ASK PINNACLE · QUESTIONS, EXPLANATIONS & NEXT STEPS
Communication
Explore explanations, everyday questions and next steps connected with communication.
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Signs & concerns
When a child isn't yet showing non-verbal communication
Non-verbal communication — pointing, reaching, eye contact, smiling and gesturing — usually appears before words and is the foundation language builds on. If a child in your care isn't yet showing these signals, a calm developmental check is wise, not worrying. Watch for absent shared gaze, no pointing or showing, few gestures, little facial expression, no response to name, or loss of a skill. This is a reason to assess early, never a diagnosis, because support at this stage works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet showing nonverbal communication
If a child in your care isn't yet showing nonverbal communication — eye contact, smiling back, pointing, gesturing, sharing attention — encourage it gently through everyday face-to-face play, and arrange a calm developmental check so any support can begin early. Watch for little eye contact, no response to name, no pointing or showing by 12–15 months, few gestures, or loss of a skill. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet identifying objects: a caregiver's guide
If a child isn't yet identifying named objects, stay calm and keep playing richly — naming things in daily routines, offering simple choices and pausing for a response all build this communication skill. Seek a gentle developmental check if the gap continues or comes with few words, no pointing, little response to name or limited shared attention. This is a reason to look early, not a diagnosis — early support works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't describing pictures yet: a caregiver's guide
Picture description — naming and telling what's in a picture — grows gradually through shared book-time and everyday talking. If a child isn't there yet, more rich, playful naming and reading usually helps most. Seek a gentle developmental check if the child also has very few words for their age, little interest in books, trouble following simple instructions, or has lost words once used. This points to early support, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child's pronunciation skills are not yet showing
Pronunciation develops gradually, and young children are often hard to understand at first — this is usually normal. Caregivers help most by talking, singing, naming and responding warmly all day, while watching how clear speech becomes over time. Seek a calm developmental check, including a hearing review, if speech is much harder to follow than peers, seems to stand still, or comes with other communication differences. This is about early opportunity, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't asking questions yet
If a child is not yet asking questions, keep modelling curiosity, talk often and offer plenty of back-and-forth chances to communicate. Question-asking grows from a base of words and shared attention, so wonder aloud and pause for responses. Seek a gentle developmental check if the child also has very few words, little pointing or showing, or limited shared enjoyment — this is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet understanding questions
If a child isn't yet understanding questions, support them daily with short language, plenty of waiting time, gestures and choices, ideally in the language they hear most at home. This is not a diagnosis — many children catch up at their own pace. Seek a gentle developmental check if comprehension is clearly behind same-age peers, the child doesn't respond to their name, or has lost words once used, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't showing receptive language
Receptive language — understanding words and instructions — grows before speech. If a child isn't responding to their name, following simple requests, or looking when you point at the expected age, arrange a calm developmental check and a hearing test rather than waiting. This is not a diagnosis; it means early, playful support can begin sooner, which works best. Rich face-to-face talk and ruling out hearing concerns are the two most powerful first steps.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet using phrases and sentences
If a child isn't yet joining words into phrases or simple sentences, keep talking, reading and playing together daily, and arrange a gentle developmental check rather than waiting. Two-word phrases usually emerge around 18–24 months and short sentences by about 3 years, but every child differs. An early, calm look is an opportunity, not a diagnosis — language support works wonderfully at this age.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child in your care isn't yet forming sentences
Children usually join two words around 18–24 months and form short sentences by 30–36 months. If a child over two is using single words but not yet combining them, support daily with language-rich play and expanding their words, and arrange a developmental check — especially if you also notice few words, little interaction or no pointing. This is not a diagnosis; early support at this age works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to Do If a Child Isn't Showing Sentence Repetition Yet
If a child isn't yet repeating short sentences, that alone is rarely alarming — the skill grows gradually with memory, listening and spoken language. Keep playing and talking, and arrange a calm developmental check if it appears alongside few words, trouble following instructions, or hearing concerns. This is reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because support at this stage works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing social communication
