{"h1":"Signs of social delay in an 18-to-24-month-old","faq":[{"a":"Some solo play is completely typical at this age — toddlers explore independently. What we look for is whether your child still looks to you to share moments, brings you toys, and lights up at familiar faces. If they rarely connect or check in with you, a gentle developmental check is wise.","q":"Is it normal for my 18-month-old to play alone a lot?"},{"a":"Pointing to show you interesting things usually emerges around 14–18 months and is an important social milestone. If your child isn't pointing by 18–24 months, isn't following your point, and shows little shared attention, it's worth a calm developmental review — not a diagnosis, just a useful look.","q":"My toddler doesn't point yet — should I worry?"},{"a":"Yes. Hearing underpins responding to name, social connection and language. Before reading too much into social signs, ask your doctor to confirm your child's hearing, as undetected hearing differences can affect how a toddler engages with people.","q":"Could a hearing problem look like social delay?"},{"a":"Trust your instinct and arrange a developmental check now rather than waiting. Support works beautifully at this age. A Pinnacle clinician will build a full picture of your child's strengths and shape support around joyful play — early steps are gentle, not alarming.","q":"What should I do if I notice several of these signs?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-signs-of-social-delay-in-a-18-to-24-month-old","title":"Signs of social delay in an 18-to-24-month-old","entity":{"key":"toddler-18-24","kind":"age_band","name":"18-to-24-month-old","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"kind":"age","label":"Toddler-18-24","value":"toddler-18-24"},{"kind":"domain","label":"Social","value":"social"},{"kind":"intent","label":"Concern","value":"concern"},{"kind":"lifecycle","label":"Screen","value":"screen"},{"kind":"route","label":"Behaviour-Therapy","value":"behaviour-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-social-communication-difficulties-in-a-18-to-24-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Social Communication Difficulties at 18–24 Months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-social","title":"Is It Normal My Toddler Isn't Showing Social Skills Yet?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-12-to-18-month-old-developing-normally-in-social","title":"Is my 12-to-18-month-old developing normally in social?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-signs-of-social-delay-in-a-12-to-18-month-old","title":"Signs of Social Delay in a 12-to-18-Month-Old"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-it-mean-if-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-social-awareness","title":"What does it mean if my child is not yet showing social awareness?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-18-to-24-month-old-developing-normally-in-social","title":"Is My 18-to-24-Month-Old Developing Normally in Social Skills?"}],"summary":"At 18–24 months, social development shows as sharing smiles, pointing to show you things, responding to their name, and copying you in play. Gentle signs worth a developmental check include little eye contact or shared joy, not pointing, not responding to name, little interest in others, or not imitating — especially if these appear together or a skill has faded. These are reasons to assess early, not a diagnosis, and hearing should be checked first.","answer_md":"*By 18–24 months, the way your toddler shares smiles, points and copies you tells us so much — and noticing quietly is loving, attentive parenting.*\n\n## In short\nAt 18–24 months, social development shows up as your toddler sharing joy with you, pointing to show you things, copying simple actions, and seeking comfort and connection. Gentle signs worth a clinician's eye include **little eye contact or shared smiling, not pointing to show interest, not responding to their name, little interest in other people, or not copying you in play.** None of this is a diagnosis — it simply means a calm developmental check is wise now, because support at this age works beautifully.\n\n## What to watch at 18–24 months\nMost toddlers this age are busy connecting — looking back to check you're watching, bringing you toys, and lighting up at familiar faces. Gentle flags that deserve a clinician's eye include:\n\n- **Little shared attention** — rarely pointing to show you something interesting, or not following your point or gaze.\n- **Limited eye contact and shared smiles** — not often looking to your face to share a feeling or check in.\n- **Not responding to their name** — when said warmly and clearly, with hearing already checked.\n- **Little interest in others** — seeming content alone, rarely watching or copying other children or you.\n- **Not imitating** — not copying simple actions like clapping, waving, or pretend play (feeding a doll, talking on a toy phone).\n- **Loss of a skill** — any social warmth, words or gestures your child once had and seems to have faded.\n\nThe goal isn't worry — it's that an early, gentle look turns small questions into early opportunities.\n\n## When to act\nIf several of these appear together, persist, or come with delays in talking or play — or if your child has lost a skill — arrange a developmental check now rather than waiting. First, ask your doctor to confirm hearing, as it underpins social and language growth. Trust your parent instinct: what you see every day is valuable clinical 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. Across [70+ centres](/) and 700+ therapists, our clinicians build their own picture of how your child connects, shares and plays, and shape support around joyful interaction. Our [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) team supports early communication and social connection together.\n\n## Trusted sources\nCDC \"Learn the Signs, Act Early\" social-emotional milestones for toddlers; American Academy of Pediatrics guidance (healthychildren.org) on developmental monitoring and shared attention; WHO Nurturing Care framework on responsive caregiving in the early years.