Should I be concerned about DS?

[EchoLimaYankee]

DS is 17months old today. He was saying ‘mummy’ and ‘daddy’ but since a recent virus he’s hasn’t said them. He says muma and dada occasionally. He points and says ‘na’ a lot which I think is ‘that’. He says ‘na’ in a different tone for no. But that’s it. He loves to sleep and still has a morning nap around 9.30 - 11.30 and will go for another nap from 2.30 - 4pm. He then sleeps 7-7. He walks well and is starting to climb his mini slide with help. He can also feed himself with a spoon.

He is a happy little boy. He loves cuddles and he has a cheeky sense of humour. However I’m concerned that he is acting ‘too young’/slightly behind developmental norms.

What can/could your 17month old do?

It sounds like you're saying he uses nonverbal communication by pointing and vocalising. That's good.
The napping I would say is fine he may be high energy little one and need it.
I know not quite what you're asking but when you talk to him use single words. When you give him something, you're looking at something or when he's holding something. If you use single words it's easier for him to learn the names of items. Don't ask him to say anything as that puts unmeaning pressure on him.
Give him choices , hold two items out to him. Eg banana grapes. Name them. What he teaches for you give him and name.

Thanks @fuzzymoon. He definitely works to get his message across and enjoys communicating. He is energetic and is always on the go. So perhaps he does just expend a lot of energy. Your ideas are super helpful. Thank you!

17 months is young. Learning to talk is one of those milestones that’s very broad. I wouldn’t be overly worried.

Do you sing together?
Read together?

Singing repetitive songs like The Wheels on the Bus or Five Little Ducks Went out to Play is a good idea - he will hear singing, vocab, and learn a few phrases.

Rhyming books emphasise sounds of words and he will start joining in if you keep at it. You need to read a lot before this happens

Boring though it may be for you, reading the same books over and over may be very pleasant for him, and will reinforce the vocabulary.

Make sure you talk to him when you are doing ordinary things - but repeating words. For instance ' I'm pour, pour, pouring the bathwater', or 'you're crunch, crunch crunching the cracker'. Speak in short but full sentences, repeating verbs as shown. Repeat nouns too - ' Here's your toast - let's put the toast on the high chair tray - toast is so nice - yes, munch munch, munch the toast'.

Introduce animal sounds into your games. Get him to moo, woof, miow, quack, heehaw, tweet tweet, ribbit, neigh. If you have a book with pictures of animals, make a game of mimicking what they all say.

I try not to worry @iCorona, as he’s so happy and lovely .

Thanks @mathanxiety, we do read, but he often shuts the books. I do less singing. I also have a 3 year old DD who likes a lot of attention so I’m guilty of prioritising her as he’s so ‘easy’ and he often potters around where as she wants more. Really good ideas though, thank you!