Pointing

[Mirshid]

My dd is one tomorrow and generally I think is doing ok, she babbled quite late at 8 months but from a motor skills point of view seems to be much the same as her peers. I am just a bit concerned as at her little birthday tea party today two of her little friends (both a bit younger)are both pointing with their index fingers. My dd gestures with her whole hand and will pick up a toy if I said eg can mummy have x and give it too me. I have long standing worries about autism and this has just ignited it once again. Does pointing with a whole hand count or is it specifically the index finger that's important?

My DS is 2yrs 1 mth, he still doesn't point.

I, like you, was really concerned about it. His understanding and speech seemed very delayed. He didn't wave bye bye either.

He did walk early, and was very focused on movement from early on.

I had the HV to see him at 22 months, back in October. She referred him for SALT as she could see my concerns.

However, at the same time he suddenly 'got it'. His understanding and his ability to follow an instruction made massive improvements. Then he started saying more and more words.

He still doesn't point, unless it is at a picture in a book.

Hope there's some reassurance there? I also worried about autism and other things. I think he just has a strong personality and knows his own mind now .

Thank you yes it does reassure, we are hoping to go to salt drop in session on wed. I think her understanding is good, she will touch things in books if you say eg where's the dog and is very social and interested in people. She can wave but doesn't clap yet either but can roll a ball between us and has taken her first steps. She does say mama but I'm not sure it's specific to me and will follow my point.

All the same worries as me. I just posted about my 9mo ds not babbling yet (that I can tell anyway)

This reassures me a bit though :)

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Hi Mirshid

The reason pointing is important is because it shows "shared attention" and "theory of mind" - what this basically means is that a child knows that you have separate thoughts from them and vice versa. Autistic children generally have difficulties with this concept.

So when a neuro-typical child points, they want to draw your attention to something because they know you might not have seen it.

When your DD points at things with her whole hand, is she doing this to show you something? Does she look at you to check you are looking at what she is trying to show you? If so, I wouldn't worry at all. The "whole hand point" is the natural stage before the one finger point - before a child has the fine motor skills to do a one fine point.

Yes I think she does if I say where is the baby (picture of her on mantle) she will stretch her hand towards it and if she sees birds on the wires she will reach with whole hand and say ahh and look at me. Perhaps it is just fine motor as she seems to struggle sometimes to hold objects in both hands at once. She also shows me toys and feeds me and the dog and her toy cat food

Sounds good to me - bringing you toys or something to show you (not just because she wants you to switch them on, etc), is great, as is trying to feed her toy cat (shows imagination, which again is something autistic chilling typically struggle with).

From what you have said, I really wouldn't worry!

"chilling"?! I meant children!

Unless you have other concerns, I'd not worry about the pointing. My DD (now 4) has never been much of a pointer, but is decidedly neurotypical. Everything else you have said about your DD suggests that she is ok.

Thanks all for the reassurance, I think she is very social in all other ways always giving us things or offering toys to show so I will wait and see with pointing, my mum says my fine motor skills were a bit on the slow side so perhaps that's it! , although saying that dd can roll a ball to me and back so she must have some hand and eye coordination which she def didn't get from me!
Frusso I hope your daughter is doing well now

seriously 1 is young for pointing. The milestone is 18 months, I worried myself senseless googling with dd2 and pointing at 12 months. She started at about 14 months and from then on pointed at absolutely everything.

Speak to your hv if you are worried, but babies with normal development do things in different orders.

Thanks Toby's mum google has a lot to answer for, she seems so bright in many other ways, I think I read 12 months was the average so I guess there is a wide range. I'm sure she will work it out soon

Hi Mirshid you were me a month ago!

We have ASD in the family so I worried myself senseless at my dd 2. She's 14 months now and at 12 months was doing the whole hand "pointing". I was told that that is a sign that pointing with the finger will come ( I was still dubious!). She was also trying to walk at this stage, once she got the walking at 13 months she just started pointing with her finger! I don't know whether mastering a hard skill like walking takes precedence over other things but as soon as she was waking unaided, she was off with showing me everything.

I think she'll get there in her own time (I know, not much comfort as you'll probably still worry).

Now I'm worried about her speech, according to a salt by 15 months they hold have 10 words, dd2 has 5( 6id you include peppa)

*should
*if

but op if you think about it '12 months' average she still has 4 weeks of left. Then within a couple of months no child is going to do everything average or ahead.

in terms of speech dd1 (so other child, no idea at all when she pointed lol) said nothing at all until 15 months. By 20 months people were commenting on how advanced her speech was. At the end of reception she got exceeding for language. I think if they are saying anything at all at 15 months that's fine, once they really get going they learn hundreds of words literally in a few weeks. So being able to say 'duck' at 12 months and 10 instead of 6 at 15 months becomes largely irrelevant I think.

OP, I thought I would just update you, my little one has finally pointed to something! (He's 2 yrs 3 months).

He was sat in his highchair shouting for something. I had no idea what it was. After about 30 seconds of shouting - he just turned and pointed using his index finger to his toy on the window ledge!

I can not tell you how long I have waited for him to do it! And he finally did! The wee monster!

I was VERY proud. Ridiculous, I know!

I hope that gives some reassurance?

Thank you that's brilliant- why do they make us wait and worry hey! Still no consistent pointing here but occasionally I've thought it is close! She is waving and clapping and kissing and cuddling both spontaneously and when we ask and can follow instructions so trying not to worry too much... I have read that late pointing can be a sign of language delay and she hasn't any words yet so maybe that's it?

I'd say mine has had a communication delay, he is currently developing rapidly though after a long lull where nothing much seemed to happen. i just admit I haven't read much about speech delay, as it was more an understanding issue here, or so I felt.

I was right by the way, he didn't understand. Once he understood, everything just started happening :)

That's brilliant the detective glad he is doing well they have so much to learn in such a short time!

Sammy - think it's one word other than mamma/dadda at 15 months.