\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 toddler's social 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-social-delay-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-signs-of-social-delay-in-a-18-to-24-month-old","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/what-are-the-signs-of-social-delay-in-a-18-to-24-month-old-te","lang":"te","indexable":false}],"dimensions":[{"key":"ages","label":"Ages & Stages"}],"meta_title":"Social Delay Signs at 18–24 Months","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"During play, pause and wait — hold up a toy, then look to your child's face. Notice whether they point, look back to share, or copy you. A short phone note of these moments gives a clinician a clear, useful picture.","published_at":"2026-06-10T11:36:00.209871+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-signs-of-social-delay-in-a-12-to-18-month-old","title":"Signs of Social Delay in a 12-to-18-Month-Old","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-12-to-18-month-old-developing-normally-in-social","title":"Is my 12-to-18-month-old developing normally in social?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-are-the-early-signs-of-social-communication-difficulties-in-a-18-to-24-month-old","title":"Early Signs of Social Communication Difficulties at 18–24 Months","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-18-to-24-month-old-developing-normally-in-social","title":"Is My 18-to-24-Month-Old Developing Normally in Social Skills?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-it-normal-that-my-toddler-is-not-yet-showing-social","title":"Is It Normal My Toddler Isn't Showing Social Skills Yet?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-does-it-mean-if-my-child-is-not-yet-showing-social-awareness","title":"What does it mean if my child is not yet showing social awareness?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-social-milestones-should-a-18-to-24-month-old-reach","title":"Social milestones for an 18-to-24-month-old","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-18-to-24-month-old-developing-normally-in-adaptive","title":"Is My 18-to-24-Month-Old Developing Normally in Adaptive Skills?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-18-to-24-month-old-developing-normally-in-cognitive","title":"Is My 18–24 Month Old Developing Normally in Thinking?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-18-to-24-month-old-developing-normally-in-communication","title":"18–24 Month Communication Development","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-18-to-24-month-old-developing-normally-in-emotional","title":"Is My 18-to-24-Month-Old Developing Normally in Emotion?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-18-to-24-month-old-developing-normally-in-motor","title":"Motor Development at 18–24 Months","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Recognise signs & concerns","total":28},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-social-development-in-my-18-to-24-month-old","title":"How can I support social development in my 18-to-24-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-adaptive-development-in-my-18-to-24-month-old","title":"How can I support adaptive development in my 18-to-24-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-cognitive-development-in-my-18-to-24-month-old","title":"Supporting cognitive development at 18–24 months","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-communication-development-in-my-18-to-24-month-old","title":"How can I support communication development in my 18-to-24-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-emotional-development-in-my-18-to-24-month-old","title":"How can I support emotional development in my 18-to-24-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-motor-development-in-my-18-to-24-month-old","title":"How can I support motor development in my 18-to-24-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-support-sensory-development-in-my-18-to-24-month-old","title":"How can I support sensory development in my 18-to-24-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-much-screen-time-is-safe-for-a-18-to-24-month-old","title":"How much screen time is safe for a 18-to-24-month-old?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-18-to-24-month-old-moving-and-walking-as-expected-for-their-age","title":"18–24 Month Movement & Walking Milestones","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-my-18-to-24-month-old-talking-as-expected-for-their-age","title":"Is my 18-to-24-month-old talking as expected for their age?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-get-my-18-to-24-month-old-assessed-for-development","title":"Should I get my 18-to-24-month-old assessed for development?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-activities-support-a-18-to-24-month-old-s-development","title":"What activities support a 18-to-24-month-old's development?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":14}],"what_to_watch":"Seek a check if your toddler rarely points to show you things, has little eye contact or shared smiling, doesn't respond to their name (with hearing checked), shows little interest in others, doesn't copy simple actions or pretend play, or has lost a social skill once had — especially if several appear together or alongside delays in talking.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC — Learn the Signs, Act Early milestones"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP — developmental monitoring (HealthyChildren.org)"},{"url":"https://nurturing-care.org","label":"WHO — Nurturing Care Framework"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T11:36:00.209871+00:00","meta_description":"Gentle signs of possible social delay in 18-to-24-month-olds — pointing, eye contact, responding to name and copying — and when a calm developmental check ","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}