# 15 month old doesnt clap?



## kikimezz (Jul 10, 2008)

So it sounds silly, but I feel slightly concerned my 15 month old cant clap. My husband doesnt seem to feel worried He points if you say "see", he can wave when you say "hi or bye", he doesnt say a whole lot of words, mama, dada, cheese and a lot of baby babble. But the fact he doesnt clap should I be concerned?


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## Everrgreen (Feb 27, 2007)

My DS is 15 months old (almost 16) and was late to learn how to clap (maybe 14 months old?). And he STILL doesn't wave. He also doesn't really talk, he says mama (in babble) and calls everything else duck. It's easy to worry, isn't it? Honestly, he probably just has no interest in clapping, not that he can't physically do it, he just doesn't want to. At least that's my theory for my son's lack of waving


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## kikimezz (Jul 10, 2008)

Thanks Gillian for the reassurance. Its so easy to worry for sure.


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## ArcticRose (May 13, 2009)

My 16 month old just learned (in the last couple of weeks) to clap and blow kisses. She still doesn't have many words, but she "talks" all day.


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## mckittre (Jan 15, 2009)

Well if he can point and wave, he can obviously make meaningful gestures. Assuming he can physically bring his hands together, I doubt there's any problem. He probably just doesn't want to. My 15 month went through a phase a few months ago where he loved clapping, but never does it anymore. Maybe your son just skipped that phase.


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## sapphire_chan (May 2, 2005)

He can physically bring his hands together? Reach for a toy across his body? (e.g. you give him a toy for his left hand, then hold another toy on his left side and he can grab it with his right hand)

Then not clapping is fine.

Isn't it cool that he's starting to communicate with you? So fun!


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## ellemenope (Jul 11, 2009)

I don't think you will find much out there about clapping and waving. Individually, they are not really milestones.

Joint attention skills, i.e. back and forth gestures, pointing, waving, clapping, those early building blocks to verbal communication, begin to emerge at 9 months. Only after 12 months should there be any concern if the child has none of these skills. And, if my child was already on par as far as verbal skills, I would only be mildly concerned.

If a child does not clap because they cannot coordinate their two little hands together this is a sign of a dysfunction of bilateral integration. If this was the issue they might not also be able to bang two objects together at the body's midline.

My DD would point at things and raise her hands in the air (when asked) at 9 months, point out almost any body part we could come up with by 12 months, but did not really wave until much later. She still doesn't like to wave. I don't think she clapped until 13 months.

She speaks in complete 10+ word sentences now (22 months), and I still worry.


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