when did your child start to use gestures?

[philosophicmum]

My DS1 has severe autism. DS2 is now 11 months and I'm starting to wonder a bit about some things. His receptive language is on track - he responds to his name and to 'no/stop' and a few other things. But he doesn't seem to use any gestures. He doesn't clap, wave bye-bye, put his arms up to be picked up, point or gesture at things he wants, or show me things. He also hasn't had any 'first word' yet or any meaningful vocalisations or attempts at words, but I'm not so worried about that. But I do wonder about the gestures because I see other babies his age using gestures and I know exactly how important they are for early language development. So: what age did your (NT) child start using any of those gestures? Is it normal for 11-month-olds to be able to do some of those things, or am I just paranoid about signs of autism?

I'll be asking his HV about this at his development check next week, but the HVs were a bit chocolate teapot with DS1 so it would be good to hear other people's experiences.

Can't really remember when they started using gestures but I can remember that DS could sign up and more at 7 months.

Dd had delayed speech but I'm pretty sure she could point and wave at that age.

Sorry if that's not a lot of help.

DD is 11 months, she can clap but doesn't point at things or wave, she babbles with lots of DaDaDaDa and GaGaGa GooGooGoo. I'm not worried about her. They all do things in there own time

Ds is 11 months, he waved at about 8 months, first to himself and then at other people, now he waves in context to say bye bye we wave to everything the bath water, the rubbish, the apartment when we go out, I'm trying to encourage him to associate waving with fun good byes so he isn't so sad when I leave him at nursery in the spring.

Ds was later with clapping, I think he was around 10 months, we sang if your happy and you know it clap your hands lots of the time he couldn't do it at the developmental check where they are supposed to be able to do it (10 months I think) the Dr gave him 2 wooden blocks and showed him how to bang those together and ds copied so the Dr ticked the clapping box, maybe see if your ds can bash 2 toys together.

Ds nods and says yer ( whilst nodding) I'm not sure if nodding is a gesture, he's been doing that for about a month.

He points, mostly at lights and dogs ( dogs being and animal with 4 legs)

Ds used to hold his arms out but he doesn't seem to do that any more.

I found ds had
huge developmental leap about a month ago, he seemed to really "wake up" and start trying to communicate.

Ds is only 20 months so too early to say how he will develop but he didn't clap, wave etc until he was about 14 months. No walking until 15 months. He just seemed to start doing everything in the space of a month and now he never sits still or stops talking, and his coordination is just fine.

I think he was just lazy.