19 Feb Early Childhood Development: Dressing & Undressing Skills
There are a wide variety of milestones that a child needs to reach, starting from birth. As the child gets older, they will learn more things and will want to keep learning. From tying a shoelace and taking a bath to making their own bed, most pre-schoolers grow increasingly independent, but there are many who do not.
Developmental delays are real! A child not reaching one or even two developmental milestones may not be cause for concern, but when developmental delays appear in more than one category, it may indicate underlying physical and/or neurological problems.
Over the next few weeks, I will discuss all the areas of development and what a child should be able to do at certain stages in their development. It is important to remember that each child is unique and will develop at their own pace.
When you go through the checklists, please allow some flexibility in these areas. Some experts suggest allowing a 2- or 3-month leeway, while others recommend up to 6 months. We ask that you use your discretion and consider your child’s development holistically.
Development area: Dressing and Undressing skills for children aged birth to 5 years:
Being able to get dressed is a fundamental component to participation in daily life! In the checklist below we have listed the most common milestones that children reach at 6 month intervals.
| Age of the child | |
| 12 – 18 months | Can remove own socks Can put loose fitting hat on his/her head Cooperated with dressing by putting are or leg out By 18 months: places loose fitting hat on head |
| 2 years | Can remove own shoes when laces or fasteners are undone |
| 2.5 years | To put shoes on with assistance Pull down pants, with assistance for fasteners Undresses (jacket, shirt, pats, shoes, socks and underwear) with assistance Able to unbutton a large button Starting to put on “easy clothing” such as a jacket or open-front shirts without zipping or buttoning them Able to zip large zipper |
| 3 years | Able to put on own T-shirt, shoes (although the right and left orientation may still be incorrect) Able to take off “front-opening” clothing Able to pull up loose-fitting pants & shorts Able to dress self with assistance/supervision for fasteners and laces |
| 3.5 years | Able to unzip a jacket and separate the shank Able to button 3 – 5 buttons Able to unbuckled a belt Able to identify front side from back-side of clothes Able to remove shoes completely and able to identify which shoes goes on which foot Able to remove pull-over clothing from both arms and attempts to pull over head |
| 4 – 4.5 years | Buttons all front’ opening clothing Able to identify weather appropriate clothing to wear without prompting Able to tightens shoelaces Able to put socks on with appropriate orientation |
| 5 years | Dress independently when asked Able to tuck in own shirt |
Does not being able to dress-self mean that my child is on the Autism Spectrum?
Not at all! Factors such as precision grasp, bilateral coordination, and motor planning are often the reasons for delays in this area of development, and these can be addressed and rectified by Occupational Therapy and/or Physiotherapy.
Children with autism, Asperger’s syndrome, or similar disorders may encounter delays in learning how to dress themselves, but they will also show delays in other areas such as tooth brushing, bathing, drying themselves, hair brushing, speech development, communication skills, academic progress, and social behaviour.
