Age-wise milestones that a child must attain

At 6 months: Sitting up (with support), crawling, laughing and gurgling

Some children can crawl as late 8-9 months (and this is normal)

At 9 months: Sitting up without support, standing up without support, responding with soundsand facial expressions, cruising along furniture (attempting to walk).

The milestone of standing up without support can be achieved even as late as 10-11 months

At 12 months: Babbling, responding to name; making gestures like waving, pointing, and reaching for an object/person; walking few steps

At 16 months: Speech skills (using words, speaking 2-3 syllable words, improved balance and coordination in movements

At 24 months: Advanced speech skills (constructing short sentences/phrases), climbing 4-5 steps without support

RED FLAG: Some children may suddenly regress or lose communication skills between 12-24 months after developing them. This is a big red flag and must be addressed immediately.

Excessive screen time has also been known to cause speech delay.