{"h1":"My child doesn't point at things — should I be worried?","faq":[{"a":"Most children begin pointing between 9 and 14 months — first to ask for things, then a little later to share something interesting with you. If your child is past their first birthday and not yet pointing, it's worth gently watching the wider communication picture and considering a developmental check by 15–18 months.","q":"At what age should my child start pointing?"},{"a":"Often, yes. Pointing rarely travels alone. A child who makes eye contact, follows your gaze, responds to their name, babbles and uses other gestures is showing strong communication, and may simply be a little later to point. A check is still reassuring if you have any doubt.","q":"My child doesn't point but understands me well — is that okay?"},{"a":"Pointing to request means pointing or reaching to get something — a toy or a biscuit. Pointing to share (joint attention) means pointing at something just to show you, then looking back at your face. The sharing kind is an especially meaningful early social-communication milestone.","q":"What's the difference between pointing to request and pointing to share?"},{"a":"Yes — children learn to point by watching us. Point at things yourself, name them cheerfully, pause and look back at your child, and gently guide their finger to point at favourite pictures during play. Warm, frequent modelling helps a great deal.","q":"Can I help my child learn to point?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things-should-i-be-worried","title":"My child doesn't point at things — should I be worried?","entity":{"key":"7cec3e6b1323","kind":"symptom","name":"doesn't point at things","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Communication","value":"communication"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Support","value":"support"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Book-Assessment","value":"book-assessment"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-it-mean-if-my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things","title":"What does it mean if my child doesn't point at things?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-not-pointing-to-show-things-a-normal-part-of-child-development","title":"Is Not Pointing To Show Things Normal?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-does-not-point-at-things-why-does-it-matter","title":"Why does it matter that my child does not point?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-18-month-old-does-not-point-at-things-should-i-be-worried","title":"Not Pointing at 18 Months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-my-child-start-pointing-at-things","title":"When should my child start pointing at things?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-should-i-do-if-my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things","title":"What should I do if my child doesn't point at things?"}],"summary":"Pointing usually appears between 9 and 14 months and signals a child's wish to share and connect, the foundation of language. If a child is past their first birthday and not yet pointing, look at the whole communication picture — eye contact, name-response, babbling, gesturing — and arrange a friendly developmental check by 15–18 months. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","answer_md":"*When your little one reaches, babbles and plays but hasn't started pointing yet, it's natural to wonder — and gentle attention now is exactly the right instinct.*\n\n## In short\nPointing is one of the most important early communication milestones, and it usually appears between **9 and 14 months** of age. Most children point to ask for things first, and then — a little later — point to **share** something interesting with you (\"look at that!\"). If your child is past their first birthday and isn't yet pointing, it's worth gently observing the bigger picture and arranging a developmental check — not to alarm you, but because early support is wonderfully effective when it's helpful at all.\n\n## Why pointing matters\nPointing is a sign your child wants to *connect* and *share attention* — a foundation for language and social communication. There are two kinds, and both are worth watching for:\n- **Pointing to request** — reaching or pointing to get a biscuit, a toy, to be picked up.\n- **Pointing to share (joint attention)** — pointing at a dog or aeroplane just to show you, then looking back at your face to share the moment. This sharing kind is especially meaningful.\n\nPointing rarely travels alone. Reassure yourself by looking at the *whole* communication picture: Does your child make eye contact and follow your gaze? Do they respond to their name? Do they babble, use gestures like waving or reaching up, bring you toys, or copy your actions? A warm, connected child who shows interest in people but is simply a little later to point is a very different picture from a child who shows several gaps together.\n\n## When to seek a check\nArrange a friendly developmental check if, by around **15–18 months**, your child:\n- isn't pointing to share or to request,\n- and shows little gaze-following, name-response, babbling or gesturing,\n- or if you feel their communication has stalled or stepped backwards.\n\nThere's no need to wait and worry. A check at this age is simply good care — and very often it's reassuring.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nThis is general guidance, not a diagnosis — a clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed **only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre, under qualified clinician care**, never from an app or checklist. If a check is helpful, your child's communication is mapped through our [clinician-led structured assessment](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated), and any support is tailored through [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate). You can always start with a gentle look at where your child is on their journey at [Pinnacle Blooms Network](/).\n\n## Trusted sources\nCDC milestone guidance notes pointing to show or request typically emerging around 12–18 months; the American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org) describes gestures and joint attention as key early communication signs; ASHA outlines how pointing and shared attention support language development.\n\n**Next step —** Past the first birthday and no pointing yet? [Book a warm developmental assessment with a Pinnacle clinician](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) for reassurance and clarity.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things-should-i-be-worried","editorial":{"reviewed_at":"2026-06-11T20:12:18.613642+00:00","reviewed_by":null,"developed_by":"SETU Consortium · Pinnacle Blooms Network"},"alternates":[{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things-should-i-be-worried","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things-should-i-be-worried-te","lang":"te","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"My Child Doesn't Point Yet — Should I Worry?","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Make pointing playful — point at things yourself and name them brightly ('Look, a dog!'), pause and look back at your child, and gently take their finger to point at a favourite picture. Children learn to point by watching us do it warmly and often.","published_at":"2026-06-10T15:24:00.165577+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"my-18-month-old-does-not-point-at-things-should-i-be-worried","title":"Not Pointing at 18 Months","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":1},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-my-child-start-pointing-at-things","title":"When should my child start pointing at things?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-it-mean-if-my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things","title":"What does it mean if my child doesn't point at things?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-not-pointing-to-show-things-a-normal-part-of-child-development","title":"Is Not Pointing To Show Things Normal?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-should-i-do-if-my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things","title":"What should I do if my child doesn't point at things?","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":4},{"key":"home","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-does-not-point-at-things-why-does-it-matter","title":"Why does it matter that my child does not point?","reason":"Linked from this answer"}],"label":"At home & in everyday life","total":1}],"what_to_watch":"Watch whether, by around 15–18 months, your child points to share or request, follows your gaze, responds to their name, babbles, and uses gestures like waving or reaching up. A warm, connected child who is simply a little later to point is reassuring; several gaps appearing together, or communication that stalls or steps backwards, is worth a check.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC — Developmental milestones (Learn the Signs. Act Early.)"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren.org — Early communication and gestures"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org","label":"ASHA — Communication milestones and joint attention"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T15:24:00.165577+00:00","meta_description":"Pointing usually starts at 9–14 months. Learn what pointing means, the whole communication picture to watch, and when a gentle developmental check helps.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}