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Communication
Explore explanations, everyday questions and next steps connected with communication.
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Signs & concerns
Is it normal that my toddler is not yet showing language development?
Toddler language develops across a wide, normal range — watch understanding and gestures, not just words. A check is wise if there are no words by ~18 months, fewer than a handful by 2 years, no two-word phrases by 2½, or any loss of skills. This means assess early, not a diagnosis, and always check hearing too.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler is not yet showing language processing?
Between 12 and 36 months, language processing — how a toddler understands and responds to words — develops over a wide, normal range, and many children understand more than they can say. Seek a calm developmental check if your child rarely responds to their name, doesn't follow simple requests, doesn't point or share attention, or loses understanding once shown. Always check hearing first. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler is not yet showing language structure?
Between 12 and 36 months, language structure — joining words and simple grammar — develops across a wide, normal range. Many toddlers use single words near their first birthday, combine two words around 18–24 months, and build short sentences through their third year. A developmental check is sensible if a child has very few words by 24 months and isn't beginning to combine them — not as a diagnosis, but because early support helps most at this stage.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler is not yet showing non-verbal communication?
Non-verbal communication — pointing, gestures, eye contact, shared smiles — usually develops across the toddler years, often before many words. Most babies begin pointing and gesturing by around 12 months, growing richer by 18–24 months. Seek a gentle developmental check if your toddler shows few gestures, no pointing by ~18 months, limited eye contact, no response to name, or loss of a skill. This is reason to assess early, not a diagnosis — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIs It Normal My Toddler Isn't Yet Using Nonverbal Communication?
Nonverbal communication — pointing, waving, showing and sharing looks — usually appears across the toddler years, with pointing by about 12–15 months and several gestures by 18 months. If your toddler isn't using these yet, a developmental check is wise now, especially if a pattern of missing gestures shows alongside limited eye contact or name response. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerToddler Receptive Language: Is It Normal?
Receptive language — how a toddler understands words and instructions — develops across a wide, normal range, often ahead of talking. By 18–24 months, most toddlers respond to their name and follow simple one-step requests. If understanding seems unclear past these windows, or words once known are lost, arrange a developmental and hearing check — not a diagnosis, just early support that works best now.
Read the answer AnswerIs It Normal My Toddler Isn't Using Phrases Yet?
For toddlers, phrase complexity arrives gradually with a wide normal window. Most children join two words between 18–24 months and build short phrases by 2½–3 years. If your toddler is younger or just starting to combine words, this is likely typical. Seek a gentle check if there are no two-word phrases by ~24 months — not as a diagnosis, but because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerToddler Social Communication: What's Normal and When to Check
Social communication — smiling, pointing, gesturing and first words — unfolds across a wide normal range between 12 and 36 months, so a slower start is often typical. Seek a gentle developmental check if you see few social signals for your child's age: rarely responding to their name, little eye contact, no pointing by 18 months, very few words by 2, or loss of a skill. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis — early support works best now.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler is not yet showing verbal communication?
Toddlers learn to talk on very different timetables, and a quieter toddler is often typical. As a guide, single words emerge around 12–15 months and two-word phrases around 24 months. Seek a calm developmental check if there are no single words by 18 months, fewer than 50 words or no two-word phrases by 24 months, little understanding of everyday requests, or loss of words. Strong understanding with few words is often reassuring — but a clinician's look helps support begin early, which works best at this age.
Read the answer AnswerIs It Normal My Toddler Isn't Showing Verbal Knowledge Yet?
Wide variation is normal in toddler language between 12 and 36 months — many children build words at different paces and catch up well. Seek a calm developmental check if your toddler has very few or no words by 18 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months, doesn't understand simple requests, or has lost words once used. A hearing check comes first. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because early language support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIs my toddler's vocabulary developing normally?
Toddlerhood spans 12–36 months, and vocabulary grows on a wide, normal timetable — comprehension usually comes before speech. Around 18 months many children have a few clear words; by 24 months, roughly 50 words and early two-word phrases. Being younger in this band or quieter is often typical, but check sooner if there are no words by 18 months, no two-word phrases by 24–30 months, little gesture or pointing, no response to name, or any loss of words. These are reasons to assess early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs my toddler's vocalization development normal?
Vocalization develops across a wide normal range: babbling and a first word or two near 12 months, a few words by 18 months, two-word phrases by 24 months. Seek a gentle developmental check if your toddler has very few sounds or words, isn't pointing or gesturing, doesn't respond to their name, or loses words once used. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis — early support works best, and a hearing check is wise alongside any speech concern.
Read the answer AnswerIs My 12-to-18-Month-Old Developing Normally in Communication?
