14 month old DS no words or actions yet?

[RattleAndRoll]

Should I be worried?

DS is coming up to 14 months. He doesn't say any words yet. He babbles and makes lots of sounds. Sometimes he says sounds that would pass as mum or yes but they're never in context. So I don't think these are on purpose. He understands words like no(and stops what he's doing), kiss(leans in to kiss me), dummy(looks around for one), step(looks down and lifts foot). He understands that if I open the front door he's not allowed to go out, he puts his arms up to be picked up (we live in a flat so I carry him down the stairs). He understands if I have a plate of his that he is going to be eating and needs to go in his highchair, so goes to it.

He doesn't yet point, showing no signs of doing so anytime soon. He has recently started showing signs of waving/clapping ie sometimes, not often, you wave to him he'll raise a hand but not really do anything else. Sometimes when he's excited his hands go together but not in a rhythmic clapping way just random hits.

I wasn't at all worried until I just read on here that a baby the same age says lots of words and says poo poo when they need to poo. He's not even talking yet, let alone verging on potty training and understanding when he needs to go to the toilet. So now I am worried.

We didn't go to playgroups until the last couple of months so I'm wondering if this has slowed his development down as I wasn't singing nursery rhymes and actions with him, we just played. Then around 1 year I started with wind the bobbin and if you're happy and you know it etc. and then started going to groups (only 2 a week).

Should I be worried?

I also waited till DD2 was almost two before I sought referrals. As ZZZ points out, if there is nothing of concern you haven't lost anything by seeking advice. If there is an issue, be it ASD or something else, you are are going to be able to access early years support and other services which will help your son.
Wish I hadn't waited. DD2 was diagnosed with ASD aged 5. This was considered relatively quick. It didn't feel it though after 3 years of assessments and appointments.

Hope you get some reassurances tomorrow.

Just to add, it was around 15 months or so I started to become worried about her development, especially speech and lack of joint attention.

My little boy is 14 months in a few days, says mamma/bababa/dadada lots but not to anyone in particular. Has started pointing and waving (haphazardly) and babbles constantly but no proper words. I'm totally not bothered, he's still in 6-9 month clothes and is just a little baby still. He's healthy and happy :)

Thanks everyone.
I'm using this as a but of a diary to look back on with dates etc.

Spoke to health visitor just now (about her calls Friday) and she just wanted to ask permission to refer to a paediatrician. She said the referrals were electronic so they'll get it immediately but doesn't know how long the waiting times are for appointments.

Doctors booked Wednesday morning to ask for a referral for a hearing test. Then salt drop in clinic afterwards.
I'm worried they're going to say he's too young to go on the list and I need to wait until 18months/2 years. If they say that is there anything I can say/do to force it sooner?

And has anybody gone privately? How does it work? What sort of cost are we talking? Is it worth it if they refuse him til he's X months?

Glad the HVs call was nothing to worry about.
Re SALT - as your area runs drop-ins i would ask about approximate wait for 1:1 assessment. It may well be they give you information on suggested activities to encourage speech/communication and suggest you bring him back again in a couple of months. I would personally be OK with that at this stage (as long as the assessment wait isn't ridiculous) but it is up to you if you want to push.

My experience of SALT was that they assessed my DS1 and gave me worksheets on what to focus on but they didn't run any group or individual therapy sessions. Again, this can vary area to area.

When I looked into private SALT it was a minimum of £100 for initial assessment and min of £50 per hour for further 1:1.

Thank you.
I'll ask about the wait times on group and 1 to 1 sessions and then depending on the answers will depend if I push to go on the lists now. If the wait isn't long then I'll say I'll give it 4 weeks and then return (as long as he then gets put on the list and I don't get sent away again).

if you have referrals in place (and given that your DS is still very young - often children get seen much later), I would wait unless you have a lot of spare cash - at least for the paed. paed will only diagnosis if anything and refer ( to e.g. Salt or OT etc) but will not actually offer any practical help. and a diagnosis is more important once your child starts school and needs extra help (and there may well be no need for your DS, hopefully all is well) but you get the gist.

waiting times for the paed and Salt can be long. we waited 3 months for the paed (that is fast) and another 7 months to get a diagnosis. however, Salt wait was almost 1 year. diabolical, I now.

so my advice - get him seen by a salt privately. salt shoukd give you lots of tailored advice as to how to communicate with you DS to facilitate his speech/language development. that is how salt largely works - you get guided as to what to do at home.

at least you can get cracking as to how to support your DS best at home in the meantime.

www.helpwithtalking.com/Default.aspx

this is the website to find a private Salt

Hi OP

I've read your subsequent posts and I have to say there are actually more than a few similarities between your DS and mine at that age.

I had two GPs (NHS and private) at that age say they didn't think there was anything wrong with him. At 18 months I had an NHS consultant paediatrician say she didn't think he had anything wrong with him. At 19 months, a private consultant paediatrician (Daphne Keen) told us she was 100% certain he has autism (and now age 3 it is very clear to everyone that he does).

If I were you I would get your name down on the NHS lists now but if things aren't much improved by 18 months get him seen privately if you can. No point really getting him seen by a paediatrician before 18 months - it's the very earliest they are able to give a diagnosis. It's not cheap I'm afraid - about £800-£900 in London for a two-hour appointment.

In the meantime, please self-refer to SALTs to the extent you can, have a look at teachmetotalk.com and think about buying Hanen's More Than Words which has all you need in it to help develop speech and communication in a child this age (horribly expensive at around £80 but worth getting).

You've done really well to spot potential delays and to get the ball rolling at such a young age.

Actually C4kedout makes a good point about a diagnosis not really being necessary in terms of getting help at this young age - the reason we got it done was because I was so desperate to know for my own peace of mind. So unless the money isn't really an issue, perhaps C4kedout is right that it would be best to spend the money on a good private SALT instead - one that has experience of ASD and non-verbal communication delays. On the NHS, you tend to get only about an hour a month which is pretty hopeless. We've seen two private SALTs - one was absolutely awful and one is brilliant. If you're in London, drop me a line and I can give you details.

@RattleAndRoll I'm aware this post is very old, but wondering what the outcome was with your lo? Sat here thinking about my own lo and his development worries.

@justmewithmylifetoday

Hi, sorry you're having these worries too. My DS was diagnosed with autism just before he turned 4. My memory is terrible but we saw the health visitor, had a hearing test and had some speech and language therapy (that was sort of all that was offered to help) and then eventually was seen by paediatricians and someone observed him at school and after lots of 'wait and see' he was finally diagnosed but think that was quite early compared to others.

He'll be 9 in August. All children are different so obviously I can assure you everything will be fine. However for us it's ok. He's clever, has lots of friends and others wouldn't know he is autistic. He absolutely caught up speech wise when he started school. He can get a little anxious, he doesn't really play, he's a collector/organiser rather than imaginative play. But honestly he's fine. But obviously like I say all kids are different.

The worry all those years was huge, I felt like it's all I thought about. But it's a happy ending here. Ive had two more children since, one talked early on, my youngest is on the slow to talk side but I am so less worried and panicked. She'll get there.

I would suggest speaking to health visitor and also self referring for speech and language therapy if you're concerned as things can take ages. And if your child doesn't have it then no harm done, but if it turns out they do then you've got the ball rolling. Wishing you lots of luck.

@RattleAndRoll can u please tell me when did your son started speaking 2-3word sentences