Is this normal? Is there anything to worry about?

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Forum -> Parenting our children -> Toddlers

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amother

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 5:17 pm

My baby just turned 14 months and he’s very verbal and talks a lot for his age and he’s always been very advanced in general. The thing is he doesn’t really clap or wave. ( he knows how he’s done it a few times but when I try to show him he just never copies) He walks holding on but he’s not showing any signs of standing up or walking on his own. Is this normal?
(First time mom here)
Also he does this thing where he bangs his head all the time on stuff. He’ll purposely bang his head on the wall over and over til he starts crying or he’ll bang toys or books on his head. I keep seeing that this could be a sign of autism and I’m getting nervous. But hes extremely social and like I said talks and communicates very well. Is he just doing this for sensory input?

amother

Bergamot

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 5:21 pm

Way too early to diagnose such a young infant. With 14 months they start to learn to copy behaviour so it can be he is doing a bit later

#BestBubby

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 5:23 pm

Developmentally fine.

Would not worry about clapping or waving.

The head banging....

is this new behavior?

Sometimes kids head bang because they have some kind of pain, and the head banging relieves -
kind of like scratching an itch.

Sometimes kids head bang as a tantrum, because Mom said no

or to get attention, because baby sees it is upsetting to you.

amother

Topaz

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 5:24 pm

Doesn’t sound like autism. Maybe he has high sensory needs? Did you bring it up with his pediatrician? (If it makes you feel better, my daughter is fourteen months and will stand in the middle of the floor or pull up on furniture but won’t take steps.) I think it all really depends on the individual baby.

amother

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 5:25 pm

He’s been doing the head banging for a while now. I noticed he’ll do it a lot when he’s overtired or overstimulated but sometimes it’s just random.

amother

Buttercup

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 5:28 pm

Does he point? Show you things? I disagree, pointing and waving are gestures. Gestures are a super important milestone, and rhey develop early.

#BestBubby

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 5:28 pm

Head banging is not that unusual in babies.

Would be more concerning if it were an older child.

Try not to give it any attention.

HonesttoGod

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 8:44 pm

I have a family member that as a toddler fell asleep for every single nap/night by banging his head against his crib. Or the floor if he was on the floor and wanted to nap there.

He’s a fully functional adult now. I wouldn’t worry.

As for the talking/walking , I always find that my kids are either early talkers or early walkers. So if they talk at 12 months they walk at 16/17 month and vv.

amother

Lightgray

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 9:18 pm

ASD mom here. My kid with ASD at that age did clap and gesture appropriately but did not communicate appropriately. At age 2.5, dc was diagnosed with ASD.

I currently have a 14 month old as well who also is very verbal and communicates but does not wave or gesture. Dc also head bangs. My dc is being watched by developmental peds. These COULD be early signs of autism but does not mean that every child who has these signs is autistic.

Bottom line, speak to your pediatrician about it and they should give you time frames for keeping an eye out vs seeking help such as early intervention.

amother

Electricblue

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 9:21 pm

Discuss it with your pediatrician.

amother

Brickred

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 10:40 pm

I can relate completely. My baby missed a few milestones and developmentally is behind in most of his gross and fine motor skills. He never handed objects to me, clapped them together, never waved and So far is non verbal. He’s 16 months now. My baby also rocks and head-bangs a lot. He is due to get an autism assessment when he’s 18 months as his sister has ASD (these are not the only red flags for us)
These can all be signs of autism but also can be very NORMAL. Babies will bang their heads at this stage usually when tired or for attention. Try to pay attention to where your baby is looking when doing these sensory seeming behaviours. Is there good eye contact while he’s doing it or oblivious to the fact that you are watching him?
It’s also very normal for a baby to learn something and then stop doing it and revisit it at a different time.
At this stage it could be some OT would be benificial to get your baby more “on track”

amother

Scarlet

Tue, Jan 31 2023, 11:15 pm

Obviously we can’t tell you anything from one post, but I just want to tell you that I had a daughter who was also not pulling up by that age. She was just a late walker. By now I’ve seen that all my kids are late walkers, though some have started pulling up at a more average age.

I also had a son who used to bang his head (though he was closer to two). It was his way of tantruming to get what he wants. Plus I have a brother who used to bang his head as a baby, purely for fun.

No autism in any of them BH.

amother

Cyan

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 12:46 am

clapping and waving has to do with strength in the arms. Did he not crawl for very long?
Can he point, use a spoon/fork? all that has to do with strength

Banging his head is a very normal thing that some babies do. He did it when he was tired they say its a sign of being smart

amother

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 12:49 am

amother Cyan wrote:

Interesting that you would say that cuz he’s actually very strong. It took him a while to learn how to crawl he but he started swimming at like 4 months so I thought maybe he just got around easy that way and didn’t think of crawling but bh he figured out how to crawl and he’s quite fast now. He’s also an exceptionally smart baby and he probably has over 30 words at 14 months.

He does pull but only holding on.

amother

Aconite

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 1:44 am

Could be a vision issue?? You’re best off asking a doctor cause it could nothing or something you didn’t think of.

amother

Dahlia

Wed, Feb 01 2023, 2:42 am

HonesttoGod wrote:

As for the talking/walking , I always find that my kids are either early talkers or early walkers. So if they talk at 12 months they walk at 16/17 month and vv.

I've noticed the same with my kids. Kids are a range. There's not a normal, there's a most children are walking by 16-18 months, some will walk earlier, some later. Give him a bit longer before getting too concerned. You can create situations to encourage him, like putting a toy he likes on the chair to see if he will pull himself up to play with it. (don't torture him or force him, just put a toy higher up without making a big deal of it)
For clapping you can try singing songs and clapping, and he may copy, but I wouldn't make it into a big deal.

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