Learn the Signs. Act Early. 
It’s Better to Know! 
Learning About Developmental Milestones 
Learn the Signs. Act Early. 
It’s Better to Know! 
Learning About Developmental Milestones 

All of us want our children to be happyand healthy. We want what is best for 
them. This story is about my family as we 
learn that “It’s Better To Know” about 
developmental milestones. 
All of us want our children to be happyand healthy. We want what is best for 
them. This story is about my family as we 
learn that “It’s Better To Know” about 
developmental milestones. 
Developmental milestones are things most children can do 
by a certain age. Children reach milestones in how they play, 
learn, speak, and act. Milestones offer important clues about 

a child’s development. The developmental milestones you will 

learn about in this fotonovela will give you a general idea 
of what to expect as your child grows. Not reaching these 
milestones, or reaching them much later than other children, 
could be a sign of a developmental delay. 

Trust your instincts. If you have concerns about your child’s 

development, the best thing to do is talk with your doctor. 

It’s Better To Know! was produced by the Organization for 

Autism Research with funding provided by the Department 
of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Organization 
for Autism Research thank the staff of The Fotonovela 

Production Company for their insight and contributions in 
developing this publication. 

Hi Carlitos! 
C-a-r-l-i-t-o-s. He 
doesn’t always look 
at us when we call hiname. I wonder why. 
s 
He’s fine. 
He’s more 
interested in 
his cow! 
How’s my baby boy 
doing? 
the doctor about 
that? 
Have you talked to 
He’s okay, mom,
but he doesn’t 
always look up when No, why, should I? 
we call him. 
Do you really think 
there could be 
something wrong 
with him, mom? 
Remember the last time 
we took him for a well-
baby check-up and 9-month 
developmental screening?
I picked up this pamphlet 
in the waiting room. It 
talks about developmental 
milestones. Did you get a 
chance to look at it? 


That afternoon… 
Consuelo meets her 
Friends at the park… 
Please don’t be upset, 
dear. I’m just saying 
that it’s good to know 
how babies develop 
learn, and change. 
That’s all. 
This has some good information 
about signs to watch for. It’s 
good to learn as much as you can 
about your baby! 
I’ll look at it later… 
I have to run 
some errands, but 
I’ll be back and we 
can take Carlitos to 
the park. 
Mom thinks we should 
talk to the doctor 
because Carlitos 
doesn’t always respond 
when we call his name. 
He’s fine, 
Consuelo. You and 
your mom worrytoo much. 
It’s not just 
that, Carlos. 
My heart is 
telling me weneed to look 
into this. 
It’s probably just a 
phase he’s going through. 
It’s not anything to 
worry about. 
But what 
if there’s 
something we 
should be paying 
attention to? 
Give him time. 
You’ll see… 
I need you to listen 
to me, Carlos. 
You have gottenso big! 
Not too big, I hope. I want 
my baby to be healthy. 
Oh, Consuelo, I’m so glad 
to see you and your baby! 
May I hold him? 
That afternoon… 
Consuelo meets her 
Friends at the park… 
Please don’t be upset, 
dear. I’m just saying 
that it’s good to know 
how babies develop 
learn, and change. 
That’s all. 
This has some good information 
about signs to watch for. It’s 
good to learn as much as you can 
about your baby! 
I’ll look at it later… 
I have to run 
some errands, but 
I’ll be back and we 
can take Carlitos to 
the park. 
Mom thinks we should 
talk to the doctor 
because Carlitos 
doesn’t always respond 
when we call his name. 
He’s fine, 
Consuelo. You and 
your mom worrytoo much. 
It’s not just 
that, Carlos. 
My heart is 
telling me weneed to look 
into this. 
It’s probably just a 
phase he’s going through. 
It’s not anything to 
worry about. 
But what 
if there’s 
something we 
should be paying 
attention to? 
Give him time. 
You’ll see… 
I need you to listen 
to me, Carlos. 
You have gottenso big! 
Not too big, I hope. I want 
my baby to be healthy. 
Oh, Consuelo, I’m so glad 
to see you and your baby! 
May I hold him? 
23 


Oh, he is 
such a good 
baby. 
He’s a sweetie! 
worry a little. 
Mom picked up 
this pamphlet 
from Dr. Garcia’s 
office that saysCarlitos should 
be responding to 
his name but he 
doesn’t always 
look at us. 
I’m beginning to 
This is good information. 
It’s important to know what 
to look for in the different 
stages of your child’s 
development. 

