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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Level of understanding in a one year old. What's normal(ish)!?

13 replies

Threeofakind · 10/08/2004 17:12

Hi. I have three boys and my youngest has just turned one. I have started to notice lately that he just doesn't understand very much. I cannot remember how much my other two lads understood at his age. If I show him something and then a couple of minutes later ask him where it is he just looks at me blankly. If I do it over and over again, he still doesn't figure. Is it too early for him to understand much? Should I give the poor lad a break and let him come on in his own time? He doesn't say very much either, just baba and da. Where should he be about now in terms of language development? Can you remember how much yours understood at this age? It's starting to bother me.

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Jimjams · 10/08/2004 18:47

he should be beginning to point- from around 12 months (ds2 was 12 months and 1 week). Pointing develops in stages and should be pretty fully developed by 18 months. Before pointing he should show gaze monitoring- which basically means looking where you're looking (not all the time obviously). That's it language wise for this age group.

honeybunny · 10/08/2004 18:51

I'm going to be really unhelpful and say I dont really remember either, however, 1 seems v young for any language development, especially a boy! I've just looked up ds2's baby book and his first noises were dada and mum mum at around 8months and his first words were tractor, ding dong(clock) cat and car at around 15months. He could say "dare" for there, ie where's mummy.....dare! at 1yr. I do remember at the time thinking that ds2 was ahead of ds1 with language, but ds1 was v slow.

Piffleoffagus · 10/08/2004 18:55

I know that about 7mths ago my 21 mth old dd suddenly started understanding loads, I simply never knew she would be bothered!
Up til then it had been reserved for people, and her fluffy cudd;e rug and bottle...

Original poster

Threeofakind · 10/08/2004 19:08

Oh. It just shows - I have no recollection whatsoever of my first two's development. I should have kept a baby book for the other two. I am doing so for number 3, but as we don't intend #4, it won't be much good for comparing notes!

ds3 started pointing at 10.5 months. He rarely looks where I look, unless it's a cat or dog and he's desperate to see it then so makes more of an effort. Is that a problem?

Oh and he has no idea who Mummy, Daddy or his two brothers are. That really bother me.

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Jimjams · 10/08/2004 20:09

Is he pointing across a room or just at books etc. Can he follow a point (actually bit early for that). TBH it wouldn't really matter if he wasn't pointing at all at this stage- it should be develping from now. The reason its important is because it shows he has joint attention which is pretty much a necessity for language development. 12 months is still very early though and certainly ds2 was still in a pre-language phase then (can';t remember details as I was only looking out fr pointing). DS1 is still in a pre-langauge phase at 5 - so that's why I haven't mentioned him- not becase he was super-advanced or anything (although funnily enough he was talking a little then, not pointing though and he soon stopped talking never to start again!)

Original poster

Threeofakind · 10/08/2004 21:27

He points across a room, never in books. He's not interested in books yet and has the attention span of a gnat, so books are not his thing. He will point at a dog in the park or a cat in the gardern. He will also point and grunt at his cup when he wants a drink, or the toaster when I ask him if he wants toast.
He is yet to point at a picture in a book.

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Tigerlillies · 10/08/2004 21:38

My oldest still struggles with pointing at 4!
My youngest could point and follow the point at 9 months.
My oldest couldn't say a word until he was 18 months.
My youngest can say 7 words at 11 months as well as sign the words as well!
BUT my two are very different with different strengths and weaknesses. If you were asking about physical milestones ds1 would be ahead of ds2. It is all about character imo. Ds1 is very physical and outgoing. Ds2 is quiet, content and likes to sit and look at books.
At 12 months I don't think there is any need to worry.
Although when your 11 month old is teaching your 4 year old the concept of pointing it might raise some concerns!

nutcracker · 10/08/2004 21:41

TBH I wouldn't worry at 12mths.
My Ds's development sounds like it is at much the same stage as your Ds's at the mo, but my Ds is 20mths, so i have started to panic somewhat.

If you are concerned then i would mention it to your H.V. I am going to speak to mine as soon as poss.

Jimjams · 10/08/2004 21:44

threeofakind- sounds fine (pointing across a room in terms of language development is more important than pointing in a book- and pointing at a dog or cat in a "look" kind of way is the most advanced form of pointing, so his language development is definitely ahead of ds2's at his age (and ds2 - now 2 and a half is fine language wise).

Original poster

Threeofakind · 10/08/2004 22:02

Wow Jimjams - I had no idea that pointing is so significant. I also had no idea that there are different 'forms' of pointing, and their significance. I also had never made the connection before now between language and pointing. To me, no speech means very little language understanding or development!!
Can you explain, why if I say to ds3 "Where's the cat?" and the cat is quite clearly at the bottom of the garden, ds3 will (after a fashion) point at moggie, whereas if I say "Where's the cat?" on a page of a book where there is only one big picture of a cat, then he does not make the connection and does not point at it?? As said, he has never pointed at a picture in a book. He just loves to turn the pages.

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Wallace · 11/08/2004 07:54

I think I remember reading somewhere (probably on mumsnet!) that when babies are first developing an understanding of language, a word is taken to represent one thing - like "cat" just means a real live cat, and the baby will not recognise a picture of a cat as also being a "cat"...
Later this broadens and every animal may become a "cat"
I hope this make sense. I hope somebody else will come along and explain it a bit better

Ghosty · 11/08/2004 08:31

I am sure that I read that somwhere too Wallace ...
To your DS, Threeofakind, the word "Cat" means the cat ... and he won't connect the word cat with pictures of them yet.
I can't remember exactly the point that I noticed DS understanding things but I do remember someone saying he was 'advanced' in speech at 15 months and he didn't really say that much then ...
It sounds like your DS is doing fine to me ...

celandine · 11/08/2004 14:22

My DS is almost 13 months and all he says is "dada" but I know that he understands a great deal of what I say to him. I think some children are just more considered in their talking and focus more on input (listening and absorbing information) than any 'output' which the parent wants so much. I'm kind of expecting a sudden rush of language in a few weeks/months time as this was what I was like when I was a baby.

Also, DS doesn't point at things in books either but just turns the pages really fast or lets me point things out to him while he sits back and chills . However, he will point in the direction of objects that he wants to see so I know he can point. I'm sure your DS understands you very well but maybe just wants to concentrate on absorbing information at the moment.

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