20 month old has stopped talking.

[Hohohole]

Our 20 month old was really coming along with talking but in the last 2 weeks has stopped. We've been at home for two months so wondering if this could be part of it. He's still saying a few words but hasn't increased and has stopped saying some words. I've been doing flash cards and talking to him all the time. He must be sick of the sound of my voice. The only new word he's saying is no.
Any advice?

I'm going to give this thread a few bumps. I don't want it to disapear.

Bump

I'll bump again for you OP. I've no useful advice as my ds is 11 now and I've forgotten those early years.

Maybe ask this to be moved to a more specific area OP, like parenting or something. Will probably get more traffic that way. Its likely nothing to worry about, especially if he is making good eye contact, playing "normally", is meeting all his other milestones etc but hopefully someone with SALT experience will see this and have some advice

He is making great eye contact , loves joining in, loves music, very affectionate. I did post in development but it's very quiet.

Have you checked his hearing is OK?

It may just be that he’s bored of it for now. If all his other social interaction and understanding skills are okay, I’d be inclined not to stress and just wait and see. I think they can be very stubborn at this age and if they don’t find something exciting anymore are likely to just not bother for a bit - they can be similar with potty training and have regressions when the novelty wears off! I’d try not to do too many high stakes/pressured activities with him and just let him talk in his own time. Flash cards in themselves are quite high pressure for v young children and can cause them to clam up. Just play alongside in a more relaxed manner for now instead.

To add, my DD is nearly 3.5 and only really started talking at 3 - she’s fine developmentally and is coming on leaps and bounds now but we were worried.

20 months is still very young and speech development has a massive range of what’s normal

Losing words can be a red flag for asd but not always. I would contact your health visitor with your concerns so she can advise and hopefully keep a closer eye on his development m. Unfortunately only time can really tell you why but I'd be reassured at his eye contact etc. This is a screening tool that might helpwww.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=www.autismspeaks.org/screen-your-child&ved=2ahUKEwjR9bP_x4jpAhVht3EKHTMJCBAQFjAAegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw3A9J5Z1YSI2R3MbLmtigbq

Also I've got a child with severe asd so I could be overreacting

My DD had total speech regression at 18 months. I took her to every expert I could but no explanation. Now she’s 3 she talks a lot and doesn’t seem to be behind. It was a scary time though.
I don’t think being in the house for 2 months is to blame as obviously you speak to him a lot but I can’t imagine it’s helped much either

I'm going to book an appointment with the public health nurse just to see. Thank you everyone really appreciate the replies.

Right to get health visitor advice as it can be a flag for ASD. Children also often stall or revert back to an earlier stage if they are about to learn a new skill as it takes all their effort. Maybe make a note of the things you have noticed and compare in a week or two's time and see if anything has changed.

My boy did this. He had words and would say then a few times and then not again for months. All was fine in the end. Worth getting it checked out but it could easily be nothing.

Our kid did this! I can't remember what age he was, but it must have been something like that.

He spoke very little, then he eventually spoke, then he seemed to forget loads of his old words and he didn't get any new ones. I was pretty worried. Lasted at least a good few weeks and probably more like a few months.

It was a totally temporary bump in the road though, he is now 3,5 and he speaks perfectly fine. So just know yours is not the only one who goes through that phase!

I think its sensible to raise it with a medical professional or health visitor. If you think he may be a bit bored of you could you try video chatting with friends/relatives and a cheeky bit of TV? My 20 month old has learnt a disturbing amount of words from peppa pig (not ideal but we're trying to WFH under lockdown).

I think speaking to a professional is your best bet.
RE: his hearing. Be sure to note any ear infections he's had this winter. Bad ones can clog up LO's eustachian tubes for a long time.

Ask health visitor re hearing check, in case is glue ear (otitis media).
Also ask for screening re Autism, as mentioned above, regression in language can be a red flag, but it's not always so don't worry yourself too much.
Ask for referral to SLT to be safe, in case this is a longer term issue.
Consider selective mutism. Use reputable sources to look this up e.g. the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) website.
Stop the flashcards. That's too much pressure for his age.
You talk, talk, talk. Put no pressure on him to speak. When he is playing, get down with him and narrate/ comment on what he is doing e.g. oh, you're driving the truck. The truck is red. It goes fast. Etc etc.
Even when he's not playing, narrate what you're doing. The amount of time I spent talking about how I was peeling the potatoes, washing the orange carrot etc is really not right

Definitely get him checked out.

BUT

TRY NOT TO WORRY

It's not uncommon, then when they start again it's like they've stored up all these new words then don't shut up

Hope it's all ok
X

I spoke to the nurse finally and she thinks is is concerning. She is arranging an appointment with speech and language. I'm just so sad for my little boy. What if he never talks? He's so happy and cuddly and I just feel awful.

If you feel awful / stressed he will pick up on it. Relax and relax things for him. He's probably pissed off with the status quo, not going out and days being much the same as one another.
Don't pressure him and let him do things his way. One of my DNS, not quite the same, but he seemed slow with speech or would say things and then not say them again for weeks. Then he'd say something you didn't expect about 3 syllables long and leave us all 😲 he picked it up in his own time and is fine now. He made his parents panic though as his older sibling was like a parrot from early on.

He probably will talk and 20 months is very young but I have a none verbal ten year old child and there are different forms of communication but this is NOT something to worry about yet .

My twins are 3.5 - both are autistic and non verbal. DT2 had a big regression at 18 months - stopped talking (he only had a few words but would mimic sounds and that stopped too), stop playing with toys, stopped making eye contact etc.

It’s great they are taking it seriously, i know it’s easier said than done but try not to focus longterm right now. There’s lots you can do to support the development of his communication - I would really recommend getting hold of the book More Than Words by Fern Sussman which helps explain language delays and gives practical advice on helping them progress. It’s an expensive book (£40-£50) but it’s a head start on any SALT input needed and therefore invaluable.

Could it be hearing related? Glue ear? I've been very concerned about my dd's speech (2 next month). I work in early years and was increasingly aware that something wasn't right. She was quite vocal as a baby but never really seemed to babble as such and over the last year or so has picked up and 'lost' words and sounds over and over. She now has about 8 unclear words that she regularly uses. I took her to the gp a few months back as she'd stopped saying quite basic things like 'dada' and it turns out her ears were completely compacted with wax. I was honestly surprised as she responded appropriately when asked to do anything and her understanding has always been good.

We've been using different drops, olive oil has worked best, and have started to see a difference. She's still a good 6 months to a year 'behind' with her speech but hopefully she will catch up quickly. She's definitely making more attempts now. After lock down I plan to take her back to see if it's all clear/check her hearing/for glue ear. The dr seemed to think that the 'losing' of words and sounds could be caused by the wax build up or it might be glue ear but they were unable to see to check. It did worry me because she was also quite 'in her own little world' but that's improved too. She's much more social and confident. Even makes lots more eye contact. We've been able to see her react to and notice sounds that she must not have been able to really hear before.

Thank you everyone, I'm maintaining an upbeat atmosphere when he's awake but I spend my nights wrecking my own head with Google.
His ears do seem very waxy on the outside. I wonder could this be it. That would be great. Do I bring him to the doctor to check for glue ear? What can they do for it?