Does my son have a speech delay! Is it autism?

[momof3boys5]

Speech delay! 🗣

My son turned 2 last month, and I’m concerned about his speech. We have his 2 year review with the health visitor next week but I just wanted some advice before then.

He says a vast range of words, dinosaur, shark, dad, all gone, bye bye, outside, shoes, socks etc. He uses them all in the right context. But I’m concerned because he’s not joining words. He doesn’t say ‘let’s go’ or ‘more please’ for example, he just uses single words. He babbles a lot inbetween the words. The babbling is inaudible and then the words that make sense at the end. Is this normal?

My friends son is 5 weeks younger and is talking in small sentences, I know you shouldn’t compare, but it’s hard not too. Why isn’t my son talking like he should. Everywhere I've read/spoken to have said he should be talking in two word sentences by 2.

Does a speech delay automatically mean autism? My two brothers have autism and I’m worried my son may do now, even though he goes to nursery one day a week and they have no concerns. They completed his two year review and had no issues, only to continue to encourage speech in the future plans etc.

Advice please.

It's far more likely to be nothing - kids develop at different rates, and it's not linked to IQ. You can raise it with the HV if you're concerned though.

No, a speech delay doesn’t automatically mean autism.

I have 3 sons, and loads of friends with only boys too, and it is completely normal for them not to be talking at this age.
Coincidentally, the best of mine to talk is the one who had ASD.
I really wouldn't worry yet, gibe it 6 months and see where you are.

My daughter said far, FAR less than your son at that age, and I was worried sick about it. I was comparing her to my son who was a very early talker, and I had her hearing checked twice because I was afraid she might be hearing impaired. My daughter was clearly very bright, engaged, happy, attentive, etc, she just didn't feel like talking, and didn't start until she was well over 2.5.

She is now an absolutely brilliant 22 year old young woman, so please don't get too worked up. Not speaking loads at 2 definitely doesn't not always indicate autism.

My 2.5 year old is only in the last few months linking words together.

My dd didn't speak virtually at all until she was 2+. She took off very quickly when we switched her from nursery where she was in a baby room to preschool where she was close to the youngest initially! (She's 12 now. No autism diagnosis...) I don' t think it is something to worry about - but I know where you are coming from as I also worried that that point.

*does not. Damn phone.

Speech delay doesn't mean autism, and it doesn't sound like he has a speech delay anyway.

My daughter hardly said a word until after her 2nd birthday and then she suddenly caught on and quickly caught up and overtook her friends of a similar age. She's 4.5 now with a very good vocabulary and she doesn't stop talking! I think you just need to relax, stop comparing him to others and let him develop at his own pace.

No a speech delay doesn’t automatically mean autism.
My DD hardly said a word until she was 2.5, and even by 3 her speech was still unclear. She’s absolutely fine now.
It’s unhelpful to compare so much, I was comparing my DD to my DS who could speak in sentences age 18m, they’re all different.

It's actually vocab size that leads to joining if words, not age. Work on building his vocab and the joining words will come. Just narrate everything you do. Give him the words to repeat e g. If he wants an ice cream you say "ice cream please" so he can copy you, rather than "do you want an ice cream etc. There's a good resource called Universally Speaking by The Communication Trust (I forget the website but maybe I can.org or similar) that will tell you what is average for his age and what you can do to encourage language.

My DS only had a few single words by 2. Definitely no sentences! I too was concerned and popped to a speech language drop in. She was very reassuring and said it was completely normal and that she'd phone me in 6 months. If in 6 months there was no improvement she'd do a referral. He started short sentences at about 26/27 months.

She encouraged me to do lots of narration (I did already but just amped it up) and lots of modelling with adjectives e.g. 'let's play with your big, red car'.

He sounds on track. Keep an eye on next few months and then if no development contact someone.

It's very easy to say I know but please try not to compare. I did with DS and it only caused me worry and guilt. He is now 3.5yo and his speech is excellent so he is very caught up.

At that age there would have to be other signs or a family history for anyone to be able to do a diagnosis. You need to work gently on increasing his vocabulary and making him join words together. That might mean making him say more please instead of more before you give him seconds for meals, or making him describe things to you eg yellow duck

Mention it to your health visitor at your upcoming developmental review. There are plenty of kids who are far ahead of milestones at this age and there will be plenty of typically developing kids who'll be a little behind. If you're worried and active on Instagram, pages like Raising Little Talkers and speechsisters are run by speech and language therapists and share loads of information about encouraging speech development.

They're just different DS is very verbal and was talking in short sentences at two he's not three yet and has full conversations, apparently I was similar. DN is the same age in fact a few weeks older and said a lot less at two only had a very very limited vocabulary and even now there's a lot that's not very clear and the sentences are short and not complex at nearly 3, however she can pretty much fully dress herself and DS can't even put on his own socks. I don't think there's anything wrong with either of them.

Speech delay can mean autism but and it's a big but ,my son has non verbal autism and he's never spoken,there were lots of other signs at two ,and the health visitor was very concerned at his two year check .

I have three dc. The eldest has ASD, he was talking (in SENTENCES) at 10 MONTHS. I am not joking. I thought THAT was normal. Turns out it’s not that usual at all. Dc2 didn’t make any recognizable words til he was about 2.5, and same with dd.

My first son had no words at all at 2, didn’t make animal noises and didn’t really babble. He could clearly understand everything and did communicate, just non verbally. He failed his 2 year assessment.

He’s recently graduated from university and his totally NT. Once he did start talking it was in full sentences and very clearly. He just skipped the baby talk stage out totally.

If you are worried then talk to health visitor, he’s within the normal range, but totally understand why family history makes you concerned.

My brother's speech was delayed. He is the one with the PhD.

I think the fact he has a vast range of words means you can rule out a speech delay. Not combining words at just turned 2 is not a concern.

@TheHomeEdit

My first son had no words at all at 2, didn’t make animal noises and didn’t really babble. He could clearly understand everything and did communicate, just non verbally. He failed his 2 year assessment.

He’s recently graduated from university and his totally NT. Once he did start talking it was in full sentences and very clearly. He just skipped the baby talk stage out totally.

If you are worried then talk to health visitor, he’s within the normal range, but totally understand why family history makes you concerned.

Yes, this was my daughter too, straight to clear full sentences. No baby talk.

Please remember that all children develop at different rates, my eldest was speaking in sentences from a very young age whereas our youngest didn’t say many words until she was nearly 2 and a half and since then she is a chatterbox.

Don’t worry about it, the fact he so saying a few words is great.

My HV also said I’d they can follow simple instructions eg go and get your jacket, find me a book, then there was no need to worry .

They all develop at different rates. I have 3 sons, one was talking in sentences at about 14 months, one was still doing single words only at 23 months, and one hardly spoke at all until 3.
They are all clever now, the early speaking one is not any brighter than his brothers, and the one that didn't speak till he was 3, was reading and writing earlier than some of his peers.
I did take him to be assessed for speech and language at about 2 1/2, and they were looking for him being able to understand instructions - eg "put the doll with the red trousers on the blue chair". "Can you bring that book here and put it on the table" . Because he was able to do that, they weren't concerned and said to bring him back if he wasn't talking by 3.

Anyway, you could check that he can understand simple instructions to put your mind at rest, and then speak to HV if you are still worried, but really it is very early to be worrying.

No but it might be worth having his hearing checked. My son had flue ear requiring grommets which affected his speech in this way. Would be good to rule it out.

*glue

I have worked with lots of children of your sons age at preschool and he sounds well within the normal range of speech for his age.