ACTIVITY > Activity Time & Toddler Activity

HELP!! 1 year old doesn't imitate - no clapping, no waving

(1/4) > >>

GabrielleD:
I just came back from the pediatrician for DS's one year check up and I feel like I failed some kind of test.  :( The nurse kept asking whether DS is doing all of these developmental things and I kept answering no:
- Does he walk yet? - No, but he furniture surfs
- Does he talk yet? - No, he just babbles
- Does he at least say "Dada" or "Mama" - No, but he burped once and it sounded like "furniture" :)
- Is he starting to dress himself?- No, but he is an expert at taking off his shoes  ;)
- Does he clap? - No
- Does he wave? - No
I am not too worried about the fact that he is not talking yet (should I be?), since I figure he is focusing on walking at the moment, so his verbal development is taking a back seat. Plus, I know that we are doing everything we can to encourage him to talk (read to him, sing to him, etc.).
     What DOES worry me, though, is that he has shown no signs of imitating us in any way (except if we smile at him, he smiles back), but he doesn't clap, he doesn't wave, he doesn't make kissing noises, etc. The pediatrician told me that this may not mean anything yet, but if he still doesn't wave or clap at his 18-month check-up, she may refer him for help. What does this mean?? Anybody out there with a similar experience?

Lana:
Okay at 1 year Ewan had just taken his first steps.  He did not have any words but did babble nonsense (nonsense to us at least ;)) and didn't really take off in the talking department until past 2 years old.  Now he won't shut up :P.

He only started to clap right before he turned 1 and he didn't wave.  He did hug and kiss though.

Ewan really can't dress himself even now, he helps us but I'm not really worried that he doesn't

Erin M:
At Katie's one year checkup, the doctor asked me, "so, can she point to body parts yet?" -- umm, I don't know I never asked.  I wish they had told me ahead of time there was going to be a test so we could have prepared  ::)

In all seriousness, Katie started walking exactly a week before her 15 month checkup, I don't think she had more than a word or two at a year, but took off in that department shortly thereafter.  Ummm, what one year old can dress themselves? -- we take off shoes and socks here, but that's about it.  Personally, I don't think the clapping/waving is a big deal right now, but I'm going to ask Maggie who is one of my co-mods on here to look at your post since she knows way more about development than I do and can answer the last part of your post better. 

Honestly though, I wouldn't worry - with Katie, the difference between her at 12 months and her now at 16 months is astounding.  There is some serious development that takes place in those months.  What is it about doctors that they manage to upset us so much about things we shouldn't worry about?

mum101:
No claim of being an expert here!  But some words of enouragement.  I would suggest keeping an eye on it, and just try to get him excited about one or some of the tasks. 
But as Erin says, a lot happens between 1 and 1 1/2!   ;D

maggieruth:
yup, i wanted to agree with your thoughts on Ethan focusing on his walking and being pretty intent on THAT for a while!  whilst its true that he maybe isn't doing some things FIRST or as quickly as some of the kids but i think YOU know best!  i was getting frazzled that our ds wasn't picking up on the baby signs that everyone seemed to think he should have figured out.   2 months later when we had stopped even bothering with them, out of the blue he signed for some food!  so he was taking it all in but wasn't that interested in showing us he knew!
milestones are just guidelines, if you get to the upper end of a milestone it can be worth getting someone else invovled, not because the baby is in any real danger of not coping but just to give some different play ideas that could be motivating and fun.  the fact that he enjoys smiles with you is great and shows that he does have the ability to participate in and enjoy social things
oh, and getting dressed? that is a BIG ask for a one year old!!!!  today for the very first time my 14 1/2 month old ds looked interested in putting something on over his feet (his shirt  ::)) but of course COMPLETELY lacked the coordination to do anything about it!
in fact, at 14 1/2 months ALL our ds can do on the list is clap and wave!!! (despite all my developmental prods!)
don't let it bother you and enjoy your ds and what he is keen on playing what he is liking right now!

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page