{"h1":"Signs of communication delay in a 6-to-9-month-old","faq":[{"a":"Babies develop at their own pace, and a quiet stretch isn't always a concern. But if there's little or no babbling, your baby doesn't respond to sounds or your voice, or shows little eye contact, a gentle developmental and hearing check is wise. It isn't a diagnosis — just an early, reassuring look.","q":"My 7-month-old isn't babbling much yet — should I worry?"},{"a":"Hearing underpins early communication — babies learn to babble by listening. If your baby isn't responding to sounds or your voice, a hearing check is the sensible first step and is often very reassuring.","q":"Why is a hearing check important first?"},{"a":"Loss of a skill once present — babbling, smiling or responsiveness fading away — always deserves prompt review by a clinician. Trust what you've noticed and arrange a check soon.","q":"My baby babbled, then seemed to stop. Is that significant?"},{"a":"At 6–9 months expect babbling (\"ba-ba\", \"da-da\"), turning towards your voice and sounds, smiling back, eye contact and enjoying back-and-forth play like peekaboo.","q":"What does communication look like at this age?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Signs of communication delay in a 6-to-9-month-old","entity":{"key":"infant-6-9","kind":"age_band","name":"6-to-9-month-old","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Infant-6-9","value":"infant-6-9"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Communication","value":"communication"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Concern","value":"concern"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Speech-Therapy","value":"speech-therapy"},{"kind":"empowerment","label":"Early Clarity","value":"early_clarity"}],"parent":{"key":"ages","label":"Ages & Stages"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-speech-and-language-delay-in-a-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Speech and Language Delay in a 6-to-9-Month-Old"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-3-to-6-month-old","title":"Signs of Communication Delay in a 3-to-6-Month-Old"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-communication","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Communication?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-communication-milestones-should-a-6-to-9-month-old-reach","title":"What communication milestones should a 6-to-9-month-old reach?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-6-to-9-month-old-might-have-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation","title":"When to worry about speech at 6–9 months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-9-to-12-month-old","title":"Signs of communication delay in a 9-to-12-month-old"}],"summary":"At 6–9 months, communication shows as babbling, smiling, turning to your voice and enjoying back-and-forth play like peekaboo. Gentle signs worth a check include no babbling, not responding to sounds or their name, little eye contact, or loss of a skill. A hearing check is often the first sensible step. None of this is a diagnosis — it simply means an early, calm developmental review is wise, because support at this age works beautifully.","answer_md":"*At six to nine months, your baby is just beginning to babble, turn to your voice and light up at your face — and watching those little moments is loving, attentive parenting.*\n\n## In short\nAt 6–9 months, communication shows up as babbling, smiling, turning towards sounds and your voice, and enjoying back-and-forth play like peekaboo. Gentle signs worth a clinician's eye include **no babbling, not responding to sounds or their name, little eye contact or shared smiling, and not turning towards you when you speak**. None of this is a diagnosis — it simply means a calm developmental check is wise now, because early support at this age works beautifully.\n\n## What to watch at 6–9 months\nMost babies at this stage are noisy, social little explorers — and they develop at their own pace. These gentle flags deserve a clinician's friendly look:\n\n- **Little or no babbling** — by around 6–7 months most babies string together sounds like \"ba-ba\" or \"da-da\". Very quiet, or sounds that have faded away, is worth noting.\n- **Not responding to sound** — doesn't startle to loud noises, turn towards your voice, or quieten when you speak. (A hearing check is the first sensible step here.)\n- **Little eye contact or shared smiling** — not looking at faces, not smiling back, or not enjoying being talked to.\n- **No turn-taking play** — not joining in with peekaboo, cooing back, or reacting to your facial expressions.\n- **Loss of a skill** — babbling, smiling or responsiveness that was there and then quietly stopped always deserves prompt review.\n\nThe aim is not alarm — it's that an early, gentle observation turns small questions into early opportunities. Because hearing underpins early communication, a hearing check is often the very first, reassuring step.\n\n## When to act\nIf your baby isn't babbling, doesn't respond to sounds or your voice, shows little eye contact, or has lost a skill they once had, arrange a developmental and hearing check now rather than waiting. Trust your parent instinct — what you notice every day is valuable information.\n\n## The Pinnacle way\nA 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 — never from an online list. Our clinicians watch how your baby listens, sounds out and connects, and build support around warm, playful interaction. Our [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) team supports early communication and listening, and you can begin with a simple [developmental check](/) whenever you feel ready.\n\n## Trusted sources\nCDC developmental milestones and \"Learn the Signs, Act Early\" resources for 6–9 months (cdc.gov); American Academy of Pediatrics guidance on early communication and hearing (healthychildren.org); ASHA guidance on infant speech, language and hearing development (asha.org).