Quick q - can someone just clarify the pointing thing please?

[Flightattendant7]

I posted before when ds2 got to 16 months without pointing.
He's now almost 19mo, and yesterday he started to point a bit, but it is not very much in context iyswim.

He forms a point with his index finger, great, but he doesn't actually indicate anything with it - he just looks at it and puts it down again. I say 'ds! where's the light?' or 'where's the cat?' but he just looks at me and laughs

He won't point to any part of his body, or his brother, or me, or anything really.

If I point and look in another direction and say 'oh, look!' he does follow my face but not my finger as such.

Can anyone kind of decode this for me, is it usual, is he on track? Pointing was the main thing that made me think he might be a bit delayed etc.

TIA!

mmm i wouldn't worry overly if he ismaking eye contact and babbling/ talking, trying to communicate etc. does he wave at all? does he look at the light/ cat etc when you ask him. before my ds learned to point he would look at the thing i was talking about, eg the clock/ daddy/ the dog. does he seem to follow instructions sometimes? if you think he understands you and is communicating in some way then i wouldn't worry.xxx

Thanks

Yes, he does sometimes look when I say 'where is...' and he babbles a fair bit.

He does pretend play.

I'm not sure how much he understands,
but he is cuddly and likes to muck about and laughs a lot.

I just thought by this stage he ought really to be able to point at something, either to show interest, or ask for it, or because I asked him to show me it iyswim.

well he sounds a happy chap, maybe he is just very laid back unlike my ds who the second he points at something he expects it to be in his hand immediately! it seems as if he is communicating with you when he babbles and laughs. if he looks at what you are talking about then i'm sure all is well. if you are worried then i would ask the health visitor although one of my friend's dd's didn't point til over 2 and she is fine.

Thankyou, I feel a bit better reaidng that.

Might try and get to see HV again in a while. She said she could reassess at 24months, I feel nervous that he might benefit from earlier intervention iyswim.

i would try and pester HV sooner rather than later - because if your DS does end up needing any referral such as speech therapy, that's likely to have a waiting list.

I would recommend one book - the Parents' Guide to Speech and Language Problems - it has some useful checklist in earlier chapters about when to wait and see and when not to. Also - in terms of earlier intervention - there's plenty you can work on at home with him - www.hanen.org has good basic info and www.teachmetotalk.com has got lots of tips and some video extracts about helping your kid communicate. Another good book is You Make the Difference by Ayola Manolson - again got good practical tips about helping your child communicate.

Also if you are near surestart - see if they run any courses about helping you help your child communicate.

oh and you can encourage him to point - by doing it yourself lots and/or putting your hand over his to point his finger if amenable.

Thanks very much TC.
I've been trying to help him point, holding his hand within mine, etc etc but he isn't really picking it up cognitively, ie will produce a point but not know how to use it.

Good idea about waiting lists. I'll see if i can get them to assign us a provisional place on one perhaps. His speech is progressing slightly but not in a big way, just keeping an eye.
Thankyou for the links too and the book recommendation.

bump for the daytime laydeez.

I think if he follows your interest when you point that's a good sign. If he really wanted something off a high shelf or somewhere inaccessible, how would he let you know where the desired object was?

Oh TC that is sweet of you

Cyberseraphim - I guess he wouldn't. which seems rather sad in a way. He seems very contented on the whole, much calmer/quieter than his mad brother was at this age.

This morning he was sitting on me in the bed and it was the same position as yesterday morning when he pointed that time. The cat was in her usual place by the window, and I said, 'ds, where's the cat?' and he actually pointed at her

Only once, and everything I then excitedly asked him to point at, he didn't even try! Oh well.

At least he can use it in one context, that has to be good.

I agree with the advice to model the pointing as much as possible.

Show him books and point to items in the picture using short, simple sentences e.g. ''look a cat'', ''the cat's sleeping''.

Or sit him on your knee and form his index finger into a point. Put his finger on your nose ''mummy's nose'', put it on ds' nose ''ds'nose''. ''Mummy's tummy'', ''ds' tummy'' ands of course, tummies need tickling which then takes you into a game to encourage 'more'.

i.e. tickle him, then ask ''more?'' wait for any response, even a sound/smile, then do again. Repeat....

Ok that sounds great, will do it in a minute when he has finished dangling off my nork

''mummy's nork''... ok perhaps not!

Lol!!! It sounds so simple what you describe, but I had not thought of it myself. I will definitely try it. Thanks x

How is it going Flight?

Hello! Thankyou for asking.
(tis me)
Well, he has started to point without me asking, a few times a day, so am starting to feel encouraged!
I guess he was just a bit slow on the uptake.

Yesterday he pointed at a climbing frame he wanted to go on so it's making more sense to him I think, he can use it for something and get a response.

Thanks again for all your help. Will keep on with the practising!!

That's great in the space of a few days.

He is obviously beginning to realise the 'power of pointing'