{"h1":"When to worry about a child not pointing to show things","faq":[{"a":"Most children begin pointing to share or show interest in things between 12 and 18 months, and it's usually well established by around 18 months. Pointing to share — looking back at you to check you saw it too — is a lovely early sign of social communication.","q":"At what age should my child start pointing to show things?"},{"a":"Pointing to ask means reaching or gesturing for something a child wants. Pointing to share means showing you something interesting just to connect — like a bird or a dog — and then glancing back at you. The sharing kind is the one that matters most for social communication.","q":"What's the difference between pointing to ask and pointing to share?"},{"a":"Gestures like waving, clapping, showing and reaching up are all encouraging signs of communication. If your child uses several gestures and is connecting with you, that's reassuring. If pointing is missing at 18 months alongside few words or limited eye contact, a calm developmental check is wise.","q":"My child doesn't point but uses other gestures — should I worry?"}],"lang":"en","slug":"when-should-i-worry-about-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-my-child","title":"When should I worry about not pointing to show things?","entity":{"key":"no-pointing","kind":"phenomenon","name":"Not Pointing To Show Things","slug":null},"lenses":[{"kind":"stakeholder","label":"Parent","value":"parent"},{"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":"behaviours","label":"Behaviours"},"related":[{"lang":"en","slug":"can-not-pointing-to-show-things-be-an-early-sign-of-a-developmental-concern","title":"Can Not Pointing To Show Things Be an Early Sign of a Developmental Concern?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-not-pointing-to-show-things-a-normal-part-of-child-development","title":"Is Not Pointing To Show Things Normal?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-worry-about-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-1-year-old","title":"Should I worry about not pointing to show things in a 1-year-old?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things-should-i-be-worried","title":"My child doesn't point at things — should I be worried?"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-18-month-old-does-not-point-at-things-should-i-be-worried","title":"Not Pointing at 18 Months"},{"lang":"en","slug":"why-does-my-child-not-point-to-show-me-things","title":"Why does my child not point to show me things?"}],"summary":"Most children begin pointing to share things between 12 and 18 months, and it's usually established by 18 months. Seek a developmental check if your child is around 16–18 months and still not pointing to share interest, especially alongside few words, little eye contact, not responding to their name, or not following your point. This is a reason to assess early — not a diagnosis — because early support works best.","answer_md":"*Pointing to share a discovery — \"look at that!\" — is one of the loveliest signs a child wants to connect with you, and noticing it is wonderful parenting.*\n\n## In short\nMost children begin **pointing to show or share things** (not just to ask for them) between **12 and 18 months**, and it's usually well established by **18 months**. The gentle line for a developmental check is when your child is **around 16–18 months and still not pointing to share interest** — especially if this comes alongside few words, little eye contact, not responding to their name, or not following your point. This isn't a diagnosis; it simply means a clinician's calm look is wise now, because early support works beautifully at this age.\n\n## What to watch by 12–24 months\nThere are two kinds of pointing, and the one that matters most for social communication is *sharing* — pointing at a bird or a dog and then looking back at you to check you saw it too. Gentle flags worth a clinician's eye include:\n\n- **By ~16–18 months** — not yet pointing to show or share interest in things around them.\n- **Not following your point** — when you point and say \"look!\", your child doesn't turn to see what you mean.\n- **Few gestures overall** — not waving, clapping, showing or reaching up to be picked up.\n- **Travelling with other differences** — few or no words, limited eye contact, not responding to their name, little shared smiling, or loss of a skill once had.\n\nMany children who are simply taking their own pace catch up quickly — but pointing to share is such a useful window into communication that it's always worth a calm review rather than waiting.\n\n## When to act\nIf your child is **18 months and not pointing to share**, or you notice pointing missing alongside any of the signs above, arrange a developmental check now rather than waiting. Trust your instinct — what you see in everyday play 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. With 25 million+ therapy sessions and 4.95 lakh+ families served, our clinicians build their own warm picture of how your child gestures, plays and connects. Our [speech therapy](https://www.pinnacleblooms.org/top-speech-therapy-center-india-proven-improvement-rate) team helps grow gestures and shared attention through play, and you can learn more about us at [Pinnacle Blooms Network](/).