{"h1":"Early Signs of Non-Verbal / Minimally Verbal Presentation at 18–24 Months","faq":[{"a":"Not necessarily. There is wide normal variation, and many quiet toddlers catch up, especially in bilingual homes or after ear infections. But if she also uses few gestures, shows little drive to share or imitate, or has lost words she once used, a hearing and speech-language check is a kind, sensible step. Early support never has to wait for a label.","q":"My 20-month-old says almost nothing — should I worry?"},{"a":"No. \"Minimally verbal\" simply describes how much a child is speaking right now — it is a description, not a diagnosis. Some minimally verbal toddlers have a language difference, some have hearing differences, and some have other developmental profiles. Only a qualified clinician can understand the full picture after assessment.","q":"Is being minimally verbal the same as autism?"},{"a":"A hearing screen comes first. Glue ear and other hearing differences are common in toddlers, often easy to miss, and very treatable — and they directly affect speech. From there, a developmental and speech-language check helps understand how your child communicates and what will help most.","q":"What is the very first thing to check?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-in-a-18-to-24-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Non-Verbal / Minimally Verbal Presentation at 18–24 Months","entity":{"key":"nonverbal","kind":"condition","name":"Non-Verbal / Minimally Verbal Presentation","slug":"nonverbal-minimally-verbal"},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Toddler-18-24","value":"toddler-18-24"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Communication","value":"communication"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Early Signs","value":"early_signs"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Special-Education","value":"special-education"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-in-boys","title":"Early Signs of a Non-Verbal or Minimally Verbal Presentation in Boys"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation","title":"Early Signs of a Non-Verbal or Minimally Verbal Presentation"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-in-a-3-year-old","title":"Early signs of a non-verbal or minimally verbal 3-year-old"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-in-a-12-to-18-month-old","title":"Early Signs of a Non-Verbal / Minimally Verbal Presentation at 12–18 Months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-in-young-children","title":"Early Signs of a Non-Verbal / Minimally Verbal Presentation in Young Children"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-in-a-2-year-old","title":"Early Signs of a Minimally Verbal 2-Year-Old"}],"summary":"Between 18 and 24 months, possible early signs of a non-verbal or minimally verbal presentation include very few or no spoken words, little babbling or jargon, limited pointing and gesturing, and leading you by the hand rather than using sounds. At this age these are signs to observe and discuss, not to diagnose at home — many toddlers catch up. A hearing and speech-language check is the sensible first step.","answer_md":"*Some toddlers say very little just yet — so how do you tell a slow start from a pattern worth a gentle, loving second look?*\n\n## In short\nBetween 18 and 24 months, possible early signs of a non-verbal or minimally verbal presentation include very few or no spoken words, little babbling or jargon, limited pointing or gesturing to share interest, and relying on leading you by the hand rather than using sounds or words to communicate. At this age these are signs to *observe and discuss*, not to diagnose at home — many toddlers are simply late to talk and catch up. A hearing and speech-language check is the kind, sensible first step.\n\n## Early signs to watch (18–24 months)\n**Talking and sounds**\n- Very few or no clear words by around 24 months, or words that appear and then fade away\n- Little babbling, jargon (\"speech-like\" strings of sounds) or attempts to imitate words\n- Few different consonant sounds; mostly vowel sounds or one repeated sound\n\n**How your child connects**\n- Limited use of gestures such as pointing to show, waving, nodding or shaking the head\n- Tends to lead you by the hand to what she wants rather than pointing or vocalising\n- Less back-and-forth \"conversation\" — fewer turns of sound, gesture and eye contact\n\n**Understanding and play**\n- May or may not follow simple one-step requests like \"give me the cup\"\n- Communication can stay flat over several months rather than steadily growing\n\nWhat gently shifts this from ordinary late-talking towards something to assess is **few words alongside few gestures**, **little drive to share or imitate**, or words that have **stopped appearing**. Strong pointing, good understanding and warm shared attention are reassuring even when spoken words are slow.\n\n## When to seek a check\nMany healthy toddlers are simply on the later side of normal — especially in bilingual homes, or after frequent ear infections. Consider a developmental and hearing check if, near the second birthday, your child has very few or no words, isn't using gestures to communicate, or has lost words she once used. A hearing screen always comes first, because glue ear and other hearing differences are common and very treatable. Being minimally verbal is a *description of communication right now*, not a diagnosis — and early support never has to wait for a label.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nAt [Pinnacle Blooms Network](/), we begin by understanding how your child already communicates — every sound, gesture and glance — then build a bridge from there. Gentle, play-based [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) grows understanding, shared attention and the joy of connecting, with parents coached as everyday communication partners, and with picture or device-based supports where helpful. A clinical [AbilityScore®](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated) and any diagnosis are formed only at a Pinnacle Blooms Network centre under qualified clinician care; nothing here is a diagnosis. You can learn more about [non-verbal and minimally verbal presentation](/nonverbal-minimally-verbal) and how support works. Across 70+ centres in 4 states and 4.95 lakh+ families served, our aim is steady, strengths-first progress.\n\n## Trusted sources\nAligned with WHO ICD-11 guidance on early language and communication, American Academy of Pediatrics and HealthyChildren.org milestone resources, and ASHA materials on toddler communication and late talkers.\n\n**Next step —** if this sounds like your little one, book a developmental and speech screen with our clinical team on WhatsApp at +91 91001 81181, and let's understand your child together.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-are-the-early-signs-of-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-in-a-18-to-24-month-old","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/what-are-the-early-signs-of-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-in-a-18-to-24-month-old","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-are-the-early-signs-of-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-in-a-18-to-24-month-old-te","lang":"te","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"conditions","label":"Conditions"}],"meta_title":"Minimally Verbal Toddler: Early Signs 18–24 Months","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Get face-to-face at your child's level and narrate play in short, repeated words — \"ball… roll… go!\" — then pause and wait, giving her time to respond with any sound, gesture or glance.","published_at":"2026-06-10T11:00:00.139124+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"understand","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-does-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation-affect-a-child-s-daily-life","title":"How Being Non-Verbal or Minimally Verbal Affects Daily 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faded.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://icd.who.int","label":"WHO ICD-11 — developmental language and communication"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP HealthyChildren.org — early language milestones"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org","label":"ASHA — toddler communication and late talkers"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T11:00:00.139124+00:00","meta_description":"Few words, little babble or pointing at 18–24 months? 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