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Signs & concerns
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Signs & concerns
Is It Normal That My Toddler Isn't Showing Gross Motor Yet?
Gross motor skills unfold across a wide, healthy range from 12 to 36 months, and many toddlers reach milestones a little earlier or later and are perfectly fine. Seek a developmental check if a skill is clearly behind the broad range, a gained skill is lost, or movement looks markedly different on one side — for example, not walking by around 18 months. This is a reason to observe early, not a diagnosis, because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerToddler Not Showing Head Control
For a toddler, head control should already be well established — it usually settles by around 4–6 months. If your 12–36 month old is not yet showing steady head control, this is not a wait-and-see situation: arrange a prompt paediatric and developmental review now. It is not a diagnosis, but head control underpins sitting, crawling and walking, so early review allows treatable causes to be found and gentle support to begin.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler is not yet showing hyperactivity?
It is normal — and often reassuring — that your toddler is not showing hyperactivity. Hyperactivity is not a milestone to reach; its absence is not a concern. A calm, settled toddler who plays, connects and learns is developing well. What matters at this age is connection, communication and play, not how much your child moves. ADHD-type patterns are only meaningfully considered from around school age.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler is not yet showing imagination?
Imaginative or pretend play usually develops gradually between 18 months and 3 years, with wide normal variation — simple pretend (feeding a teddy, drinking from an empty cup) comes first, richer stories later. It is often fine if your toddler isn't showing much imagination yet, especially before two. A gentle developmental check is wise only if pretend play is missing alongside delays in talking, pointing, sharing attention or copying you. This is reassurance and early opportunity, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler is not yet showing imitation?
Imitation emerges gradually across the toddler years, with wide normal variation — simple copying often begins around 9–12 months and builds through 18–24 months. Not yet imitating is frequently just a child's own pace. Seek a gentle developmental check if imitation is largely absent by 18–24 months, especially alongside few words, little eye contact or response to name, or no pointing. This is a reason to observe early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler is not yet showing imitation skills?
Some variation in imitation is normal. Many toddlers copy simple gestures from 9–12 months and words and pretend actions through the second year. A single late skill is rarely a worry, but if your child is near 18–24 months with very little imitation of sounds, gestures or actions, a gentle developmental check is wise now — for reassurance and early support, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler is not yet showing imitative behavior?
Imitation develops gradually — copying simple actions around 9–12 months, gestures and household actions by 18 months, and pretend by 2 years. A single missing skill at one moment is rarely alarming. Seek a gentle developmental check if there is little or no imitation by around 18 months, especially with few words, limited eye contact, or no response to name. This is a reason to observe early, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler is not yet showing impulse control?
It is completely normal for a toddler (12–36 months) to show little impulse control. The brain's braking system is only beginning to develop, so waiting, sharing and stopping take years to mature. Grabbing and big feelings are signs of a developing brain, not a red flag. Seek a check only if low impulse control comes with no communication, little social interest, or loss of skills.
Read the answer AnswerIs It Normal That My Toddler Isn't Showing Impulsivity?
Yes — it is normal and often reassuring that a toddler is not yet showing impulsivity. Impulse control develops very slowly, well into the teens, so a calm, patient toddler is showing an early strength, not a problem. Impulsivity is only assessed as a concern much later. At this age, watch overall development — language, play, movement and connection — rather than one trait.
Read the answer AnswerIs It Normal That My Toddler Is Not Yet Showing Inhibition?
For toddlers aged 1–3, weak inhibition—grabbing, interrupting, struggling to wait or stop—is normal and expected, because the brain region behind self-control is still developing. By age 3 you may see short waits with help and some response to “stop”. A check is only wise if limited self-control comes with little language, eye contact, shared play, or any loss of skills.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal my toddler isn't showing internalizing behaviors?
It is entirely normal — and reassuring — that your toddler isn't showing internalizing behaviors. These are inward-facing struggles like sadness, anxiety or withdrawal, not skills a child is meant to develop. A toddler who seeks comfort, explores, plays and shows a range of feelings is doing well. Seek a developmental check only if you notice the presence of worrying signs, such as persistent flatness, withdrawal or excessive fearfulness over weeks.
Read the answer AnswerToddler Not Yet Showing Joint Attention
Joint attention — sharing a moment by following your point, showing toys or pointing to share — usually develops between 9 and 15 months, with confident pointing-to-share by around 15–18 months. A small gap can simply be your child's own pace. If your toddler is past 18 months with little eye-sharing, no pointing, or limited response to their name, a gentle developmental check is wise now — early support works best at this age, and this is a reason to look, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler isn't jumping yet?
Jumping with both feet usually appears between 24 and 36 months, with a wide normal range — many toddlers run and climb well before they jump. If your child is under about 2.5 years, not yet jumping is commonly normal. Seek a friendly developmental check if there's no jumping past age 3, or if other gross-motor skills also seem behind. This is reason to assess, never a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs 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 AnswerToddler Long-Term Memory: What's Normal
Yes, this is almost always normal. Toddler long-term memory shows in actions, routines and recognition — not in recounting past events. If your child recognises familiar people, anticipates routines and recalls favourite games, memory is working well. Detailed storytelling memory emerges only around age 3–4. Seek a check if family aren't recognised by ~18 months or skills are lost.
Read the answer AnswerIs It Normal My Toddler Isn't Showing Memory Retention?
In the toddler years memory is still building, so it normally looks uneven day to day. Toddlers show memory by recognising familiar people, anticipating routines, looking for hidden toys and copying actions they saw earlier. Seek a gentle developmental check if, by around 2, your child shows none of these or loses skills they once had — for early support, not a diagnosis.
Read the answer AnswerIs It Normal That My Toddler Is Not Yet Showing Mobility?
Mobility milestones span a wide window in the toddler years, and many children walk anywhere from 12 to 18 months and remain perfectly typical. Seek a gentle developmental check if your child is not pulling to stand or cruising by around 12 months, not walking by 18 months, only ever uses one side of the body, has lost a movement skill, or is also slow to babble, point or connect. These are reasons to assess early — not a diagnosis — because early support works best.
Read the answer AnswerIs it normal that my toddler is not yet showing motor skills?
Toddlers develop motor skills on a wide, normal range of timelines, so some variation between 12 and 36 months is usually typical. What matters most is steady progress — new skills appearing over weeks and months — rather than exact dates. Seek a developmental check if there is no new progress for some time, a lost skill, very stiff or very floppy muscles, one-sided movement, or motor delays alongside differences in talking and connecting. This is a reason to look early, not a diagnosis, because early support works best.
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 AnswerObject Permanence in Toddlers
Object permanence usually begins around 8 months and is well established by 12–24 months, so most toddlers already show it. If your child isn't looking for hidden or dropped objects by around 12–15 months, a gentle developmental check is wise — not a diagnosis, just early observation alongside vision, hearing, play and communication.
Read the answer AnswerIs It Normal My Toddler Isn't Yet Showing Oral Sensory Processing?
Oral sensory processing isn't a fixed milestone — it develops gradually across the toddler years as your child mouths toys and explores new food textures. Not yet seeing a clear set of behaviours is usually not a worry on its own. Watch the pattern instead: is your child slowly accepting more textures, or do eating and mouthing seem genuinely distressing or stuck? If mealtimes are a daily battle or textures stay very limited, a gentle developmental screen is wise — not a diagnosis.
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