I could’ve used this when 
Panchito was a baby. 
We would have talked with 
the doctor earlier. 
I didn’t know Panchito 
had any problems. 
You would 
never know that 
from seeing himtoday. 
He didn’t start talking 
until he was much older. 
My sister noticed it, and 
I got angry at her. 
I hope my baby is okay! 
He’s doing well now but he didn’t start talking 
when other kids did. We had a hard time facing 
the truth. We were hoping that he would just 
start talking on his own. Honestly, I think we 
waited too long to get help. 
The pamphlet that mom brought home 
from the doctor says a baby his age should 
be looking up when he hears his name… 
Consuelo, let me give you some advice. 
If you have concerns, ask your doctor. 
Trust your instincts and act on them. 
45 


The important thing is 
to educate yourself. 
Where do we start? 
How do I find out more? 
It’s better to know. 
Start with your family doctor. 
Tell him why you’re concerned.
Before you go, sit down with 
Carlos and write down a list 
of questions to ask. 
I can see 
that you learned 
to be a woman of 
action. Good for 
you! 
I wish I had acted earlier. At 
least now I know what’s going 
on. I will do anything for him! 
My doctor is always so 
busy. Do you think he’ll 
have time to listen to me? Now, I’m worried too. 
You don’t need to 
You need a 
doctor you can talk 
to who will listen to 
worry dear. Just bewell-informed. 
It’s better to know. 
your concerns aboutyour child. 

Meanwhile, Carlos talks 
to his friend at work… 
So Consuelo is worried 
that there is something 
wrong with the baby. 
I’m sorry, man. 
What’s wrong? 
That’s just it. He 
doesn’t look at us 
when we call his name. 
What’s the big deal, 
Antonio? He’s just a 
little baby, right? 
I felt the same way when 
Panchito was a baby. Lorena 
insisted that he should be 
talking, and he wasn’t. 
We found out that he had some speech problems. It took me longer than 
Lorena to see what was happening with him. Now, thanks to his speech 
therapist, he talks all the time. He’ll be a lawyer before we know it! 
67 


Maybe Consuelo is right! 
Look, I thought he would grow out 
of it. But Lorena was right, and 
Panchito got the help he needed. 
It’s better to know. 
Now youhave me all 
worried... 
That’s not what I 
want. Listen to what 
I’m saying. Just be 
smart, man, and getsome information. 
Consuelo’s 
mother showed 
us some 
information 
in a pamphlet 
she got at the 
doctor’s office. 
Was it on 
developmentalmilestones? 
That’s what it’s 
called. 
Developmentalmilestones? 
Milestones are things your little kid should 
be doing by certain ages as he develops and 
grows. Think of them like road signs to look 
for when you drive. If your baby misses one 
of those road signs, don’t wait. Just go to 
the doctor, and ask about it. 
Look, there’s probably nothing to worry 
about. But you should have him checked by a 
doctor. Take it from me. It’s better to know. 
Maybe Consuelo is right! 
Look, I thought he would grow out 
of it. But Lorena was right, and 
Panchito got the help he needed. 
It’s better to know. 
Now youhave me all 
worried... 
That’s not what I 
want. Listen to what 
I’m saying. Just be 
smart, man, and getsome information. 
Consuelo’s 
mother showed 
us some 
information 
in a pamphlet 
she got at the 
doctor’s office. 
Was it on 
developmentalmilestones? 
That’s what it’s 
called. 
Developmentalmilestones? 
Milestones are things your little kid should 
be doing by certain ages as he develops and 
grows. Think of them like road signs to look 
for when you drive. If your baby misses one 
of those road signs, don’t wait. Just go to 
the doctor, and ask about it. 
Look, there’s probably nothing to worry 
about. But you should have him checked by a 
doctor. Take it from me. It’s better to know. 
That afternoon after work… 
I had lunch with Antonio today. 
Did you know that his son didn’t start 
talking until he was 3 years old? 
Yes, I saw 
Lorena and 
Panchito at the 
park and she 
told me. You’d 
never know 
that by seeing 
that little boy 
today. 
Antonio gave 
me some good 
advice. 
And what was that? 
He said to trust your eyes and ears. If your 
child is not doing the things other kids his 
age are doing, ask for help. He also said that 
learning about developmental milestones really 
helped Lorena and him. 
Lorena also encouraged me to 
ask the doctor if it’s normal 
for Carlitos not to respondwhen we call his name. 
Seeing the doctor doesn’t mean 
there’s anything wrong. It’s just 
better to ask and be sure. 
89 