\n\n## Trusted sources\nCDC \"Learn the Signs, Act Early\" developmental milestones (pointing to show by around 18 months); American Academy of Pediatrics guidance via healthychildren.org on gestures and social communication; ASHA resources on early communication 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 calm, clear review of your child's gestures 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/when-should-i-worry-about-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-my-child","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/when-should-i-worry-about-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-my-child","lang":"en","indexable":true},{"href":"https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/when-should-i-worry-about-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-my-child-te","lang":"te","indexable":true}],"dimensions":[{"key":"behaviours","label":"Behaviours"}],"meta_title":"Not Pointing to Show Things: When to Worry","meta_robots":"index, follow, max-image-preview:large","everyday_tip":"Try pointing yourself during play and reading — \"look, a dog!\" — and pause to look back at your child. Modelling shared pointing every day, with warmth and no pressure, gently invites them to join in.","published_at":"2026-06-10T11:36:00.209871+00:00","reading_paths":[{"key":"signs","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"should-i-worry-about-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-1-year-old","title":"Should I worry about not pointing to show things in a 1-year-old?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"my-18-month-old-does-not-point-at-things-should-i-be-worried","title":"Not Pointing at 18 Months","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"can-not-pointing-to-show-things-be-an-early-sign-of-a-developmental-concern","title":"Can Not Pointing To Show Things Be an Early Sign of a Developmental Concern?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"why-does-my-child-not-point-to-show-me-things","title":"Why does my child not point to show me things?","reason":"Linked from this 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children?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore causes & influences","total":2},{"key":"therapy","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"my-child-doesn-t-point-at-things-should-i-be-worried","title":"My child doesn't point at things — should I be worried?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"is-not-pointing-to-show-things-a-normal-part-of-child-development","title":"Is Not Pointing To Show Things Normal?","reason":"Linked from this answer"},{"lang":"en","slug":"can-not-pointing-to-show-things-be-a-sign-of-autism","title":"Can Not Pointing To Show Things Be a Sign of Autism?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"do-children-usually-outgrow-not-pointing-to-show-things","title":"Do children usually outgrow not pointing to show things?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-makes-not-pointing-to-show-things-worse-in-a-child","title":"What makes not pointing to show things worse in a child?","reason":"Same 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child?","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"what-therapy-techniques-help-a-child-with-not-pointing-to-show-things","title":"Therapy techniques for not pointing to show things","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"Explore therapy & support","total":11},{"key":"home","items":[{"lang":"en","slug":"how-can-i-help-a-young-child-with-not-pointing-to-show-things","title":"How to Help a Young Child Who Isn't Pointing to Show Things","reason":"Same topic"},{"lang":"en","slug":"how-do-i-handle-not-pointing-to-show-things-in-a-1-year-old","title":"How do I handle not pointing to show things in a 1-year-old?","reason":"Same topic"}],"label":"At home & in everyday life","total":2}],"what_to_watch":"Seek a check if your child is around 18 months and not pointing to show or share interest, doesn't follow your point, uses few gestures (waving, clapping, showing), or has these alongside few words, little eye contact, no response to name, or loss of a skill.","authority_links":[{"url":"https://www.cdc.gov/child-development","label":"CDC Learn the Signs, Act Early — developmental milestones"},{"url":"https://www.healthychildren.org","label":"AAP healthychildren.org — gestures and social communication"},{"url":"https://www.asha.org","label":"ASHA — early communication development"}],"last_reviewed_at":"2026-06-10T11:36:00.209871+00:00","meta_description":"Most toddlers point to share by 18 months. Learn the gentle signs that mean a developmental check is wise — calm, non-diagnostic guidance for parents.","related_materials":[],"related_techniques":[]}