13 month old scoring low on communication worried first time mum

[Nrsmx]

Hello hoping someone can put my mind at ease I’m going off my head with worry.

my baby hasn’t ever really babbled she’s only recently started saying mumum when she’s upset or needs me she’s very vocal she shouts and balls but nothing sounds like words. She isn’t doing any gestures yet won’t clap wave or point but will reach her arms up to be lifted. she does give kisses when asked and when you ask her what the dog does she sticks her tongue out and pants like a dog and when you say bad cough she will do a fake cough and if you tell her no when she’s doing something she shouldn’t be doing she will stop and look at you and crawl away. She doesn’t respond to her name sometimes she will turn eventually but I think she’s just responding to my voice. she will make eye contact if ur singing to her or making her laugh. Just scored a low 20 and was on the black for her assessment with health visitor for communication but had high score for everything else she’s coming back out in 12 weeks to re asses anyone else had babies like this and turned out fine? She plays with her toys and is good at stacking just the communication I’m worried about TIA X

At this age, being in the black means "keep an eye on this" not "there's a problem". The range of normal is SO big, she could just be a little late to this section of the list! There will be thousands of children in the black at this age - some of them will turn out to have diagnosable needs, and lots of them will catch up in the next few months.

Please, please don't worry yet. It all changes so fast at this age.

I’d say try not to worry too much, they all do things at their own pace. Hopefully she will have made some progress by the next assessment.

My DS ignored his name for so long that I started to worry that he was deaf, but I think he was just ignoring me!
Is her hearing definitely okay though? If she’s facing away from you does she respond if you make a funny noise?

My DS didn’t just start pointing spontaneously, I had to show him. When he was in his high chair I’d hold up two different foods just slightly out of his reach and ask which one he’d like. He’d try to grab one, and I’d say “you’d like this one?” And give it to him. He learnt that he just had to point and I’d give it to him, whereas before he would be trying to reach it himself. Hope that makes sense!

Thank u very much I’m hoping it will come 🙏🏽

thats amazing I’m going to try this from now on, thank you ❤️

I was worried about my son, then a few months after his 2yr review I can stop him talking. Just monitor her, give her plenty of opportunities to develop her language and if in doubt go back and ask for support (or go private which is what I was looking at)

There's a saying that they either talk before they walk or walk before they talk.

If your baby scored high on the physical development it could be that she has prioritised that learning and her speech will catch up.

My daughter was the other way round. Scored high on everything except gross motor skills. She just sat there quietly taking in everything around her.

You'd never guess seeing her running around now as a 3 year old, though her mental abilities are still ahead of her years.

My DS ignored his name for so long that I started to worry that he was deaf, but I think he was just ignoring me!

I can relate to this entirely. My ds ignores his name completely

Hi i am on same boat how is she now doing any input please

Hi OP.
Echoing what the other posters have said, it sounds like she’s just faster in some ways than others at the moment.

Everyone wondered if DC1 had a developmental delay, he didn’t speak at all at a year, not even Mum or Dad, wasn’t big on babbling and didn’t try to walk until 18 months. He didn’t even really cry much, was contented but placid and still. The only things he were good at were eating and laughing. At the 24 month checkup he was way behind with speech (I think he maybe said about five words and they weren’t well articulated, I was the only person who knew what he was saying🤨) I found it hard to know if he was ignoring me or couldn’t hear me, sometimes it was clear but other times it wasn’t.
He ended up getting referred for a hearing test at three and at four had grommets in and adenoids and tonsils out. We didn’t realise how little he had actually been able to hear until the grommets were in. His speech developed in fluency and clarity immediately, like, over a weekend. So DD is probably absolutely fine, outside chance it could be something to do with hearing, but your HV will know what to look for.

Don’t be too worried, the impression of the dog and ‘bad cough’ sound like she’s noticing plenty and retaining the interesting stuff and is actually pretty smart (and so cute!) We also noticed when DC1 spent time with his slightly older cousin he suddenly seemed to leap forward and develop. Almost like it hadn’t occurred to him he could try to do the things we routinely did (pointing, grabbing a snack, having a go at peeling a banana, unclipping buckles etc) until he saw her do those things. Does DD have any slightly older children in her life?

@Nrsmx hows your little one coming on?

Hi, my little girl has turned 3 in July. My instinct was right from the beginning and she’s on the autism pathway but I’m not worried at all. Her speech and communication is coming on great she sings loads of her songs can say the full alphabet count to 20 all her colours she can name every word in her word books all her fruits veg and foods all her colours ect ect but still no back and forth conversation but we will get there in her own time. My only advice if ur worried is to just keep doing what ur doing and don’t ever think ur failing them because if ur worried in the first place that makes you a good mum. We have good weeks and bad weeks with everything but we will get there x

@Nrsmx thanks for getting back to me, what signs did you notice at around her 1st birthday and after for you to get the diagnosis?

She’s not been diagnosed takes a long time to see peds. Not responding to name all the time not much eye contact not noticing when people walked in a room, not showing me toys played on her own, no joint attention, not much babbling no gestures xxx