Will my 5yr old ever have a conversation with me

[ThisIsTheBeginningOfTheRestOfYourLife]

Posting here for traffic. DS is 5 and a half and has ASD. He is verbal, as in, can request what he wants/tell me where he wants to go/can label things etc. He also has a lot of echolalia phrases which he often tries to apply to situations he thinks are relevant. I'm truly grateful for this, as he didn't utter a word until 3 but I'm longing to have a conversation with my beautiful boy. I know nobody has a crystal ball/all children are different and the rest of it, but does anyone have stories/hope to share? Does it sound like my son will one day become conversational? Thank you for reading. PS, he starts mainstream school in August (Scotland) but in a SEN base located in the school.

He sounds similar to my ASD son who turns 7 in September and is doing pretty well, albeit with some challenges, in mainstream school (just finishing year 1).

DS has always been verbal but until starting school his conversational skills were v limited and it was hard to have a proper back and forth conversation. I found it really tough as you just couldn’t engage him in any meaningful way and he was very focused on his own world/ interests. He also had LOADS of echolalia (mainly quoting his favourite TV shows etc) which has largely disappeared over the last year or so.

he’s come on leaps and bounds in the last 18 months or so, so there’s definitely hope for your DS! Has he had any speech therapy? Mine had some in Reception- wasn’t so much on speech per se but more understanding the back and forth of conversation and how to better engage with peers. I think that plus just general development has improved DS’ conversational skills no end. He’s still not as chatty as his sister but it’s a huge improvement since he was 5!

When he does have a conversation with you it is going to feel so much more amazing after the wait. My little one is 3 and a half and has a Speech delay and suspect ASD. I do worry about his future but I also feel amazed with every little bit of progress.
Children can still develop a lot after 5. Its easy to forget that with all the information about how important early years are and the emphasis on 'school readiness'. I know one boy who was non verbal till 12 and by 15 could have typical conversations.

Thank you both, very reassuring to read as my son is currently bouncing about my bed with his 'Groot' teddy shouting, "I am Groot!" and refusing to go to sleep 😂❤️