Integrated & Community Services - What to expect by 18 months - Speech, Language and Communication

The Health Visiting Service are offering a further reminder to parent/caregivers to check their little one’s speech, language, and communication development at 18 months of age.

Your little one will be beginning to:

• Enjoy simple pretend play which could include feeding their dolly/teddy and pretending to talk on the phone
• Understand a range of single words. These words will depend on the words that they hear as part of their everyday routines and activities
• Understand simple instructions, for example “where’s mummy?”
• Copy actions and gestures from people around them – this can include actions to nursery rhymes and songs and waving “goodbye!”
• Using pointing and gestures to support their verbal communication. Your little one might use pointing (both whole hand and finger pointing) to bring your attention to something or someone that interests them and/or to ask for something that they can see
• Say up to at least 20 recognisable single words to ask for things and talk about what they can see around them. These words will be linked to people/objects/places that they see around them regularly

If you have any concerns in relation to the above, please call the Health Visiting Team on 0161 206 2906 who will be able to direct you for further support.

Please state when phoning: ‘I wish to be supported for my child’s 18 month speech, language and communication development.’