The Power of Communication Intent: Gestures, Pointing and Other Signs - Children

Quick Answer: Before children say their first words, they communicate through pointing, gesturing, eye contact and babbling. These behaviours are called communication intent, and they are some of the most encouraging early signs that language is on track. Knowing what to look for can help parents understand whether their child is developing the building blocks for speech, even before words arrive.

One encouraging sign I look for in late-talking toddlers is communication intent. This term simply means your child’s desire and attempt to communicate something purposeful to you, even if they aren’t using words. Gestures and nonverbal behaviours are often the first clear evidence of communication intent. Long before they can say a sentence like “I want water,” most babies learn to get their point across by using actions or sounds. For example, your baby or toddler might:

• Point at the cookie jar when they want a cookie, or at a toy they can’t reach. This typical pointing milestone emerges around 10–12 months of age and is a very positive sign. In fact, studies show that infants who frequently use gestures like pointing tend to develop spoken language faster later on, because they’re already communicating their needs and interests.
• Use other gestures like waving goodbye, nodding or shaking the head, reaching up to be picked up, or showing you objects (“Look, mum!”). These usually appear between 9–12 months of age. For instance, many babies will wave “bye-bye” or hold up a toy to show you by their first birthday.
• Make eye contact and facial expressions to engage you. A baby might look at you and then at an object, as if to say “Do you see that, too?” This shared attention is a building block for communication. By around 9–12 months, most babies also respond to their name being called, turning toward you when you say their name.
• Vocalise or babble in “conversation” with you. Babbling (repeating sounds like “bababa” or varying pitch as if speaking) typically starts by 6–9 months. Pay attention to whether your baby uses their voice to get your attention or to respond when you talk. For example, if you say “Hi!” and your baby babbles back. These vocal turns show they’re learning the back-and-forth of communication, even without real words yet.

All of these actions, pointing, gesturing, eye contact, babbling, responding to your voice, are strong signs that your child wants to communicate. In other words, they have something to say, even if they’re not saying it in words. This often means they are on the right track toward talking, because they’re demonstrating the underlying skills that precede speech. In my clinic, I get excited when I see a late-talking toddler do things like point, babble, and make lots of facial expressions, because I know those pre-verbal skills are in place. Often, the words are just a step or two away, and our job as therapists (and parents) is to nudge them along that path.

On the other hand, what if you aren’t seeing those kinds of signals? Let’s say your 15-month-old isn’t using any gestures, rarely makes eye contact, and mostly plays alone quietly. That scenario would make me more concerned, because it might indicate not just a speech delay, but a broader issue with communication development.

What to Do If Communication Intent Isn’t There

These milestones are general guidelines. There’s a wide range of “normal,” and some children reach milestones slightly earlier or later than others. For instance, it’s not unusual for an 18-month-old to say only a few words and then suddenly have a “word burst” at 2 years old. Or a child might be a little slow to start combining words, but then speak in full sentences by 2½. The exact timing isn’t as important as the overall progression and the presence of those communicative behaviours we discussed (babbling, gesturing, understanding you, etc.). If your child is showing those signs, even if words are slow to come, it’s a positive indicator.

If your child rarely tries to communicate or interact, and isn’t babbling or gesturing by the age these are expected, the concern is higher. Signs like no babbling by 9–12 months, not responding to their name, not pointing or waving by 12 months, or seeming generally uninterested in people and social interaction are worth raising with a speech pathologist or your child’s paediatrician as soon as possible. Don’t jump to conclusions, but do take action.

How to Encourage Communication Intent at Home

So, you’ve noticed your little one is late to talk. What can you do? My advice is to take action in a proactive, supportive way. Early intervention for late talking often involves parent coaching and play-based strategies. It’s as much about teaching you, the parent, as teaching the child. I always emphasise that you have immense power to boost your child’s language during everyday interactions. In fact, many research-backed intervention programs for late talkers (like the Hanen It Takes Two to Talk program) focus on training parents in simple techniques to stimulate language during normal routines.

Here are a few proven strategies I often share with families:

• Follow your child’s lead and talk about what interests them. For example, if your toddler is lining up toy cars, join them on the floor and comment: “Wow, you have cars! You’re making a long train of cars. Red car, blue car, green car…” By joining in and talking about what they’re doing, you reinforce their interests with language. This is much more effective than trying to force them to talk on your terms or quizzing them with questions. Simply describe what’s happening in a fun, animated way.
• Respond to any communication attempts. Whenever your child communicates (even if it’s a point, a grunt, or an unclear “ba!”), honour it and build on it. If they point to the cookie jar and say “uh!”, you might respond, “Oh, you want a cookie? Here’s a cookie. Yummy cookie! Thank you for showing me.” By doing this, you reward their effort to communicate and also model the words they might use next time. They learn that their gestures or sounds got the desired result and also hear the language for it.
• Name what you and your child are doing. Narration is a powerful tool. Use short, simple sentences to describe activities: “You’re throwing the ball! Throw ball, whee!” or “Daddy is washing hands. Splash, splash, wash hands.” This gives your child a rich exposure to language in context, helping them map words to actions and objects. Don’t worry about “baby talk.” Using a warm, sing-song voice and repetition is actually great for engaging infants and toddlers. The important thing is to use real words (you can simplify, but say things correctly, e.g., “dog” not “doggy-woggy”) and repeat key words often.
• Read, sing, and play creatively with your child. Reading picture books together is fantastic for language growth. Even if they don’t sit still for the whole story, looking at and talking about pictures builds vocabulary. Singing songs and nursery rhymes can encourage imitation of actions and sounds (think of the gestures to “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or the animal noises in “Old MacDonald Had a Farm”). Simple play activities like pretend cooking, building blocks, or making animal sounds together all create opportunities for your child to learn new words in a fun way. One tip: when reading or playing, try to ask fewer test-like questions (“What’s this? What colour is that?”) and instead make comments or even answer your own “wonderings” (“I see a cat on this page… I wonder what the cat is doing. Oh, he’s sleeping!”). This removes pressure and invites your child to chime in when ready.

Every family’s situation is different, and a speech pathologist can personalise these strategies for you. Sometimes, addressing a speech or language delay might involve more direct therapy techniques (for example, teaching a child how to say a difficult sound). But for late talkers under 3, therapy largely looks like play and coaching for parents. And as I mentioned, it often doesn’t take a huge time commitment to see progress. Some families I work with need only a few sessions. We focus on coaching the parents with strategies, set some goals, and then monitor the child’s progress over a few months. Other children benefit from longer ongoing therapy, especially if multiple areas of development are affected. In all cases, early intervention has the best chance of accelerating your child’s skills and preventing future difficulties.

Importantly, none of this is about labelling your child or “rushing” them. It’s about empowering you to support them. And please remember, you did not cause your child’s delay. Years of research have looked into this, and things like having an older sibling (who might talk for the younger child) or being raised in a bilingual home do not cause language delays. In most cases, there’s nothing you or your child did wrong. Some kids just need extra help learning language. By seeking that help early, you’re being a proactive, caring parent.