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Communication
Explore explanations, everyday questions and next steps connected with communication.
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Signs & concerns
What Communication milestones should a frontline worker check during routine visits?
On routine visits, frontline workers should check that a child listens and responds to sound, babbles, uses gestures, says first words by 16 months, and joins two words by 24 months. Act on any loss of skills or parental concern, refer for a hearing check in parallel, and route delays for a developmental assessment.
Read the answer AnswerWhat communication milestones should a newborn reach?
Newborns communicate before words — quietening to your voice, making eye contact, cooing by around 2 months, and a social smile by 6–8 weeks. These are wide, healthy ranges, not a test. Respond warmly and often; mention to your paediatrician any baby who never startles to sound, never watches faces, or by 3 months shows no cooing or smile.
Read the answer AnswerWhat Communication milestones should my 12-to-18-month-old have reached?
By 12–18 months most toddlers say their first words, point to share interest, follow simple one-step requests, and use gestures like waving. Understanding outpaces speech at this age. Consider a developmental check and hearing test if there are no words, no pointing, no response to name by 18 months, or any loss of skills.
Read the answer AnswerWhat Communication milestones should my 18-to-24-month-old have reached?
By 18–24 months most toddlers grow from about 20 words to 50+, start joining two words, follow simple instructions, and point to share interest. Communication has a wide normal range — steady progress matters most, and a clinician can guide you if words feel slow.
Read the answer AnswerWhat Communication milestones should my 2-year-old have reached?
By age 2, most children use 50+ words, begin joining two words together, follow simple instructions, and point to name familiar objects. They understand more than they can say. A gentle check is worth it if your child uses very few words, isn't combining words, or rarely gestures.
Read the answer AnswerCommunication milestones for your 3-to-6-month-old
By 3–6 months most babies coo, gurgle and laugh, smile back at you, turn towards voices and sounds, and take playful back-and-forth turns. Milestones are guides, not deadlines — but if your baby doesn't smile, make sounds or react to sound by 6 months, ask for a developmental and hearing check.
Read the answer AnswerWhat Communication milestones should my 3-year-old have reached?
By age three, most children speak in short three-word-plus sentences, follow two-step instructions, ask questions, and are understood by familiar adults much of the time. These are guideposts, not deadlines — every child grows at their own pace, and one missed step alone is rarely a worry.
Read the answer AnswerWhat Communication milestones should my 4-year-old have reached?
By four, most children speak in clear 4–5 word sentences, tell short stories, follow two-to-three step instructions, ask many questions, and are understood by strangers about 75% of the time. Children bloom at their own pace; a friendly speech check helps if your child is rarely understood, isn't combining words, or has lost skills.
Read the answer AnswerCommunication milestones for your 5-year-old
By five, most children speak in clear full sentences strangers understand, tell short stories, ask many questions, use correct grammar, and hold real conversations. These are signposts, not a stopwatch — a friendly screen helps if speech is unclear or sentences stay very short.
Read the answer AnswerWhat Communication milestones should my 6-to-9-month-old have reached?
Between 6 and 9 months, expect babbling with repeated syllables, turning to voices, beginning to respond to their name, and using sounds, smiles and gestures in playful turn-taking. These are guideposts, not a strict checklist — babies vary, and warm daily talk helps most.
Read the answer AnswerCommunication milestones for your 6-year-old
By six, most children hold full conversations, tell connected stories, follow multi-step instructions, speak clearly to strangers, use mostly correct grammar, and begin linking sounds to letters. Children vary; steady progress matters most. Seek a check if speech is unclear, instructions are hard to follow, or communicating causes frustration.
Read the answer AnswerCommunication Milestones: 9-to-12-Month-Old
By 9-12 months most babies babble in long strings, respond to their name, understand "no", wave and point, and may say one or two meaningful words by 12 months. Gestures matter as much as words. These are guides, not deadlines.
Read the answer AnswerWhat Communication milestones should my newborn have reached?
