Fine Motor Milestones

Fine motor skills is our ability to work with our hands. Some activities that require fine motor skills include: handwriting, clothing fasteners (buttons, zippers, shoelaces), using scissors, or managing food packs. 

Children with neurodevelopmental diagnoses (i.e. autism spectrum disorder) are often impacted in their motor skills, because motor coordination come from your neuromuscular system (wiring of your brain cells and muscles).

In OT and PT, we will use standardized assessments to find out your child's current developmental level with fine motor skills. Please see below for fine motor developmental milestones. Remember that everyone goes through roughly the same steps, but at their own rate! We'll meet the child wherever they are right now to help them get to the next level: we use a play-based, intrinsically motivated approach at the just-right challenge. 

Fine Motor Skills: Developmental Milestones Resource: Developmental Assessment of Young Children (DAYC) Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, 2nd Edition (PDMS-2) Beery Visual Motor Integration (VMI)

6-9 months Pokes with index finger Claps hands Grasps small food pellets with thumb and index finger

9-12 months Removes socks Places blocks inside a cup

12-18 months Scribbles with crayon Stacks 2-3 cubes

​18-24 months Turns thick pages in book Inserts large inset puzzle shapes (circle, square, triangle) Imitates vertical strokes Stacks 4-6 cubes

​24-30 months Removes large screw on lids Rolls, pounds, and squeezes playdoh Stacks 8 cubes

30-36 months Threads beads on string Copies a vertical line, horizontal line, and circle

36-42 months ​Fastens large buttons (1 inch) or snaps Cuts paper into 2 pieces

42-48 months Cuts a 5 inch line within 1/2 inch of the line

48-54 months Copies a cross (+) Copies a square Cuts a circle

​54-60 months Copies an X Cuts a square Colors within lines Fastens zippers

60-72 months Copies a triangle Ties shoelaces

Learn More:
​Motor and Self-Help Milestones
Speech Milestones