{"h1":"Responding to a child who is not pointing to show things","faq":[{"a":"Pointing to share interest — declarative or joint-attention pointing — usually emerges around 12 to 15 months. If it has not appeared by 18 months, a developmental check is sensible, especially when a parent is concerned.","q":"At what age should a child point to show things?"},{"a":"No. Not pointing is one early social-communication signpost, not a diagnosis. Many children take their own time. A frontline worker's role is to observe the wider picture, reassure, and route for a qualified developmental assessment — never to label.","q":"Does not pointing mean a child has autism?"},{"a":"Encourage parents to point at and name interesting things during daily play, pause and wait for the child to look, follow the child's gaze, and respond warmly whenever the child shows or gives a toy.","q":"What can a frontline worker suggest parents do at home?"},{"a":"Refer when a child of 18 months or older is not yet pointing to share interest, particularly alongside limited eye contact, not responding to name, few gestures or little babble — or whenever a parent is worried.","q":"When should a frontline worker refer for a check?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-frontline-worker-respond-to-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-child","title":"How should a frontline worker respond to a child not pointing to show things?","entity":{"key":"no-pointing","kind":"phenomenon","name":"not pointing to show things","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Asha Phc","value":"asha_phc"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Communication","value":"communication"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Plan","value":"plan"},{"kind":"route","label":"Book-Assessment","value":"book-assessment"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"behaviours","label":"Behaviours"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-teacher-respond-to-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-young-child","title":"How should a teacher respond to not pointing to show things in a young child?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-frontline-worker-respond-to-not-playing-with-other-children-in-a-child","title":"How should a frontline worker respond to a child not playing with other children?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-a-frontline-worker-refer-a-child-showing-not-pointing-to-show-things","title":"Should a frontline worker refer a child not pointing to show things?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-frontline-worker-respond-to-limited-eye-contact-in-a-child","title":"How should a frontline worker respond to limited eye contact in a child?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"if-a-child-cannot-attention-to-others-at-the-expected-age-when-should-a-frontline-health-worker-escalate","title":"Attention to Others: When a Frontline Worker Should Escalate"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-should-i-do-if-my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things","title":"What should I do if my child doesn't point at things?"}],"summary":"A frontline worker should observe the child's wider social-communication picture, reassure the family without dismissing or labelling, coach simple shared-attention play at home, and route for a developmental check if a child of 18 months or older is not pointing to show interest. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*When a little one points to share a discovery — a bird, a balloon, a passing dog — they are telling you their world is opening up; when that pointing is slow to appear, your gentle observation matters.*\n\n## In short\nAs a frontline worker, your role is to **observe, reassure, encourage shared attention through play, and route the family for a developmental check** — not to label or alarm. Pointing to *show* things (called declarative or joint-attention pointing) typically emerges around 12–15 months and is one of the most useful early social-communication signposts. If a child past 15–18 months is not yet pointing to share interest, note it calmly, share simple home strategies with the family, and refer for a developmental assessment so a qualified clinician can take a closer look.\n\n## What to do at the doorstep\n- **Watch the whole picture, not one behaviour.** Does the child make eye contact, follow your gaze, bring or show toys, respond to their name, babble or use gestures like waving? Pointing is one strand among many — note several together.\n- **Reassure without dismissing.** Tell the family that many children take their own time, and that noticing early is a strength, not a cause for fear.\n- **Coach simple shared-attention play.** Encourage parents to point at and name interesting things during daily routines, pause and wait for the child to look, and respond warmly when the child shows or gives anything.\n- **Record and route.** Make a brief note of age and what you observed, and arrange a developmental check at the nearest centre or PHC — gentle, prompt follow-up is the goal.\n- **Avoid the two traps:** do not say \"wait, it's nothing\" and do not say \"this means autism\". Neither is your call — your job is to encourage assessment.\n\n## When to refer\nRefer for a developmental check if a child is **18 months or older and not yet pointing to show or share interest**, especially if combined with limited eye contact, not responding to name, few gestures, or little babble. Earlier referral is appropriate whenever a parent is worried — parental concern is itself a valid reason to assess.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nAbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app, a checklist or a doorstep observation. As a frontline worker you are the vital first link: your calm noticing and timely routing open the door. Families can begin with a [developmental check](/) and learn how a child's profile is built through the clinician-administered [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated), with early communication support guided by our [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) team across 70+ centres and 700+ therapists.\n\n## Trusted sources\nWHO ICD-11 and early child-development guidance; CDC \"Learn the Signs. Act Early.\" milestone resources on gestures and joint attention; American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) guidance on social-communication milestones.