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Signs & concerns
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Signs & concerns
What communication milestones should a 9-to-12-month-old reach?
By 9–12 months, most babies babble varied sounds, respond to their name, understand "no", wave or point to share interest, and may say a first meaningful word around their birthday. These are guides, not deadlines — a friendly check helps if there's no babble, gesture or name response by 12 months.
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 AnswerDevelopmental red flags in a 12-to-18-month-old
Most 12-to-18-month-olds point, babble, copy you and pull to stand or toddle. Gentle flags worth a clinician's eye are no babbling or gestures, not responding to their name, no single words by around 18 months, little eye contact or shared smiling, not standing or walking with support by 15–18 months, or losing a skill once had. These are reasons to check early — not a diagnosis — because support at this age works wonderfully.
Read the answer AnswerDevelopmental red flags in an 18-to-24-month-old
By 18–24 months most toddlers use several words, point to share, walk confidently and copy everyday actions. Gentle flags worth a developmental check include very few or no words by 18 months, no two-word phrases by 24 months, no pointing, little eye contact or response to name, not walking by 18 months, or loss of a skill once had. These are reasons to assess early — not a diagnosis — because support at this age works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat developmental red flags should I watch for in a 2-year-old?
Most two-year-olds use lots of single words and some two-word phrases, point to share interest, walk and climb, and copy you in pretend play. Worth a developmental check are: few or no two-word phrases, not pointing or responding to name, little eye contact or pretend play, not walking, or losing a skill once had. These are reasons to assess early, not a diagnosis, because support at this age works best.
Read the answer AnswerDevelopmental red flags in a 3-to-6-month-old
From 3 to 6 months, most babies smile, coo, track faces, reach and gain head control, with normal variation in pace. Seek a gentle developmental check if, near 6 months, your baby isn't smiling socially, not following objects with their eyes, not making sounds back, not holding their head steady, or has lost a skill once had. These are reasons to assess early — not a diagnosis — because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerDevelopmental red flags in a 3-year-old
By three, most children speak in short sentences, play pretend, run and climb, and show strong independence — all typical. Seek a developmental check if your child uses very few words or is hard to understand, doesn't play pretend or with other children, can't follow simple instructions, frequently falls, or has lost skills once had. This is a reason to assess early, not a diagnosis, because support at this age works best.
Read the answer AnswerDevelopmental Red Flags in a 4-Year-Old
Most 4-year-olds speak in full sentences, play make-believe with friends, hop on one foot and draw simple shapes. Seek a developmental check if your child isn't using short sentences, can't be understood outside the family, avoids other children, struggles with everyday self-care, or has lost a skill once had. These are reasons to assess early — not a diagnosis — because support at this age works beautifully.
Read the answer AnswerWhat developmental red flags should I watch for in a 5-year-old?
Most five-year-olds speak in clear sentences, play imaginatively with friends, and manage simple self-care. Seek a developmental check if your child is hard for strangers to understand, can't follow simple two-step instructions, avoids other children, has big behaviour swings, struggles with hopping or drawing, or has lost a skill once had. These are reasons to assess early — not a diagnosis — because support works best before school begins.
Read the answer AnswerWhat developmental red flags should I watch for in a 6-to-9-month-old?
Between 6 and 9 months, babies are usually sitting, babbling, reaching and lighting up at familiar faces, and small differences in pace are normal. Seek a developmental check if your baby has no head control, very stiff or floppy muscles, little interest in people or sounds, no reaching or grasping, no babbling, or has lost a skill once gained. These are reasons to assess early, not a diagnosis, because support at this age works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat developmental red flags should I watch for in a 6-year-old?
Most six-year-olds are talking in full sentences, making friends and beginning to read. Seek a developmental and learning check if your child is hard to understand, can't follow two-step instructions, finds letters and numbers very difficult despite teaching, struggles with friendships or big feelings, or has lost a skill once had. These are reasons to assess early at school age — not a diagnosis — because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerWhat developmental red flags should I watch for in a 9-to-12-month-old?
Between 9 and 12 months, babies vary widely and most differences are normal. Gentle flags worth a clinician's check include no babbling, not responding to their name, little eye contact or shared smiles, not sitting independently, not reaching for objects, no interest in games like peek-a-boo, or loss of a skill once had. These are reasons to assess early — not a diagnosis — because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerDevelopmental red flags in a newborn
In a newborn it is too early to look for labels like autism — what matters are feeding, breathing, colour, muscle tone, movement, alertness and responses to sound and faces. Most variation is normal. Speak to your paediatrician promptly about poor feeding, floppy or stiff tone, or not startling to sound; seek urgent care the same day for blue lips, breathing trouble, fever, a very hard-to-wake baby, or possible seizures. These are medical, not therapy-first, concerns.
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