--- canonical: https://aderettherapy.com.au/resources/do-milestone-charts-miss-the-things-that-matter-most/ title: Do milestone charts miss the things that matter most? slug: do-milestone-charts-miss-the-things-that-matter-most date: 2026-10-12 type: podcast status: published image: 2026-10-12.jpg image_alt: Aderet Therapy Weekly podcast cover: two dancing silhouettes in front of a blurred play mat with orange balls, 12 October 2026 summary: Do milestone charts miss how a child moves? Why quality of movement matters more than ticking a box, plus what AAC is and who it is for. keywords: developmental milestones, quality of movement, late walking, gross motor development, AAC, augmentative and alternative communication, communication board, Key Word Sign, non-verbal children, paediatric physiotherapy, paediatric physiotherapy Campbelltown, NDIS podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Xw6RUn2WDfbfqcIFrZ3Rp --- Do milestone charts miss the things that matter most? They miss how a child moves. A milestone is only a moment, and two children can miss the same one for completely different reasons, so the question a physio asks in the clinic is not whether a child has ticked the box, it is how they move when they are trying to. We also focus on AAC which is short for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and it sits in the part of communication that happens without speech. It comes in two branches. Augmentative works alongside speech and Alternative replaces speech altogether: a communication board, a speech generating device, sign language, whatever gets the idea out. The first is that AAC is only for children who do not talk. It is not. Speaking is hard when you are upset, wheezy or plain tired, and a familiar method ready to hand means you can still say the thing. If AAC is your child's voice, then out of reach is gagged, and communication is a fundamental right. AAC takes longer, and that is a feature of the system rather than a flaw in the person. Let them choose every icon, press the button, and say the whole thing. The second half is about movement. When should my child roll, when are they late, when is something wrong. The more useful word is how. Take a sixteen month old who is not walking yet. If they are strong and cruising the furniture, they are well on their way. Now take a child the same age who is not walking and who is unsteady and weak. Same missing milestone, completely different picture, and the second one is worth having a physio look at sooner rather than later. From the outside both of them just are not walking, which is exactly why this is hard to judge at home. The practical advice is to nudge a little outside the comfort zone, more movement for the watcher and slower, more controlled movement for the mover. And trust the nagging feeling. Mums often notice something is not right before anybody else does, sometimes before a professional takes it seriously. **Topics covered:** AAC, augmentative and alternative communication, AAC Awareness Month, communication board, speech generating device, Key Word Sign, non-verbal children, developmental milestones, quality of movement, late walking, sixteen month old not walking, when to see a paediatric physiotherapist, gross motor development, early intervention, trusting your instincts, Campbelltown, Macarthur, NSW. ## Read more from Aderet Therapy - [When should I be concerned about my baby developing properly?](https://aderettherapy.com.au/resources/baby-developing-properly/) ## Sources behind this episode This episode is Aderet Therapy's own clinical practice, recorded by the clinic's own physiotherapists. The two articles linked above are the clinic's own writing on the ground this episode covers. ## In this episode - 00:00 - Intro - 01:16 - Song: Room For Me - 03:24 - AAC - 07:03 - Song: In Your Reach - 09:59 - The How rather than the When - 14:17 - Song: How They Move - 16:55 - Help ## About the show Aderet Therapy Weekly is a short weekly podcast for parents of babies and young children, from the paediatric physiotherapy team at Aderet Therapy in Campbelltown, in the Macarthur region of south west Sydney, NSW. Aderet Therapy: paediatric physiotherapy, early intervention key worker support, communication physiotherapy and AAC, aquatic physiotherapy, equipment prescription, school holiday programs, and the free Little Movers League community sessions. NDIS, Medicare and private health. ## Contact - Website: [aderettherapy.com.au](https://aderettherapy.com.au) - Phone: [02 4949 7276](tel:+61249497276) - Address: [Suite 10, 261 Queen Street, Campbelltown NSW 2560](https://www.google.com/maps?cid=3113537277279447515) ## Disclaimer Everything in this episode is general information only. Every child is unique, and nothing here replaces a conversation with your GP, your child and family health nurse, or your physiotherapist.