Early Signs of Motor Planning Difficulties at 18–24 Months

Some toddlers know exactly what they want to do — yet their little body seems to need extra tries to make it happen.

In short

Between 18 and 24 months, possible early signs of motor planning difficulties (often called dyspraxia or praxis differences) include needing many tries to learn a new movement like stacking or climbing, looking unusually clumsy or hesitant with familiar actions, struggling to imitate simple gestures or sounds, and frustration when a body movement won't 'come out' the way intended — while curiosity and connection stay warm. At this age these are signs to observe and discuss, not to diagnose at home, because toddlers vary widely in how they build coordination. If everyday movement is clearly behind, a developmental check is the kind, sensible next step.

Early signs to watch (18–24 months)

Learning new movements (motor sequencing)

• Needs many more attempts than peers to master a new physical skill — stacking blocks, climbing onto a low sofa, using a spoon
• Seems to 'know' what she wants to do but her body takes longer to organise it
• Once learned, a movement may still look effortful rather than smooth and automatic

Everyday coordination

• Looks unusually clumsy — frequent stumbles, bumping into things, dropping objects more than expected
• Hesitates at the top of a step or before a familiar action, as if planning the next move
• Difficulty with two-step actions like picking up a cup and bringing it to the mouth in one flow

Imitation and communication

• Hard to copy simple gestures (waving, clapping, blowing a kiss) on request
• Sounds and words may be inconsistent — the same word comes out differently each time (a possible sign of oral motor planning difficulty)
• Reaches or pulls you along rather than coordinating a point-and-show

What shifts this from ordinary unevenness towards something to assess is a pattern that persists across many activities, a clear gap between what she understands and what her body can carry out, and slow learning of new movements even with practice — while good understanding and warm connection are reassuring.

When to seek a check

Many healthy toddlers are simply building coordination at their own pace, and a single clumsy week means little. Consider a developmental check if, near the second birthday, your child consistently struggles to learn new movements, looks markedly clumsy across settings, can't imitate simple gestures, or shows the same difficulty with both hands and feeding. A hearing and general developmental review is a sensible first step, because motor, speech and play all grow together. A formal label is usually clarified a little later — but supportive, play-based input never has to wait.

The Pinnacle way

At Pinnacle Blooms Network, we begin by noticing what your child can do and what helps her body cooperate — then build from there. Gentle, play-based occupational therapy strengthens motor planning, coordination and confidence, with parents coached as everyday movement partners. A clinical AbilityScore® and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care; nothing here is a diagnosis. Across 70+ centres in 4 states and 4.95 lakh+ families served, our aim is steady, strengths-first progress.

Trusted sources

Aligned with American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren.org guidance on early motor milestones, ASHA resources on motor and speech praxis, and WHO developmental health frameworks.

Next step — if this sounds like your little one, book a developmental screen with our clinical team on WhatsApp at +91 91001 81181, and let's understand your child together.

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.