\n\n**Next step —** Spotted a child who isn't pointing to share? Reassure the family and [arrange a developmental assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](/).\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-should-a-frontline-worker-respond-to-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-child","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-should-a-frontline-worker-respond-to-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-child","lang":"en","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"behaviours","label":"Behaviours"}],"meta_title":"Child Not Pointing: A Frontline Worker's Response","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Coach parents to point at and name interesting things during daily routines, pause and wait for the child to look, and respond warmly whenever the child shows or hands over a toy.","published_at":"2026-06-10T11:52:00.350809+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"should-a-frontline-worker-refer-a-child-showing-not-pointing-to-show-things","title":"Should a frontline worker refer a child not pointing to show things?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"if-a-child-cannot-attention-to-others-at-the-expected-age-when-should-a-frontline-health-worker-escalate","title":"Attention to Others: When a Frontline Worker Should Escalate","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"can-not-pointing-to-show-things-be-an-early-sign-of-a-developmental-concern","title":"Can Not Pointing To Show Things Be an Early Sign of a Developmental Concern?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-worry-about-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-1-year-old","title":"Should I worry about not pointing to show things in a 1-year-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-developmental-conditions-can-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-child-point-to","title":"Absent Pointing to Show: A Clinician's Signs Guide","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-a-doctor-investigate-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-young-child","title":"When should a doctor investigate not pointing to show things in a young child?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-about-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-my-child","title":"When should I worry about not pointing to show things?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":7},{"key":"causes","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-causes-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-1-year-old","title":"Why a 1-Year-Old May Not Point to Show Things","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-causes-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-young-children","title":"What causes not pointing to show things in young children?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore causes & influences","total":2},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-teacher-respond-to-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-young-child","title":"How should a teacher respond to not pointing to show things in a young child?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-frontline-worker-respond-to-limited-eye-contact-in-a-child","title":"How should a frontline worker respond to limited eye contact in a child?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-should-a-frontline-worker-respond-to-not-playing-with-other-children-in-a-child","title":"How should a frontline worker respond to a child not playing with other children?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-should-i-do-if-my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things","title":"What should I do if my child doesn't point at things?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"can-not-pointing-to-show-things-be-a-sign-of-autism","title":"Can Not Pointing To Show Things Be a Sign of Autism?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"do-children-usually-outgrow-not-pointing-to-show-things","title":"Do children usually outgrow not pointing to show things?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-a-teacher-support-a-1-year-old-who-shows-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-class","title":"How can a teacher support a 1-year-old who isn't pointing to show things?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-therapy-address-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-child","title":"How therapy addresses a child not pointing to show things","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-not-pointing-to-show-things-a-normal-part-of-child-development","title":"Is Not Pointing To Show Things Normal?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-makes-not-pointing-to-show-things-worse-in-a-child","title":"What makes not pointing to show things worse in a child?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-other-behaviours-often-occur-with-not-pointing-to-show-things","title":"What other behaviours often occur with Not Pointing To Show Things?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-techniques-help-a-child-with-not-pointing-to-show-things","title":"Therapy techniques for not pointing to show things","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":12},{"key":"home","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-help-a-young-child-with-not-pointing-to-show-things","title":"How to Help a Young Child Who Isn't Pointing to Show Things","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-do-i-handle-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-1-year-old","title":"How do I handle not pointing to show things in a 1-year-old?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"At home & in everyday life","total":2}],"what_to_watch":"Watch whether the child also makes eye contact, follows your gaze, responds to their name, waves or uses other gestures, and babbles — several of these together past 18 months matter more than pointing alone.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC — Learn the Signs. Act Early. (milestones & gestures)"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP — HealthyChildren.org social-communication milestones"},{"url":"https://icd.who.int","label":"WHO ICD-11"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T11:52:00.350809+00:00","meta_description":"How ASHA and PHC workers should respond when a child isn't pointing to show things — observe, reassure, coach play and route for a developmental check.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}