To think most nearly 3 year olds would be able to answer this?

[Justtrytorelax]

I’m getting slowly more concerned about my DS (2 years 10 months.) I have been worried for a while regarding his speech and language. He talks a lot but little makes sense.

To give an example today after nursery I noticed a bite on his shoulder. I asked who did it and he didn’t answer then said ‘yeah.’

Another example if you ask him if he feels unwell he will sometimes say yes but doesn’t understand what you mean I don’t think. He can’t say his ear hurts or he feels sick or whatever? I don’t know, I suppose I just assumed by almost 3 he’d be able to have conversations of sorts?

Well, speech therapy is a big jump. To be honest it isn’t his speech I’m concerned about. He has hundreds (probably over a thousand) words, speaks in sentences and so on.

But he doesn’t respond very well to things you say. So last night I was showing him photos on my phone of what clouds look like from a plane (he loves planes but hasn’t been on one.) I said something like would you like to go on a plane soon? And he said ‘clouds like ice cream’ which was repeating what I’d said.

This is all within the remit of a speech therapist, they don't only deal with children who don't speak. Children who lack understanding or the ability to produce appropriate speech are also in their wheelhouse (at least as a first step, you may be referred on elsewhere if deemed necessary).

You want to speak to your HV/GP and then a speech therapist, that's the order of things.

Speech and language therapy is not just about speech. Language also covers comprehension, does he understand what is being asked? Can he follow through? Can he retain information? Can he make connections (eg show him a pic of someone putting on their wellies or holding an umbrella, or being wet. If you ask him what the weather is… could he deduct that it must be raining?
it takes a long time to get referred (9 months for is), and even if it is improving at that stage… still go. They help you with exercises on how to work on his issues

If you're worried about his speech you need to get onto your HV for a referral ASAP. There are massive waits - my DD had been under them since age 2 (now 6 and got discharged earlier this year) but she probably only had maybe 10 appointments in 3 years (and only 3 that were in person).
She probably wouldn't have been able to tell me at that age, she was already under SALT at this point though. I asked for the referral at her 2 year check and had to wait 5 months to be assessed.
His speech might be fine, however if you leave it another couple of months you could potentially be sat here in another 12 months waiting to be seen.

Best to get his hearing tested as a first port of call. They wouldn’t consider him for speech therapy until that had been done anyway.

Sounds quite like my son. If I asked what did you do today? He would reply with an in depth story about a random tv episode he watched weeks ago.

look into receptive language difficulties https://www.creativetherapyassociates.ca/receptive-language-delays#:~:text=Children%20with%20receptive%20language%20delays,age%2Dappropriate%20vocabulary%2Fconcepts.

I also saw lots of similarities in early signs of dyslexia https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/children/is-my-child-dyslexic/signs-of-dyslexia-early-years

Just suggestions based on my son. Could also just be a bit behind and will catch up.

I’m reluctant to involve HV and GP on the basis of some children being more advanced than he is, though. Confident hearing is fine. As I’ve said, it isn’t a problem with speech.

@Tryingtohelp12 - that’s not my ds though - he either wouldn’t answer or would answer with some random observation or similar.

My older son could’ve, my younger is still pre-verbal at 5.

Do you have any other concerns?

Not sure … behaviour isn’t brilliant, sometimes, but I don’t think it’s anything out of the realms of normal.

I think most children can hold a conversation at 3 albeit a little disjointed.

I don’t think many 3 year olds can give you much info regarding illness.

I don’t really understand the reluctance given he is behind. Might not be anything but would you not rather know?

I don’t know that he is behind, is the point:
most posts here indicate he is not and nursery have raised no concerns.

He isn’t quite three - turns three just before the end of the year.

My DS at almost 3 would just yell single words at random. My DD at almost 3 has specified that she would like a paddington bear birthday cake in October for her birthday with a strawberry flavour hat.

Both completely neurotypical and bright kids. My son is flying through school with no issues. Just wasn't terribly communicative in the early days 😅

My DD had full on conversations at 2 and was very articulate and inquisitive but one of my nephews barely spoke. My sister took him to the dr at 3 1/2 as she was so worried. Now he's in his 20s and he's an articulate intelligent young man, has a fantastic job, wonderful gf. I think most of the time it levels out by the time they're 6,7ish. They just all learn in their own time.

Appreciate this is an old thread but I wonder if you could update us. How is your child now ? Did they need speech therapy? Are they showing signs of ASD ?