YOUR QUESTION. A CLEARER NEXT STEP.
When a child in your care isn't talking yet
If a child in your care isn't yet using words, talk, narrate, sing and respond to every gesture and sound while arranging an early developmental check. Communication grows before speech — pointing, babbling, eye contact and gestures all count. Have hearing checked too. This is a reason to look early, not a diagnosis, because support at this stage works well.
In this answer 5 sections
When the words haven't come yet, your warm everyday talking, singing and waiting is already the best foundation a child can have.
In short
If a child in your care isn't yet using words, the most powerful things you can do are talk, narrate, sing and respond to every gesture and sound they offer — while arranging a developmental check so a clinician can see the full picture early. Communication grows long before speech: pointing, eye contact, babbling and gestures all count. Noticing the gap is not a diagnosis — it simply means a calm, early look is wise, because support at this stage works beautifully.
What to watch
Verbal communication (ICF d3) rests on social and pre-verbal foundations. Gentle flags that deserve a clinician's eye:
- Few or no gestures — not waving, pointing or reaching to show you things.
- Little babbling — by around the first year, you'd expect strings of sounds like "bababa" or "dada".
- Not responding to their name or to familiar voices.
- Limited eye contact or shared smiling during play.
- No new words emerging as months pass, or loss of words once used.
What you notice every day is genuinely valuable — keep a short note of the sounds, gestures and moments of connection you see.
The science
Children learn to talk by being talked with. Rich back-and-forth — naming what they look at, pausing for a turn, responding to their pointing — builds the brain pathways for speech. Hearing should always be checked too, since even mild hearing differences can quietly delay words. Early, playful support consistently improves communication outcomes.
The Pinnacle way
A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care — never from an online list. Our team looks at how a child communicates in every way, not only with words, and shapes support around play. Learn more about verbal communication and how our speech therapy team helps unlock it.
Trusted sources
WHO ICF framework (communicating, d3); American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (asha.org) guidance on early communication and late talkers; CDC "Learn the Signs, Act Early" milestone resources.
Next step — Trust what you've noticed. Book a developmental assessment with a Pinnacle clinician for a calm, clear review of the child's communication and hearing.
This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
CONNECT THE ANSWER TO YOUR CHILD’S DAY
Something to notice. Something to discuss.
What to notice
Seek a developmental check if a child shows few or no gestures (no waving or pointing), little babbling by around one year, no response to their name, limited eye contact or shared smiling, no new words emerging, or loss of words once used. Always have hearing checked, as even mild hearing differences can delay speech.
In everyday life
Narrate your day aloud — "we're pouring the water, now we stir" — and pause after each phrase to give the child a turn, even a sound or gesture. Responding warmly to every attempt teaches that communication works.
Bring your observations and questions to your child’s professional. Choose activities that suit your child’s comfort, abilities and agreed plan.
Bring your questions to a first visitQuestions families ask
Is it normal for a child not to be talking yet?
Children develop at different rates, and many use gestures, babbling and eye contact well before words. What matters is whether communication is growing overall. If words aren't emerging or you have concerns, a calm developmental check — including a hearing test — is a wise, early step.
Should the child's hearing be checked?
Yes. Even mild or intermittent hearing differences can quietly delay speech, so a hearing check is one of the most useful first steps when words are slow to come.
What can I do at home to help?
Talk and narrate throughout the day, sing songs, name what the child looks at, pause to give them a turn, and respond warmly to every gesture and sound. This back-and-forth is what builds the pathways for speech.
FOLLOW THE SOURCE
References behind this answer.
- Source referenceICF d3
- Source referenceASHA: late talkers and early communication
- Source referenceCDC: Learn the Signs, Act Early milestones
- Organisation website · further readingWHO ICF: communicating (d3)
References are supplied with this answer. An organisation homepage offers further reading; it does not establish an independent review of this page.
Content attribution: SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network.
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