At the clinic 
I want to thank you, Doña 
Emma, for making us more 
aware of developmentalmilestones. 
I didn’t want to butt in, 
but it is better to be 
well-informed. 
Of course you’re 
right: It’s better 
to know. 
I’m concerned that Carlitos 
doesn’t always look at us when 
we call his name. Is that a sign 
that something’s wrong? 
Your baby’s development is 
not that black and white. 
Before I answer your 
question, let me ask you 
some other questions, and 
then let’s see where we are. 
At the clinic 
I want to thank you, Doña 
Emma, for making us more 
aware of developmentalmilestones. 
I didn’t want to butt in, 
but it is better to be 
well-informed. 
Of course you’re 
right: It’s better 
to know. 
I’m concerned that Carlitos 
doesn’t always look at us when 
we call his name. Is that a sign 
that something’s wrong? 
Your baby’s development is 
not that black and white. 
Before I answer your 
question, let me ask you 
some other questions, and 
then let’s see where we are. 
The doctor examines the baby and asks several 
questions about Carlitos’development… 
You were wise to bring Carlitos in. It’s better 
to be sure, especially with a young child. He 
crawls, is pulling up, points with his index 
finger, and has a beautiful smile. These are all 
good signs to see in a 12-month-old baby. 
I’m not that concerned about 
his development, but he doesn’t 
seem to be hearing everything. 
That may explain why he doesn’t 
respond. We should order somehearing tests, just to find out. 
Thank you, doctor. 
Do you have any other 
information we can 
read regarding child 
development? 
Yes, of course, Carlos. I’m very 
glad to see you’re interested in 
learning more about how your 
baby will develop. 
Look who’s here! 
I’m here 
for mycheck-up. 
Is 
Carlitos 
okay? 
Yes, he had a good 
check-up, but we 
need to take him in 
for hearing tests,
just in case. 
Consuelo and I are 
glad we did this! 
10 11 


