My 3 year old DD can't..............

[Anoah]

I am worried about my little girl. She turned 3 on 21st November. She is talking in 2-4 word phrases but not using much in the way of verbs and pronouns. She understands everything I say and followes complex directions. Her pronounciation is hit and miss. She doesn't tell me stories herself but enjoys books. She can't really sing nursery rhymes and get the words right. Sounds like gibberish.

I am waiting for a SALT assesment but I'm freaking out in the meantime. My son is ASD and has a speech language disorder so I am on a serious guilt trip and not coping at all. I don't think she shows signs of ASD but I am concerned.

Does this sound like a normal child who just turned three? I am waiting ages for the SALT assesment and in the meantime can't eat or sleep.

[ImdreadinganAUTIExmas]

Could she be copying ds. DS2's speech was REALLY weird- all his speech sounds came in in the wrong order. I thought he had verbal dyspraxia and he was dxed with a speech disorder. The over the course of a week when he was 2 years and 8 months it all came together. Took a while to sort out pronounciation but now (4 nest month) he's fine. DS1's SALT (who had assessed ds2 for me) was amazed. She thought he may have been copying ds1 (severely autistic, non verbal, limited speech sounds),

[Blossomgoodwill]

Anoah - What was dd's communication like from an early age? Did she point? Share things with you? Is she chatty? Sociable around other children her age?
When you say she is gibberish is it the sounds or actually the content of what she is saying?

I am so sorry you are worrying. I have your appt comes through soon.

[WhenAChildIsBored]

My little boy is 3 and one of his playgroup friends has just been referred for speech therapy because of similar problems. His mum is a really bright woman and is beside herself - having toddlers is bloody hard enough without being worried sick about their development too!! However I know this little boy quite well and I think he's fine, he's just temperamentally quite self-possessed and taciturn. He's very talented at sports and very well-co-ordinated, noticeably better than my son who is a chatterbox and loves showing off to adults. When this lad wants to get something across he is perfectly capable of doing so. I don't think children are given enough room to develop at their own rate without everybody panicking. I was referred for hearing "investigations" when I was a toddler, because I was a sulker and ignored my mum! My brother didn't get off his bum till he was nearly 2 - mum was frantic - but now he's in the Marines and has an English degree. I know it's nerve-racking but try not to worry. Sorry this is a long one but my heart really went out to you. We've had lots of health problems with DS2 and I know what it's like to worry and wait for outcomes etc.

[ImdreadinganAUTIExmas]

Oh and also remember that athough ASD in a sibling increases the risk of ASD, it also increases the risk of other much easier, less complex speech and language problems. Not sure how you feel, but when I thought ds2 had verbal dyspraxia I was kind of resigned and bit fed up, but not really worried as such as I knew he wasn't autistic, and he was so very good at communicating even without intelligable speech. So anything else seemed less of a problem (and turned out to not be a problem at all). I think by 3 you would know if she had ASD tbh, as you've seen it before.

I do know how you feel. Ds3 is 11 months now and I am obsessively examining his joint attention. he responds to name, imitates, notices if people leave the room, enjoys playing with children, but...... his joint attention isn't quite where I would want it to be, and I would be quite capable of getting myself in a right state about it. I'm fighting against that though and thinking what will be will be.