How to check if your child's communication is on track

Every coo, point and first word is your child building a bridge to the world — and you are the first person who can tell how that bridge is coming along.

In short

You can check your child's communication development by watching how they understand, express and connect — not just words, but gestures, eye contact, sounds and the back-and-forth of interaction. The simplest guide is to compare against age-based milestones (smiling and cooing in infancy, babbling and pointing by around a year, first words by 12–18 months, short phrases by two), while remembering every child has their own pace. If something feels off — or your child seems to be slipping behind — a gentle developmental check is always the right next step, never a worry to carry alone.

What to look for at different ages

Communication is far wider than talking — it's the whole loop of giving and receiving meaning. Some reassuring signposts:

• By 6 months — smiles back at you, makes cooing or gurgling sounds, turns towards your voice.
• By 9–12 months — babbles strings of sounds ("bababa"), responds to their name, uses gestures like waving or reaching, enjoys turn-taking games like peek-a-boo.
• By 12–18 months — points to show you things, follows simple instructions ("give me the ball"), says a few single words.
• By 2 years — joins two words together ("more milk"), understands far more than they can say, names familiar things.
• By 3 years — speaks in short sentences, is understood by familiar people most of the time, asks simple questions.

Look especially at the two-way connection — does your child seek you out, share attention, respond to their name, and try to make their needs known? That social drive to communicate often matters more than the exact number of words.

When to seek a check

It's worth a developmental check if your child isn't babbling by around 12 months, has no single words by 18 months, isn't joining words by two, seems not to understand simple requests, rarely makes eye contact or shares attention, or has lost skills they once had. Loss of words or social connection always deserves prompt review. A check is reassurance, not a verdict — and earlier support is always gentler and more effective.

The Pinnacle way

AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an online list or app. There, a clinician-administered structured assessment builds a precise picture of how your child understands and expresses, so any support is shaped to your child. Explore how we support communication and speech, understand how the AbilityScore® is formed, or start at Pinnacle Blooms Network to find your nearest centre.

Trusted sources

WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) describes communication within everyday activity and participation; the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and the CDC's developmental milestone guidance outline expected communication stages by age.

Next step — Curious where your child stands? Book a communication check with a Pinnacle clinician.

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.