At 18 months, a child often: Uses many gestures to communicate, such as waving and clapping Understands simple directions Can identify a couple of body parts Says at least 10 words (including signs) and, on average, about 50 words An 18-month-old who has fewer than 10 words, referred to as a late talker, is often a good candidate for speech therapy. Every child develops on their own timeline; however, it's important to take into consideration all aspects of their development