Newborns (0–3 months) communicate through crying, calming to a familiar voice, brief eye contact, and — around 6–8 weeks — first social smiles and cooing. They have no words or babble yet, and that is completely normal. Respond warmly to every cry and coo to build the foundation for language.
Read the answer AnswerCommunication Red Flags That Prompt a Developmental Referral
Refer for developmental assessment when communication milestones are absent or regressing: no babble by 9 months, no gesture by 12 months, no words by 16 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months, or any loss of speech or social skills at any age. Regression, absent joint attention and parental concern warrant prompt referral, paired with audiology. Avoid a wait-and-see stance for absent milestones or skill loss.
Read the answer AnswerWhat communication warning signs should an ASHA worker act on?
An ASHA worker should act on missed communication milestones, parental concern, or any loss of skills — no babble or gesture by 12 months, no single words by 16 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months, or speech others cannot understand by 3 years — by routing the family to a developmental check and hearing test, never by diagnosing.
Read the answer AnswerWhat developmental conditions can late talking point to?
Late talking is a presenting sign, not a diagnosis. Its differential includes hearing loss (exclude first), developmental language disorder, childhood apraxia of speech, autism spectrum, and global developmental delay or intellectual disability — alongside late talkers who normalise. Refer with a parallel hearing check when there are no single words by 16 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months, or any regression.
Read the answer AnswerWhat developmental conditions can mixing up languages point to?
In a multilingual child, mixing languages (code-switching) is a normal feature of bilingual development, not a disorder. It points to a condition only when delay or difficulty appears across all the child's languages — assess total communicative competence, not the mixing itself.
Read the answer AnswerAbsent Pointing to Show: A Clinician's Signs Guide
Absent or reduced declarative pointing (pointing to share, not just request) by 12–18 months is a recognised social-communication marker. It most often raises autism spectrum disorder, but also hearing impairment, global developmental delay and language disorder. Exclude hearing loss in parallel; it is a referral prompt, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerWhat developmental conditions can not responding to name point to?
Reduced or absent response to name is non-specific but high-yield: it most often points to hearing loss, autism spectrum disorder, global developmental delay or receptive language disorder. Always clear hearing first, and weight the sign most when it persists past 12 months across settings alongside other social-communication markers.
Read the answer AnswerWhat developmental conditions can echolalia point to?
Echolalia is a normal stage of language acquisition up to ~30 months. Persisting beyond that or alongside other differences, it may point to autism spectrum disorder, developmental language disorder, global delay, hearing impairment, gestalt language processing, or certain genetic conditions. Functional intent matters more than presence alone.
Read the answer AnswerWhat developmental conditions can stuttering point to?
Stuttering is usually an isolated developmental phenomenon, but can co-occur with developmental language disorder, speech sound disorder, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder or global delay. Sudden or late onset after a neurological event signals neurogenic stuttering needing prompt medical review rather than therapy first.
Read the answer AnswerWhat Does a Delay in Communication Mean for My Child?
A communication delay means a toddler's talking, understanding or gestures are unfolding more slowly than expected for their age — not a diagnosis and not a measure of intelligence. Many late talkers catch up, and those needing extra help respond well when support begins early. Between 12 and 36 months, watch the overall pattern of how your child understands, gestures and connects, and arrange a gentle developmental check if you have concerns.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does a delay in Communication Skills mean for my child?
A communication delay means your child is building the ability to understand and share messages — words, gestures, listening and conversation — more slowly than most peers. It is not a diagnosis. Between 3 and 7, communication grows quickly, and with early playful support most children catch up well. A delay is a signal to look closely now, not a fixed outcome.
Read the answer AnswerWhat does a delay in Early-Words mean for my child?
A delay in Early-Words means your toddler is reaching the first-words stage later than the typical 12–18 month window — a reason to look gently, not to panic. Many late talkers catch up well, especially with rich talk, play and an early check. Seek a developmental review if there are few or no words by 18 months, fewer than ~50 words with no two-word phrases by 24 months, little gesturing or pointing, no response to name, or a loss of words. This is a signpost for support, never a diagnosis.
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