If a child in your care isn't yet showing social communication — eye contact, shared smiles, gestures, pointing or back-and-forth — stay calm, build connection through everyday play at the child's eye level, and arrange a gentle developmental check. This is not a diagnosis; it means a clinician's friendly look is wise now, because early support works best at this stage.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet making sounds: a caregiver's guide
Sound production — cooing, babbling and early consonants — builds gradually across the first two years. If a child isn't yet making sounds, keep talking, singing and responding warmly, watch how they react to your voice, and arrange a developmental check if babble is absent, fading, or paired with no response to sound. A hearing check is a sensible early step. This is reason to look early, not a diagnosis — early support works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child isn't yet showing spatial concepts
Spatial words like in, on, under and between develop gradually between roughly 2 and 5 years, with harder ones mastered nearer 4–5. If these words are the only gap and everything else is growing, play and rich everyday talk are usually all that's needed. Seek a developmental check if the child follows few directions of any kind, has very limited vocabulary, or seems behind across several areas — this means a clinician's gentle look is wise, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhen a child's speech isn't yet clear: a caregiver's guide
Some unclear speech is normal as children learn sounds: a familiar listener understands about half a 2-year-old's speech, three-quarters at 3, and most strangers understand easily by 4. Caregivers help by talking warmly, facing the child, giving time, modelling correct words and reading together. Arrange a speech and hearing check if a child is much harder to understand than peers, has few or stalling words, or gets frustrated — this is early support, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to Do When a Child Isn't Yet Communicating
If a child in your care isn't yet babbling, gesturing, responding to their name or using expected words, the best step is a calm developmental check rather than waiting. Communication grows in many ways before speech — eye contact, pointing, shared smiles — so observe these closely and share what you see with a qualified clinician. Early, play-based support works wonderfully, and seeking it is never an over-reaction.
Read the answer AnswerAs a caregiver, what should I do if a child isn't yet showing storytelling skills?
Storytelling is a later-arriving skill that builds on vocabulary, memory and imagination, usually blossoming between 3 and 5 years. A child not yet narrating events may simply be on an earlier stage, especially if everyday talking and understanding are growing. Enrich story moments through shared reading and pretend play at home, and arrange a developmental check if other language milestones also seem behind — this is reason to look early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerCaregiver guidance: child not yet showing temporal concepts
Temporal concepts — time words like now, later, before, after, today and tomorrow — develop gradually and well after first words. If a child isn't using them yet, weave time language into daily routines and allow time. Seek a developmental check only if there are wider gaps in understanding language, following directions or sequencing daily steps — that broader pattern, not time words alone, is what's worth a clinician's review.
Read the answer AnswerWhen 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.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't showing verbal knowledge
If a child in your care is not yet showing verbal knowledge — understanding words, naming, or using language to learn — arrange a calm developmental check rather than waiting. This is not a diagnosis; it means a clinician's gentle look is wise now, because early language support works best. Meanwhile, everyday talking, naming and reading give a child the richest possible input.
Read the answer AnswerIf a child isn't yet showing verbal reasoning
Verbal reasoning — thinking and solving problems with words — develops gradually through rich everyday conversation, and children reach it at different times. If a child in your care isn't yet reasoning aloud, keep talking richly with them, watch how they understand and use language, and arrange a calm developmental check rather than waiting. This is not a diagnosis — it means a clinician's gentle look is wise now, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing verbal understanding
If a child isn't yet showing verbal understanding — turning to their name, following a simple instruction, or recognising familiar words — pair calm everyday talk with a developmental check and a hearing review. Comprehension usually grows before speech, so understanding matters even when words are few. This isn't a diagnosis; it means early, gentle support is wise, because help at this age works well.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet showing vocabulary
If a child in your care isn't yet showing vocabulary, keep talking, naming and reading every day, and arrange a gentle developmental check rather than waiting. Watch for few or no clear words by 16–18 months, little pointing or sharing, not responding to their name, limited back-and-forth, or loss of words. These are reasons to assess early — not a diagnosis — because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat to do if a child isn't yet understanding or using words
Vocabulary grows on a wide individual timeline, so a quiet stretch isn't alarming. Keep talking and playing richly, gently track what the child understands and says, and arrange a developmental check if words or understanding are clearly behind peers or have stalled. This isn't a diagnosis — it means an early clinician's look is wise, because support works best early.
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