Is there a link between pointing and starting to talk?

[confusedofengland]

My DS2 has 'significant speech delay'. He was assessed with this by a SALT & is about to start a block of 5 sessions with her on Monday.

The SALT feels that his delay is mainly down to his character, because he has been slow to meet pretty much every developmental milestone.

He has also been late with pointing. He has been gesturing to ask for things with outstretched hand for about 5/6 months now, which SALT said was good communication. He also around then started to point at things in books (more to touch the picture he liked than to identify it). In the last 3 months he has started using a finger to point, again mainly requesting things. Now, within the last month, he has started to point at things of interest with his index finger (then looking at me to see I've noticed, and saying 'ah-ah').

I feel this latter is a positive development for his speech, not least because I can label whatever he is looking at: 'Yes, DS, duck. Big duck.' etc. But I wondered if there is any correlation between when DC start pointing in this way & when they start talking? Am kind of hoping it means speech is imminent!

I'm not sure if there' been any research done into it to be honest but it certainly can't be a bad sign. Like you say it means you can put names to things he points at. However, my DS1 pointed at 8 months but didn't talk til 18 months. DS2 didn't point until 12 months but also spoke at 18 months so I don't know.

How old is your DS?

My son was a late talker because he has severe glue ear. I felt awful because it appeared as if he could hear fine!

He was late pointing, in fact I had to teach him to point. He then tried to make noises after that, and I remember reading that pointing is the first stage of communication. However he didn't make meaningful sounds so we pushed for referrals ad eventually he had his ears checked - the rest is history. His glue ear is fully resolved and his speech is amazing now he can hear!

yes. communicating through gesture is the foundation that language sits on.

I think you are right to feel encouraged, particularly by the developments of the last month.

I think of gestural communication as the foundations, understanding language as the walls and speech as the roof. Thinking this way helped me get the priorities right with my language delayed kids.