2 year old concerns

[Hye123]

Hi :), I don’t know what I’m expecting but I just want to share a few things.

DS has for a while showed some development concerns. At 18 months he hadn’t shown much eye contact wasn’t listening and wasn’t very interactive. HV gave some advice. So as a family we closed screen time and gave much more attention to DS as his the only little so didn’t get as much attention. From 18-24 months he had improved. No more dummy. Drinks from a cup. Eye contact is great and so reacting and looking when his been called. Good stuff when we compare before and after....

Just before his second bday... he began a lot of baby talk as if his communicating. He has also mastered words like mama. He know is able to come and touch and say mama when asking for attention. He does this with his uncle too.

His vocabulary is limited. He’ll say just a few words like yeah yes no up bus and ohh wow, mama. He does copy some words when we say and show him apple/ water. But he won’t say it later, independently

His beginning to copy our actions and speech but still his understanding is poor.

He’ll understand ‘hold hands’ ‘by bus’ ‘no’ ‘stop’ ‘close door’. But he won’t understand bring me shoes.

I’ve suspected autism... because of his behavior ( loves playing and looking at cars and buses/ sometimes more than us). He also rolls different objects on his body and moves items back and forth as if it’s a moving car or something. (Repetitive).

He doesn’t wave but he understand bye and he doesn’t like it as he knows it means leaving.
He has started pointed at things and looks at us when he does.
He does involve in his play. He has this big car and a seesaw and always wants us to play with him.
He loves pretend play on the phone and even says ‘hello, yes’ and involves us by giving us the phone. And he loves when we play the pretend teddy dog and goes woof and laughs.
He does take our hand when he wants to do something e.g. he loves going out (maybe because he wants to see cars) he shows us the door. He shows us to come play.

He loves his baby brother and loves playing chase with kids WHEN there’s no cars/ toy distractions.

Honestly confused. Because sometimes his so social with random kids or kids he even knows and us that you wouldn’t think his autistic. But then at the same time his understanding is poor. He does have obsessions and weird behaviour which looks repetitive. I just don’t know.
Been told that he needs to understand language in order to use it. He’ll be seen by a SPeech therapist in the chatterbox session next week. Hopefully we’ll get more guidance. But I want help in getting him to speak more and more and how to improve his understanding.
Please help and if you know anything about this sort of Behavior.

[AladdinMum]

This one is a tricky one as your son does have some great positives - when you say he points; do you mean that he points to request (like a toy, food, etc) and to share (like a plane in the sky, a bird, etc)? and if so, at what age did he start doing these gestures?

I wouldn't be too concerned about the repetitive behaviours you describe, unless they are extreme (engages in repetitive behaviour for 30 minutes non-stop or is not able to play with his toys in any other way). Typically developing children will also engage in some sort of repetitive behaviour like spinning wheels, opening/closing doors/drawers, turning lights on/off, running in circles, etc - because it's fun to do so! :) The difference is that they get bored of it after a few minutes and move on to something else.

The lack of words is not concerning as speech delays are very common at this age. Lack of understanding is a bit more concerning, at 2 years he should be understanding all sorts of little things. Don't worry on a specific example like bringing his shoes (he might just not want to do that) but generally, but for example things like, "let's read, bring me a book" (if he like reading), "sit down", "hold my hand", "close/open the door", "where is the [any object]" (he should point), etc - its these type of one step instructions that he should be following.

[Hye123]

The pointing started a month before he turned 2. We also never really pointed before that but then we started and so did he. He’ll point with one finger sometimes to show us things like he pointed at this red light and then looked at us with happiness. His pointed at a bus and said bus and looked at us. Sometimes he doesn’t point with one finger but puts his hand forward.

He doesn’t point much to request. But he’ll try to reach and then look at us and then he’ll grab us to take him so he can get a glass to drink in.

He doesn’t spin the wheels of a car but he’ll love to play with car. He plays with them appropriately so he’ll drive them and he likes when we play with him and the cars. He gets a big tantrum when we take the cars. But his tantrums don’t last long.

Understanding things is a problem. He doesn’t some. Close door. Hold hand. Sit down. Break time etc. But if I was to tell me bring me something. He wouldn’t. Sometimes he’ll listen and give things when I say give me.
When we say where is...? He doesn’t point.
However recently I asked where is someone and he looked at them rather than pointing.

Truly hoping it’s just a slow development. Because 6 months ago he wasn’t even looking/ listening or social. And then all of sudden we started paying attention doing more things and then he improved drastically over time.
Hoping the speech therapy at chatterbox could give us some insight and techniques.

Im trying so hard to keep calm and just to get him to understand speak.

[Hye123]

• he does understand understand some like close door hold hand, stop breakfast time. Outside.

