The 15–18 months Well Child Tamariki Ora visit

Remember to take your child’s My Health Book with you to the visit.

What happens at the visit?

At the 15–18 months visit, the nurse will:

• measure your child’s height and weight, and check how they walk and move
• check that your child can see and hear well
• check your child’s teeth and gums
• check your child’s development
• ask if your child has been immunised
• ask questions about your health and wellbeing, including family violence.

Your child’s development

The nurse will ask questions about your child’s learning, development and behaviour. They will ask how your child:

• talks and makes speech sounds
• understands what you say
• uses their hands and fingers to do things
• uses their arms and legs
• is learning to do things for themselves
• behaves
• gets along with others
• is learning preschool skills.

The nurse will also ask if you or your whānau have any concerns about your child. If there are problems, finding them early and supporting you to deal with them can make a big difference to you and your child.

Before the visit

Before your child’s visit read through the 15–18 months check pages in the My Health Book. Think about how well your child can see, hear and talk.

Can your child see well?

Do they:

• pick up small objects with their finger and thumb?
• point to interesting things (like birds)?
• watch everything that is going on around them?
• search with their hands rather than their eyes?
• bring objects up close to their eyes?
• have a lazy eye, ‘cross’ eye or squint (when both eyes don’t look straight at you)?

Can your child hear well? Are they starting to talk?

Do they:

• point to people and things they know when asked to?
• copy or repeat simple words and sounds?
• understand things like ‘come here’?
• use their voice to get attention?
• say 2 or 3 words?
• listen when people talk?

Talk to your nurse or your doctor if you think your child is not seeing or hearing well.

Things to talk about at the visit

This visit is a good time to talk with the nurse about your child and being a parent. You could talk about:

• feeding your child
• your child’s behaviour and development
• ways to play, have fun and be active with your child
• teething, dental health and tooth-brushing
• immunisation
• knowing when your child is sick and what to do about it
• being smokefree
• keeping your child safe – at home and while out and about
• getting ready for using the toilet
• choices for daycare, preschool and kōhanga reo.

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Related websites

Early learning – Ministry of Education
Information about finding, choosing and starting out at a daycare, preschool or kōhanga reo.