{"h1":"Signs of communication delay in a 9-to-12-month-old","faq":[{"a":"Not necessarily — a first word or two may appear around the first birthday, but at 9–12 months communication is mostly pre-verbal. What matters most now is babbling, responding to their name, gestures like waving and pointing, and shared eye contact and smiles.","q":"Should my baby be saying words by 12 months?"},{"a":"Pointing often develops a little later in the first year, so its absence at 9 months alone is rarely alarming. If you reach 12 months with no pointing, reaching to show, or waving, a calm developmental check is a sensible step — not a diagnosis, simply a chance to support early.","q":"My baby babbles but doesn't point yet — is that a concern?"},{"a":"Yes — hearing underpins all early communication, so if your baby doesn't turn to sound or respond to their name, confirming hearing is an important early step alongside a developmental check.","q":"Could a hearing problem cause these signs?"}],"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","entity":{"key":"infant-9-12","kind":"age_band","name":"9-to-12-month-old","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Infant-9-12","value":"infant-9-12"},{"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-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Signs of communication delay in a 6-to-9-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-are-the-signs-of-social-delay-in-a-9-to-12-month-old","title":"What are the signs of social delay in a 9-to-12-month-old?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-12-to-18-month-old","title":"Signs of communication delay in a 12-to-18-month-old"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-speech-and-language-delay-in-a-9-to-12-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Speech and Language Delay in a 9-to-12-Month-Old"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-social-communication-difficulties-in-a-9-to-12-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Social Communication Difficulties at 9–12 Months"}],"summary":"Between 9 and 12 months, most babies babble repeated sounds, respond to their name, turn to familiar voices, and use gestures like waving, pointing and reaching. Gentle signs worth a check include little or no babbling, not responding to their name, no gestures, not turning to sound, or limited shared eye contact and smiling. None of this is a diagnosis — it means an early, calm developmental check is wise, because support works best when started early.","answer_md":"*By the end of the first year, babbling, pointing and turning to your voice are some of your baby's first beautiful steps into conversation — and noticing them is loving, attentive parenting.*\n\n## In short\nBetween 9 and 12 months, most babies babble with strings of sounds, respond to their name, turn towards familiar voices, and begin gestures like waving, pointing or reaching. Gentle signs worth a clinician's eye are **little or no babbling, not responding to their name, no gestures (no waving or pointing), not turning to sound, or no shared eye contact and smiling.** None of this is a diagnosis — it simply means a calm developmental check is wise now, because early support works wonderfully at this age.\n\n## What to watch at 9–12 months\nCommunication at this stage is mostly pre-verbal — it lives in sounds, gestures and connection, long before first words. Most babies are babbling, gesturing and tuning in to people. Gentle flags that deserve a clinician's look include:\n\n- **Little or no babbling** — by this age you'd usually hear repeated sounds like \"bababa\", \"dadada\" or \"mamama\".\n- **Not responding to their name** — or not turning towards your voice or everyday sounds.\n- **No gestures** — not waving bye-bye, not reaching to be picked up, and especially not pointing or showing things to you.\n- **Little shared connection** — limited eye contact, few back-and-forth smiles, or not following your gaze.\n- **Loss of a skill** — babbling or a gesture that was there and then faded.\n\nThe aim isn't worry — it's that one calm, early observation turns small questions into early opportunities. Trust what you notice every day; a parent's eye is valuable clinical information.\n\n## When to seek a check\nIf you notice few of the sounds and gestures above, or any skill your baby once had has slipped away, arrange a developmental check now rather than waiting and watching. Hearing is also worth confirming, as it underpins all early communication.\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 build their own picture of your baby's strengths, watch how they connect and communicate, and shape playful support around your family's daily life. Our [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) team supports early communication from the very first sounds and gestures. You can also explore [how we begin](/).\n\n## Trusted sources\nCDC developmental milestones and \"Learn the Signs, Act Early\" resources for the 9–12 month period; American Academy of Pediatrics (healthychildren.org) guidance on early communication and developmental monitoring; ASHA guidance on pre-verbal communication and early language development.\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 warm, clear review of your baby's communication and milestones.\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-9-to-12-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-9-to-12-month-old","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-are-the-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-9-to-12-month-old-te","lang":"te","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"ages","label":"Ages & Stages"}],"meta_title":"Communication Delay Signs: 9–12 Month Baby","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Make everyday moments into gentle conversations — pause after you talk to give your baby a turn to babble back, name what you both see, and wave and point often so they have plenty of warm, playful chances to copy you.","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-6-to-9-month-old","title":"Signs of communication delay in a 6-to-9-month-old","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-speech-and-language-delay-in-a-9-to-12-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Speech and Language Delay in a 9-to-12-Month-Old","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-signs-of-communication-delay-in-a-12-to-18-month-old","title":"Signs of communication delay in a 12-to-18-month-old","reason":"Linked from this 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topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-9-to-12-month-old-developing-normally-in-adaptive","title":"9–12 Month Adaptive Development","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-9-to-12-month-old-developing-normally-in-cognitive","title":"9–12 Month Cognitive Development","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-9-to-12-month-old-developing-normally-in-emotional","title":"9–12 Month Emotional Development: What's Normal","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-9-to-12-month-old-developing-normally-in-motor","title":"9-to-12-Month Motor Development","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":28},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-communication-development-in-my-9-to-12-month-old","title":"How to Support Communication in a 9-to-12-Month-Old","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-adaptive-development-in-my-9-to-12-month-old","title":"How can I support adaptive development in my 9-to-12-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-cognitive-development-in-my-9-to-12-month-old","title":"How can I support cognitive development in my 9-to-12-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-emotional-development-in-my-9-to-12-month-old","title":"How can I support emotional development in my 9-to-12-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-motor-development-in-my-9-to-12-month-old","title":"How can I support motor development in my 9-to-12-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-sensory-development-in-my-9-to-12-month-old","title":"Supporting sensory development at 9–12 months","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-social-development-in-my-9-to-12-month-old","title":"How can I support social development in my 9-to-12-month-old?","reason":"Same 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\"dadada\"), does not respond to their name or turn to sound, shows no gestures like waving, reaching or pointing, has limited eye contact and shared smiling, or has lost a sound or gesture they once had. Confirming hearing is also wise, as it underpins all early communication.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC — Milestones at 1 year (Learn the Signs, Act Early)"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/Pages/default.aspx","label":"AAP HealthyChildren — Baby development and communication"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/communicationdevelopment/","label":"ASHA — Early communication development"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T11:36:00.209871+00:00","meta_description":"Gentle, reassuring signs of communication delay in a 9-to-12-month-old — babbling, gestures, responding to name — and when a calm developmental check helps","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}