[Confusedbeetle]

If you are concerned I think you should go back to your health visitor and ask her if she will refer you to a community paediatrician. There may well be nothing wrong but there is no harm in a check

[Hye123]

DS’s Uncle has a feeling that due to ‘some’ autistic traits he may be on the low side of the spectrum. But we’re so confused. I’ve been told by the GP/ HV that first we have to go through the chatterbox session and then they’ll make a referal to what is necessary. Is this how it works? I’m even willing to go pay for private therapy if it’s worth it.

[AladdinMum]

In the UK they tend to implement a "wait and see" approach until they are 3 years old, unless the severity is obvious. I wouldn't be overlay concerned just yet, there are clear delays in receptive language and gesturing but he can still be on the late side of normal development, however the question is if "slow" is "too slow" and that can be hard to judge in borderline cases. Children with autism (unless severely impaired) will eventually develop all the skills that a normally developing child would, so pointing, waiving, clapping, showing, eye contact, etc, just at a different pace and order.

Have you taken the ASQ 24M and MCHAT tests? the former being the standard developmental check (used in the UK), and the later being the gold standard in autism screening. When talking to a HV, or even the people at Chatterboxes I would present them with these results.

[Hye123]

The GP had advised some techniques along with observation and a ‘wait and see’ approach. I mean to some extent it was right. At 18 month he wasn’t so social and wasn’t paying attention to name/ eye contact. Then we made changes and it worked and now 6 months later his improved brilliantly. So to some extent regardless of how frustrating, I get the whole concept of wait and see, IF something is also being doing at the same time to improve a wait and see result.

We have done the Mchat. Before 24 months he got a risk of 6. And now it’s down to a 1-3.
So I’ll have to share these with the speech and language therapists.
Just with the chatterbox date approaching next week, we’re all just doubting ourselves and getting worried because we’re in the state of not knowing if anything is the matter.

[AladdinMum]

From everything you have said, to me, it sounds that is more likely a speech delay than something like autism. Infants can make tremendous progress in just a few weeks and he seems to have made a lot of progress between 18-24M. If he can manage to pass the MCHAT (2 or under), together with his other skills I would keep an eye on him and see how he progresses in the next few months, and specially if given speech therapy.

[Hye123]

Yeah it’s really confusing at times. It’s lead to some paranoia as well. Hopefully we’ll be able to get through this. His made amazing progression in the last few months. And hopefully after his chatterbox assessment with the speech therapist, more could be implemented to help with the situation.

Thanks @AladdinMum hope everything will go Well.

[Hye123]

Hi so just an update. DS has his assessment with the speech and langauage therapist. They raised a few concerns. One being how he looks when you call but he doesn’t respond to stuff like ‘come here follow me’.

Also his playing with the toy cars repetitively so back and forth rather than using a large space.

That along with the lack of speech.

She Crossed a lot of major concerns such as not recognising name at all and no eye contact along etc.

But still the concerns are there. So she’s given a few tips like showing him who’s boss and teaching how to play properly. She’s told us to use his interest in cars as an advantage to develop language. So adding a few words
Also she advised not to ask him what this is. As he doesn’t understand what the ‘this’ is. We are on the waiting list and hopefully get a date in 3/4 months. Till then we’ll try all the advice tips. Hopefully some progress will come just like it did a few months ago.

I posted because some post you never really get the outcome or the update. So this is really for those people who like me have used mumsnet to look for a examples and stories of how things have worked or are working out.

[Mason23588]

Hi
Just reading all your post ... some realy good information here :) just woundering as my 2 year old just gone in FEB ... has is 2 year development check yesterday ... they are comeing back April as his got no understanding of come with me or .... Wers your shoe ... it’s as if he is in his own little world ablivious to what your sayin .... but like I sed on the other post .... he will get my hand and take me to kitchen if he wants something heel pull me to what Eva he wants .... it’s just so worrying I’m waiting for a speech and Lang app ... but how will this help if he is not fully understanding what I am sayin to him ... he will respond to his name some times ... the nursry staff some times he will say bye by waving hand and high 5 but other times just looks blank ... will he understand as he gets older I’m just so worrid ... don’t know what to expect ...
Some advise will be great if any 1 can hel
:) x

[Hye123]

My DS also turned 2 in feb. The concerns like not responding to come here are same as mine. Along with he grabs my hand when he wants me to play with him or if he wants something or do something.

Try taking a thing he likes and then grab his attention when he says come here. Also try clapping before you say come.

Also stairs, whenever he’s coming up or down the stairs be on the end and as his coming up/ down say come here come here and reward him when he does.

Also park... take him to a park and leave him to wander a bit and then get his attention and say come come.

I’m trying these things and they’re sort of working.

The go get your shoes. I have the same concern. Thing is, understanding is poor. Go-get-your-shoes. It’s hard for them to understand what each word means.

So what I’ve done is whenever it’s time to go out show him shoeeees. And show him your shoes too. Might work with time. That’s what I’m doing.

Also a nice game of go and stop. So hold hands walk a bit fast and say go go go, then all of a sudden say stop and actual stop.

Try and point at literally everything and also get him to put his finger up and point at something.