My 18 months old first time does the pointing over the past weekend, and he was pointing at the geese swimming in the lake a couple times. Even though he does not look at me while/after he is pointing, that is considered pointing, right?

There is no harm in getting an evaluation, OP. Pediatricians are not experts on development. Our pediatrician hindered much more than helped with the jolly everything is normal, your kid is great, wait-and-see approach.

Back to the original question. By whose count did your 18 month old "fail" the MCHAT?

Anonymous wrote:I am going to ignore all the crazy and say talk to your pediatrician. Also, I would work on mimic the behavior for the child. When you walk around actively point out things you want him to see. Point out specific things in books. It might be that he just needs a little extra boost, but I would talk to your pediatrician.

Do you have any relevant experience?
Because I, along with many other parents, experienced the pediatrician as the gatekeeper to services and part of the problem. Many children didn't get services on time because the pediatricians advised waiting for the tots to "catch up"
OP, Birth-3 is your best bet. They are more informed about typical development in babies and toddlers.

I am going to ignore all the crazy and say talk to your pediatrician. Also, I would work on mimic the behavior for the child. When you walk around actively point out things you want him to see. Point out specific things in books. It might be that he just needs a little extra boost, but I would talk to your pediatrician.

If your child isn't meeting milestones and you aren't anxious then you should be. There is anxieties that come along with being a parent and there is nothing worse than parents shaming another parent for having concern for their child's development.

Anonymous wrote:Fair enough pp. agree. I just get heated when people tell parents to "chill out, calm down, you are just being anxious, you're crazy- there is nothing wrong with your child." A mom knows and if I had listed to everyone that told me there is nothing wrong and just wait and see, I'd be looking at a very different kid that I'm looking at today. I'm so so so grateful for early intervention services and that we got a handle on it as early as we did. Sorry I let me emotions get the best of me.

OP follow your gut. It's your child. Do what is best for your child always. Get an evaluation. If there is a delay but not enough to get services you can still look into private. It may be nothing but it's worth it to check.

+100000

Fair enough pp. agree. I just get heated when people tell parents to "chill out, calm down, you are just being anxious, you're crazy- there is nothing wrong with your child." A mom knows and if I had listed to everyone that told me there is nothing wrong and just wait and see, I'd be looking at a very different kid that I'm looking at today. I'm so so so grateful for early intervention services and that we got a handle on it as early as we did. Sorry I let me emotions get the best of me.

OP follow your gut. It's your child. Do what is best for your child always. Get an evaluation. If there is a delay but not enough to get services you can still look into private. It may be nothing but it's worth it to check.

It ink stfu is for teens and does not belong on a thread re child development and concerns other than to show that those posters may want to pause and reflect on their own development. Seriously, grow up and stop with the overreaching and lack of impulse control. Kids can't help it. You can.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly OP your post rings of anxiety and not anything wrong with your kid. Go ahead and do the evaluation if you feel you need to for your peace of mind. But you're going to drive yourself nuts if you are going to try to "test" your child for joint attention based on what you read on the internet. If your child is verbal, social, interactive with people, and progressing, he is likely fine. There's nothing magic about pointing specifically with a finger or playing peekaboo.

I'm going to assume your child met all milestones on time or ahead of time. You have no idea what it's like to have a child that isn't doing what they're supposed to developmentally. Go ahead and call the mom paranoid or anxiety ridden all you want. But until you can walk in her shoes- shut up!

Get the evaluation. Early intervention was life changing for my late pointing and late talking child. No ASDbut a communication delay which was remedied by early intervention speech services. It's your child and you would move heaven and earth for your child. Don't listen to people who can never imagine the worry a mom goes through when their child doesn't meet milestones.

I do have a child with delays, actually. I *also* had anxiety about autism symptoms based on the internet that were completely in my head.

Well then you more than anyone should STFU. You more than anyone should understand delays are real and that with early intervention they can catch up. I've never met a mom of a delayed child that would ever tell another mom she's just being anxious and to not to listen to her gut and have her child evaluated. Any mom with a delayed child would know the earlier the better.

Calm down. Anxiety is real and it can interfere with judgment. I am all for OP getting a screening, but it is also very important to recognize your own anxiety. At the point where OP is concluding based on an internet screening she did herself that there is a 98% chance her child is delayed is when it is worthwhile to take a breath.

Give me that or wanting you to say the word is a request not joint communication.

Does pointing at pictures in books count or to the fridge for when they want food? I feel like it's never "hey this is cool look at it". It's more "give that to me" or "say that word".

Anonymous wrote:Pointing at something and labeling is the start of joint attention. The gesture of pointing is to show you something which is what joint attention is or well the early stages of it. My ex husband is a developmental pediatrician. Our daughter was a late pointer. My husband considers it the single most important milestone for determining delays in communication. Our daughter pointed at 18 months and had a language delay but with speech therapy to work on the non verbal and joint attention, she was able to catch up by kindergarten.

It is a big deal and should never ever be ignor d. Please contact your counties EI services for an evaluation.

(Sorry for any errors- typing on a phone)

Is your husband a pediatrician or a child development specialist?

The poster saying her own child is delayed after saying OP has anxiety is who I said STFU to.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly OP your post rings of anxiety and not anything wrong with your kid. Go ahead and do the evaluation if you feel you need to for your peace of mind. But you're going to drive yourself nuts if you are going to try to "test" your child for joint attention based on what you read on the internet. If your child is verbal, social, interactive with people, and progressing, he is likely fine. There's nothing magic about pointing specifically with a finger or playing peekaboo.

I'm going to assume your child met all milestones on time or ahead of time. You have no idea what it's like to have a child that isn't doing what they're supposed to developmentally. Go ahead and call the mom paranoid or anxiety ridden all you want. But until you can walk in her shoes- shut up!

Get the evaluation. Early intervention was life changing for my late pointing and late talking child. No ASDbut a communication delay which was remedied by early intervention speech services. It's your child and you would move heaven and earth for your child. Don't listen to people who can never imagine the worry a mom goes through when their child doesn't meet milestones.

I do have a child with delays, actually. I *also* had anxiety about autism symptoms based on the internet that were completely in my head.

Well then you more than anyone should STFU. You more than anyone should understand delays are real and that with early intervention they can catch up. I've never met a mom of a delayed child that would ever tell another mom she's just being anxious and to not to listen to her gut and have her child evaluated. Any mom with a delayed child would know the earlier the better.

What are you talking about? Are you 20:06? I told you to STFU, not this PP.