmental milestones for infants and young children to make it easier to identify delays that could be a sign of autism or other social-communication disabilities.

The updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, made with the American Academy of Pediatrics, raised the percentage of children who typically meet certain milestones from 50 percent to 75 percent, an important adjustment signifying that instead of just half, now the majority of children are capable of certain behaviors and achievements at specified ages.

The changes are designed to give parents, doctors and caregivers clearer benchmarks for when children typically do things such as acting shy around strangers (6 months), clapping when excited (15 months) and engaging in pretend play (4 years).

“This has been a need that is long overdue,” said Paul Lipkin, a pediatrician and director of medical outpatient services at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore.

The developmental markers had not changed since they were first released in 2004. By adjusting the ages to account for societal changes such as when children first need to tie their shoes or pick up cereal with their fingers, among other capabilities, developmental experts hope to encourage parents to seek interventions earlier instead of waiting until the delays become more obvious.

The new milestones, published in Pediatrics were developed by a group of 13 developmental experts and pediatricians, including Lipkin. “We wanted to take a close look at all the data and milestones through multiple sources to come up with what we think is an accurate reflection of a child’s development,” he said.
The milestone markers are based on observations, and in particular the previous ones missed some of the indicators that a child may be autistic, including the first age when most children typically smile to get attention, which is now included in the checklist for a 4-month-old. The CDC also added milestones for 15 months and 30 months and clearly defined social-emotional markers such as when a child typically hugs a doll or other toy, shows affection and uses words to say, “Look at me!”

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