She seems older for her age

[Justsawagecko]

My toddler Dd. She’s almost 3 but has crazy vocabulary..using words like ‘Absolutely’ ‘Broadcasting’ ‘Besides’ etc. She hears something and it just seems to stick in her mind, she knows what it means too. Ever since she was around 1.5, her language just took off and we’ve had normal conversations ever since. She crawled & walked fairly late, but just seems so attuned to things and like an older child in a toddlers body in many ways. It worries me for the future, is this normal?

I’ve read more of the thread now and I feel a bit guilty about my flippant response. I see you’re worrying about ASD. And your description sounds a lot like my DD, about whom we have concerns she has ASD too. I suppose I forget that her precision with language may be part of that, because all my kids are similar.

But don’t worry, ASD or not, she’ll be ok

@Justsawagecko
My three year old daughter is very like this. She was a late walker who had a difficult start in life (v premature, brain bleed) but has always been very articulate.

I quickly realised that although articulate, her speech is slightly ‘odd’ - extra flowery language, excessive use of adjectives, super bossy, unusual intonation. She is also very precise (I had a plate thrown at me yesterday because I asked if she wanted ‘butter with her toast’ rather than ‘butter on her toast’. Despite her impressive vocabulary, she lacks imagination (her dolls were named after the colour of their hair!).

It wasn’t until I got her nursery report which mentioned her preference for adults and dislike of playing with children her age that I mentioned my concerns to our health visitor. She has since seen a paediatrician and been referred for an autism assessment (she’s on the autism pathway).

If you feel in your gut that something’s awry, I’d start making videos and contact your health visitor. The current waiting list is several years for an autism assessment, so you’re better to get on the list - even if, in the future, you’re no longer concerned.

@NCjourno

Meh.. I was reading the Guardian upside down at that age.

I didn't amount to much.

My first born was like this. He spoke in full, adult sounding sentences from before 18 months with perfect grammar ( had well over 100 words at 14 months plus some phrases and shorter sentences which evolved to adult speech by 18 months) and he made no mistakes at all etc. It was exactly like talking to a mini adult. Nursery called him the professor and had never had a child like him. He is 16 now. He is bright (at grammar school - towards top of cohort but not exceptional) has some clear ASD traits ( some rigidity/over precision he manages easily, some interesting but mild difficulty in social/emotional inference in watching say a complex film) but is happy and sociable and had no difficulties through school socially. My youngest is 8 and developed more typically initially but actually has ASD and struggles with many aspects of life.

Congratulations! It sounds like you have a smart child. What exactly are you worried about?

I had one like this too! Still very bright and articulate! No need to worry OP! Just support and encourage their interests. Be aware that talking about it could lead to accusations of bragging from some people!

My son was like this, my dad always said he’d never met a child like him for having full on conversations from a young age. He was a sponge too, he just seemed to absorb words and use them correctly. He’s 7 now and still very much a chatterbox, he’s very witty and quick but also comes out with very wise things. It’s one of my favourite things about him, nothing to worry about.

My daughter was just like that ..ended up at Cambridge Uni doing English ( shameless brag)🤗

Sounds pretty normal. They are like sponges language-wise at that age.

...embrace it, don’t brag and keep the Oxbridge application a firm secret until they get their place 😉

When my oldest daughter was 3 she had a fantastic vocabulary. She would take words from one context and apply them in another. She had a passion for words and was like a sponge. She is an adult now and has never lost her love for language.

My younger DS was like this, I have him on video with a 3 word sentence at 13 months.

He's an adult now and at Uni, he's bright but not a genius . he likes words and didn't shut up until he was about 15. he could use words in poetry etc at age 6/7, knew what the words meant and could use in context but sometimes he didn't know how to pronounce them.

Enjoy it as much as you can.

Sorry it’s just your initial post was basically ‘my daughter is a genius should I be worried’ and after being told it’s pretty normal you added to it.

I’m probably just a bitch though, I have an 11 year old who is going to have a colostomy bag, acts like a toddler and babbles. I would have loved to be worried about his speech at that age rather than see him regress to newborn and be in and out of hospital and having assessments and blood tests etc.

For what it’s worth if it is anything asd nursery and school will pick up on it and let you know their thoughts but honestly I wouldn’t worry.

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles totally! He can use big words. That's the best most of them do!

I had one the same - very verbal from a very early age with a wide vocabulary. She's 8 now and still very articulate, great at reading and writing and also at performing arts. She's not so great at other stuff : maths is average, handwriting and drawing terrible! She doesn't come across as particularly different to other children. My mother says I was the same as a child, but although I did well academically I wouldn't say I exactlly turned out to be a prodigy!

Good language skills and verbal dexterity are always useful though.

Christ where are all you geniuses with your genius children? I have never met a child anything like what is being described here, let alone multiples of them ( and sometimes 2, 3 or 4 in one family!). My own are academically pretty able but I think theres a touch of hyperbole going on here

@ByeClare

DS2’s GCSE English teacher told me she’d done an advanced A level course to make sure she was up to the job of teaching him, as he’s better than she is at English

@MarkRuffaloCrumble in hindsight, do you think the teacher might have been taking the piss?

Don’t be ridiculous. Of course she wasn’t. I’m not a total idiot you know, I could tell when someone was sincerely impressed with a students abilities.

I should add, I had some concerns about ASD when my DD was younger too, but more related to sensory issues, lack of emotional control. She didn't meet many of the criteria though. At 3, it's difficult to judge social interaction. Many of the children I know who acted similarly at parties when they were toddlers (clingy, not wanting to join in etc) are super-confident and outgoing now they are older.

@Mymapuddlington I’m very sorry about your situation, you never know a persons life or circumstances, we all go through so much, in different ways, no ones life is perfect, perhaps it’s not happy at all, you just never know.
My post wasn’t intended as a brag at all, I don’t feel I have much to brag about, but I get I didn’t go into it all in my opening post, not sure why, just feel a bit unsure about it all really.

Well I am genuinely sorry for being bitchy, it’s been a hell of a day

@Mymapuddlington No worries 😌 hope you have a better day tomorrow 💜

@MarkRuffaloCrumble

Why would an English teacher with a degree need ‘advanced a level’ to teach gcse curriculum?!

Thank you and honestly if there’s any issues with social skills, not interacting or playing with other kids etc nursery or school will pick up on it.

From the OP I wondered about ASD. Your DD sounds very much like my DS at that age. He was diagnosed with Asperger’s when he was 7. A few blips along the way, but doing well - now 19 year old student with part-time job.

It would probably be worth having a chat with your health visitor or GP.

[quote Mymapuddlington]@MarkRuffaloCrumble

Why would an English teacher with a degree need ‘advanced a level’ to teach gcse curriculum?![/quote]
I have no idea - I’m not a teacher. I only know what she told me in all seriousness, that she wanted to make sure she was up to the job and did some extra training, as she felt like he was so advanced that she wanted to be the best she could be. I don’t know what that training was or why she felt the need to tell us that she thought he was better at English than her (when I laughed at that part she said “honestly, I mean it, he’s phenomenal!”)

I’m not just taking some glib comments and building my own narrative around it.