\n\n**Next step —** Trust what you've noticed. [Book a developmental assessment](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/enroll-autism-speech-aba-therapies-india) with a Pinnacle clinician for a calm, clear review of your baby's hearing, babbling and connection.\n\nThis is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.","canonical":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-are-the-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-6-to-9-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-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-6-to-9-month-old","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-are-the-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-6-to-9-month-old-te","lang":"te","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"ages","label":"Ages & Stages"}],"meta_title":"Communication Delay Signs: 6–9 Month Baby","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Through the day, talk, sing and pause — say \"ba-ba\" and wait to see if your baby coos or babbles back. Note whether they turn towards your voice and enjoy peekaboo; these little back-and-forth moments tell a clinician a lot.","published_at":"2026-06-10T11:36:00.209871+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-9-to-12-month-old","title":"Signs of communication delay in a 9-to-12-month-old","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-communication","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Communication?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-3-to-6-month-old","title":"Signs of Communication Delay in a 3-to-6-Month-Old","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-communication-milestones-should-a-6-to-9-month-old-reach","title":"What communication milestones should a 6-to-9-month-old reach?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-speech-and-language-delay-in-a-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Speech and Language Delay in a 6-to-9-Month-Old","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-that-my-6-to-9-month-old-might-have-non-verbal-minimally-verbal-presentation","title":"When to worry about speech at 6–9 months","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-adaptive","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Adaptive Skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-cognitive","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Cognition?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-emotional","title":"Emotional Development at 6–9 Months","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-motor","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Motor Skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-sensory","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally in Sensory?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-developing-normally-in-social","title":"Is My 6-to-9-Month-Old Developing Normally Socially?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":27},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-communication-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"How can I support communication development in my 6-to-9-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-adaptive-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Supporting adaptive development at 6–9 months","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-cognitive-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Supporting cognitive development in your 6-to-9-month-old","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-emotional-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"How can I support emotional development in my 6-to-9-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-motor-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"How can I support motor development in my 6-to-9-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-sensory-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Supporting Sensory Development in Your 6-to-9-Month-Old","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-social-development-in-my-6-to-9-month-old","title":"How can I support social development in my 6-to-9-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-much-screen-time-is-safe-for-a-6-to-9-month-old","title":"How much screen time is safe for a 6-to-9-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-moving-and-walking-as-expected-for-their-age","title":"Is my 6-to-9-month-old moving and walking as expected?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-6-to-9-month-old-talking-as-expected-for-their-age","title":"Is my 6-to-9-month-old talking as expected for their age?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-get-my-6-to-9-month-old-assessed-for-development","title":"Should I get my 6-to-9-month-old assessed for development?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-activities-support-a-6-to-9-month-old-s-development","title":"What activities support a 6-to-9-month-old's development?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":14}],"what_to_watch":"Seek a check if your baby isn't babbling, doesn't respond to sounds or your voice, doesn't turn towards your name or speech, shows little eye contact or shared smiling, doesn't join in peekaboo-style play, or has lost a skill once had. A hearing check is often the first sensible step.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC milestones & Learn the Signs, Act Early"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP guidance on early communication & hearing"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org","label":"ASHA infant speech, language & hearing development"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T11:36:00.209871+00:00","meta_description":"What communication delay can look like in a 6-to-9-month-old — babbling, responding to sounds, eye contact — and when a calm developmental check is wise.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}