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Should I be worried?

TheHistoryGirl1TheHistoryGirl1
in Toddler
We took Peter (13.5 months) for a walk today (we were walking, he was in the backpack). There were lots of lovely things to see - ducks and cows and sheep and lambs and song birds and dogs. I made a point of pointing them out and making the appropriate noises but he never once followed my finger and looked at what I was showing him.

There is nothing wrong with his sight. When he spotted things for himself he would look carefully and get excited. And he was absolutely enchanted by the waterfall we went past. And I don't think there is anything wrong with his hearing, although I do sometimes need to say his name several times before he pays attention to me.

Is this normal for this age? He gestures at things but doesn't point but I figured he is just a bit slow to develop that particular skill. But I don't know if I should be worried or not that he doesn't really respond when I point things out to him.

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    -Bliss--Bliss-
    He sounds just like Isaac. I've noticed when I point that he often doesn't look in the exact direction i'm pointing in. But he easily spots things he's interested in!

    Also Isaac doesn't point things out to me himself, he just runs to them and grabs them if he's interested! :lol: He's never been a pointer, he'd rather go and have a closer look.

    I wouldn't be worried. He sounds like he's developing just fine.

    Oh I am jealous about the backpack walk. Isaac just hates being in a backpack as he wants to be free, no matter how much we try to get him used to it xx
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    campbelllycampbellly
    Hey he's still quite young but keep an eye on it. Pointing should develop over the next few months. There is a checklist that HVs sometimes do around the 18month stage called the CHAT checklist. It's looking out for traits of autism and one of the questions is whether the child follows a pointing gesture and another is whether the child points out an object for shared interest (i.e. not because they want something but because they want to show you something they like). Your little guy is still young so I honestly don't want to put the frightners into you!!
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    TheHistoryGirl1TheHistoryGirl1
    Cheers, ladies. Bellah, I'm so glad I'm not alone! I'm pretty sure Peter would run things he is interested in, except he can't walk yet. He can certainly crawl to anything he wants fast enough - or wave and yell if he is strapped in. image

    Campbellly, no worries. It is actually really comforting to know what the time frame of concern is. At least I don't feel I have to start worrying for another four months or so, and given how much Peter has developed in the last three, I'm sure he'll be fine by then. I'll just have to keep pointing at everything like an idiot! :lol:
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    -Bliss--Bliss-
    Oh God, now i'm worried too! :cry:
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    TheHistoryGirl1TheHistoryGirl1
    Oh, bellah! I'm so sorry to have made you worried! Are your hvs any good? I'd ring them and have a chat if they are. I'm sure they'll be able to put your mind at rest. Isaac sounds as bright as a button to me.

    By the way, I meant to say about the backpack, I swear the only reason Peter got used to it is that we started him in it before he could crawl. He hated it to start with, until he realised how much more he could see from his dad's height!
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    -Bliss--Bliss-
    Thanks THG. Yeah I'm sure he's fine. Just googled the CHAT list as had to have a look!! It is for 18 months. Isaac has just turned 15 months and the only thing he doesn't do is point to things! He does gesture and ask for things but not actually point properly. Theres a whole series of questions and if a certain number are failed there's a higher risk of developing autism. I'm sure they're both fine tho. Eeek.

    We are trying the backpack again tomorrow! Haven't used it for a while, so fingers crossed this time xx
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    LadyTottingtonLadyTottington Regular
    Hi ladies, no I really don't think you should be worried - at 13/15mths they are still v egocentric, and think the world revolves around them (well, to them it does!). You will be amazed at how rapid the changes are over the next few months!

    THG, you mention his hearing - Maybe keep an eye on that, because hearing problems are fairly common, and usually easily treated. I have at one time or another been worried about my 2 boys hearing - calling their name over and over and getting no response. Then I would notice how they could hear the crinkle of a sweet packet from the next room!!

    Selective deafness is a common problem at this age! But in seriousness, it is worth being aware of - if you genuinely think he may not be able to hear you, you should get it checked out. A friend of mine's little boy needed grommets at 3yrs old.

    xx

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