Early signs of a non-verbal or minimally verbal child

An anganwadi worker often spends more hours with a child than anyone outside the home — and that means you may be the first to gently notice when words are slow to arrive.

In short

A child with a non-verbal or minimally verbal presentation uses very few or no spoken words for their age, but often still wants to connect — through pointing, pulling your hand, gestures, sounds or eye contact. As an early-years worker you might notice a child who follows simple actions but rarely speaks, who points or leads instead of asking, or who falls quiet compared to playmates of the same age. These are observations to share kindly with the family and route for a developmental check — never a diagnosis.

Signs you might notice in your care

• Very few or no clear words for the child's age — relying mostly on sounds, babble or single repeated sounds rather than growing vocabulary.
• Communicating through actions — pointing, leading you by the hand, bringing objects, or gesturing to get needs met instead of using words.
• Understanding more than they say — the child may follow simple instructions or routines well even when they speak little (a hopeful sign worth noting).
• Quiet during group play and songs — not joining in rhymes, naming games or back-and-forth chatter that other children of the same age enjoy.
• Frustration when not understood — crying, tugging or upset when a need can't be expressed in words.
• Mixed picture — some children combine little speech with limited eye contact or play; others are very socially warm but simply have few words. Note what you see, without judging the cause.

The key message: a child who communicates eagerly without words still has a strong drive to connect — and early support builds on exactly that strength.

When to share with the family

Gently raise a check if a child is around 18 months with no clear words, around 2 years using very few words and not combining them, seems to lose words they once used, or shows real frustration at not being understood. Frame it warmly with parents — "I've noticed she shows me what she wants by pointing; it might help to have her communication checked" — and route to a developmental assessment rather than waiting to "see if it passes".

The Pinnacle way

AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — never from an app, a checklist or a worker's observation. Your role is precious: you notice early and help families take a first step. Learn how communication support works through speech and language therapy, understand the structured clinician assessment, and explore more about how Pinnacle supports children and families at pinnacleblooms.org.

Trusted sources

WHO ICD-11 communication and developmental categories; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidance on early language and augmentative communication; CDC and AAP (HealthyChildren.org) developmental milestone guidance for toddlers.

Next step — Noticed a child who shows but rarely tells? Encourage the family to book a developmental and communication assessment with a Pinnacle clinician.

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