Three weeks later… 
So we took Carlitos in 
for his hearing tests and 
they did find something 
that affected his hearing 
and needs attention, butit’s going to be fine. I’m 
so relieved, and so glad 
we checked. 
Information 
always helps. 
Healthy growth is so 
much more than the 
physical signs, isn’t 
it? I’m going to learn 
from you and start 
talking to my husband 
about the milestones 
right away so we’ll 
both know the signs 
when our baby comes. 
Our son had a speech 
delay and avoided playing 
with other kids. The 
earlier you can identify 
these things, the sooner 
you can help your child. It 
has worked out well for 
Panchito. But, we learned 
our lesson about the 
importance of knowingabout developmentalmilestones. 
Now that we know, we do our best 
to take care of our son’s needs 
and share our experience withother parents. Our message to you 
is “It’s better to know.” If you 
learn the signs, you can act early 
and get the help you need for you 
child and your family! 
Three weeks later… 
So we took Carlitos in 
for his hearing tests and 
they did find something 
that affected his hearing 
and needs attention, butit’s going to be fine. I’m 
so relieved, and so glad 
we checked. 
Information 
always helps. 
Healthy growth is so 
much more than the 
physical signs, isn’t 
it? I’m going to learn 
from you and start 
talking to my husband 
about the milestones 
right away so we’ll 
both know the signs 
when our baby comes. 
Our son had a speech 
delay and avoided playing 
with other kids. The 
earlier you can identify 
these things, the sooner 
you can help your child. It 
has worked out well for 
Panchito. But, we learned 
our lesson about the 
importance of knowingabout developmentalmilestones. 
Now that we know, we do our best 
to take care of our son’s needs 
and share our experience withother parents. Our message to you 
is “It’s better to know.” If you 
learn the signs, you can act early 
and get the help you need for you 
child and your family! 
It’s Better to Know! 

Learn About Developmental Milestones 

Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain 
age. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, and act. 

Each baby develops at its own pace, so it’s not possible to tell exactly 
when your child will learn a skill. Knowing what to look for is important. 
The developmental milestones you will learn about in this fotonovela 

will give you a general idea of what to expect as your child grows. Not 
reaching these milestones, or reaching them much later than other 

children, could be a sign of a developmental delay. Trust your instincts. 
If you have concerns about your child’s development, the best thing to 

do is talk with your doctor. 

At 2 months, I will expect my baby to pay 
attention to faces, coo, gurgle, and smile 
at people. I know I should be concerned if 
she doesn’t turn her head towards sounds, 
doesn’t watch things as they move, or can’t 
hold her head up. 
When Carlitos was 6 months old, he could 
sit without support, copied some of the 
sounds we made, and liked to play with 
others. He also babbled and laughed, 
rolled over in both directions, and showed 
curiosity about things that were out of 
reach. We know now that he should have 
been responding to his name as well. 
Carlitos is now 1 year old and he makes 
simple gestures, has favorite people and 
toys, pulls up to a standing position, says 
“ma-ma” and “da-da,” finds hidden objects, 
follows simple directions, and tries to copy 
words. Yet, Carlitos often does not respondto his name. This concerned us, so I urged 
Carlos and Consuelo to talk to the doctor 
about it. We are all so glad they did! 

It’s Better to Know! 

Learn About Developmental Milestones 

By 2 years old, Panchito was excited to play 
with other children, showed more and more 
independence, used sentences with two to four 
words, followed two-step instructions, walked 
up and down stairs without help, ran, kicked 
balls, and climbed. However, we were concerned 
because Panchito was not yet talking. Most 
2-year-old children are already using two-word 
sentences. We took him for a check-up and 
shared our concerns with his doctor. We were 
happy we did. If your 2-year-old child isn’t 
talking; doesn’t walk steadily; or doesn’t know 
what to do with common things, like a brush, 
phone, fork, or spoon, it’s important to 
talk with your child’s doctor. 
I cannot wait for Carlitos to turn 3 years old 
so I can teach him to play soccer! He will begin 
to show affection for playmates, carry on a 
conversation using two to three sentences, and 
enjoy playing make-believe. His development 
might be off track if he can’t speak in full 
sentences, can’t work simple toys, or isn’t 
interested in playing with other children. 
Panchito is 4 years old and, thanks to the early 
help we got him, he overcame his speech delay. 
Anyone can understand him now! He hops and 
stands on one foot, describes what he likes to 
do, tells stories, names colors, and counts. He’s 
never had any problems playing with other kids, 
using “me” and “you” correctly, sleeping, and 
using the toilet. If he had experienced a delay 
in these activities, it would have been cause for 
concern. My baby is growing up! 
Knowing about these developmental milestones 
is a way you can make sure your baby is on 
track. To learn more about developmental 
milestones, visit www.cdc.gov/actearly. 
Remember, it’s better to know! 
www.researchautism.org