Between 12 and 18 months, communication grows in uneven bursts — most toddlers move from a few first words and lots of pointing and babble towards roughly 10–20 words by 18 months, but the range of normal is wide. If your child babbles, points, responds to their name and tries to communicate, that is reassuring. Seek a gentle developmental check if there is little babble, no pointing, no response to name, or no words emerging by 18 months — not as a diagnosis, but so early, playful support can begin when it works best.
Read the answer Answer18–24 Month Communication Development
Between 18 and 24 months, most toddlers move towards 50+ words and begin joining two words, alongside pointing, gesturing, following simple instructions and responding to their name. Understanding usually runs ahead of speaking. Seek a developmental check — not a diagnosis — if your child uses very few or no words, has lost words, rarely points or gestures, or doesn't respond to their name, because early support works best at this age.
Read the answer AnswerIs my 2-year-old developing normally in communication?
Most 2-year-olds use around 50+ words and start joining two words together, but there is a wide healthy range and many late-talkers catch up well. Seek a developmental check if your child has very few words, isn't combining words by about 2½, doesn't respond to their name, rarely points or shares interest, or has lost words once used. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis — early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIs my 3-to-6-month-old developing normally in communication?
Between 3 and 6 months, communication shows as cooing, social smiles, babbling, turning to voices and shared eye contact, within a wide healthy range. Celebrate these signs. Seek a developmental check if, by around 6 months, your baby isn't smiling socially, doesn't react to sound or voices, makes very few sounds, or has lost a skill — these are reasons to look closer, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs my 3-year-old developing normally in communication?
Most three-year-olds talk in short three-to-four-word sentences, are understood by familiar adults most of the time, ask and answer simple questions, and enjoy back-and-forth chat. A wide healthy range is normal, and stumbling over sounds is expected. A calm developmental check is wise — not a diagnosis — if your child has very few words, is hard to understand most of the time, rarely connects in conversation, or has lost skills once gained, because early support works best at this age.
Read the answer AnswerIs my 4-year-old developing normally in communication?
Most four-year-olds speak in full sentences, tell simple stories, ask many questions and are understood by strangers most of the time. If your child does these things and follows two-step directions, communication is very likely on track. A developmental check is wise — not alarming — if speech is hard to understand, sentences stay very short, or your child struggles to follow directions or join conversation. This is a reason to screen early, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs my 5-year-old developing normally in communication?
At five, most children speak in full sentences, are understood by strangers, ask questions, tell simple stories and follow two-step instructions — if your child does most of these, communication is very likely on track. A gentle developmental check is wise if speech is hard for unfamiliar people to understand, sentences stay very short, or your child struggles to follow simple directions or hold a conversation. This is reassurance and early guidance, not a diagnosis — support at this age works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerIs My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Communication?
Between 6 and 9 months, most babies babble with consonants like 'ba-ba' and 'da-da', turn towards voices and sounds, begin responding to their name, and share smiles, laughs and back-and-forth cooing. Babies keep their own pace, so small variations are usually normal. Seek a developmental and hearing check if there is little or no babbling by 9 months, no response to sounds or voices, or no shared smiling and eye contact — this brings clarity, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs my 6-year-old developing normally in communication?
Most 6-year-olds speak in clear, full sentences, follow multi-step directions, tell simple stories and are easily understood by strangers — so if your child is doing this, communication is very likely on track. A calm developmental check is wise if speech is hard for others to understand, sentences stay very short, your child struggles to follow directions or find words, or you simply have a quiet worry. This is a reason to look early, not a diagnosis, and early support works beautifully at this age.
Read the answer Answer9-to-12-Month Communication Milestones
Between 9 and 12 months, most babies communicate through babbling, gestures, eye contact and responding to their name, with first word sounds and pointing emerging near 12 months. If your baby babbles, responds to you and uses gestures, that is a healthy sign. A gentle developmental check is wise if several cues are missing — no babbling, no response to name, no gestures by 12 months, or loss of a skill — not as alarm, but as an early opportunity for playful support.
Read the answer AnswerIs My Newborn Developing Normally in Communication?
In the first three months, healthy communication means crying with different tones, settling to a familiar voice, watching faces, a first social smile around 6–8 weeks, and early cooing from about 6–12 weeks. There are no words yet, and that is completely expected. Seek a developmental or hearing check if your baby never reacts to loud sounds, doesn't calm to your voice, doesn't look at faces, or makes no sounds at all by around 3 months. A newborn hearing screen is the single most useful early step.
Read the answer AnswerBaby Not Responding to Name at 12 Months — Should You Worry?
At 12 months, not always turning to their name is common and usually not a concern on its own. What matters is the whole picture — babbling, pointing, eye contact and sharing smiles. Check hearing first, and seek a developmental check if reduced name-response comes alongside other social-communication signs. Only a clinician can assess properly.
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