Walking Milestone

Being a parent is one of the most rewarding experiences in life, but it can also be

one of the most overwhelming, confusing, and challenging times as well.

For new and experienced parents alike, you expect your child to begin taking their first

wobbly steps at 12 months, but Little Suzie still won’t move her feet! You wonder

“Should I be concerned?” “What can I do?” Luckily, it is perfectly normal for some

children to not begin taking steps until 14 months. Milestones are very important

in the development of a child, and there are a lot of them. The good news is that

milestones have a normal age range of when certain milestones should be

reached. For walking, a normal time frame for a child to begin taking steps is

around 11-14 months. So, don’t be alarmed if your child is 13 months old and

hasn’t taken steps yet. A good indication that your child may soon be taking

steps is pulling up to stand at furniture. This typically happens between 8-11

months. If your child is 12 months old and is not pulling up on furniture, or is

older than 14 months and still is not taking steps, talk with your pediatrician

about getting a referral for pediatric physical therapy. Physical therapists and

physical therapist assistants can work with your child to help them catch up to

age appropriate abilities. They can also educate parents on things to work on at

home to help carryover the work from therapy sessions in order to maximize your

child’s potential.

Will Lusk, LPTA

Owens Crossroads

Madison