25 month old partially non-verbal??

[Tracey300884]

My just-turned-2yr old is a clever little girl in many ways. Knows how to wake my phone up and open the CBeebies App. Change the Sky channel from the set top box(!) and watches so much Bing that she has started shouting "Flop!!" when she needs something instead of Mummy. Although, she has only JUST started saying "Mummy" this past week... She's been saying "Daddy" since she was about 11 months (even though she doesn't have one!) and has been singing the full "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" song (well, one line is her own version!) for months.

However, she still isn't responding to questions. Or asking me questions. So if I say "Do you want a drink sweetheart" she'll just look at me. Maybe mutter something in her own language and go back to what she's doing? Is this normal?? I have to put the drink in front of her and if she wants it, she'll take it. If she doesn't she'll say "No" and throw it on the floor or hand me it back! She will never ever ask or say she does want something and has never picked up a toy/sweet in a shop and indicate that she wants it. She also doesn't really point to things and if I point to something she hasn't yet figured out that she's meant to look at what I'm pointing to?
She can string sentences together if it's part of a song. But the rest of the time she'll only three maybe four words at the most. The rest of what she says is in her own little language. She does recognise things on the tv and when we're driving past somewhere she knows. Like the Soft Play Centre that has recently closed down (Ever tried explaining that one to a 2yr old?!?!?!?!?)

Am I being paranoid? Or should she be way more developed than this? It is NOT that I am necessarily 'wanting' her to be more advanced than she is. I'm just worried she is a little behind? My friend has a little girl the same age and she is streets ahead! I know they develop at different rates. But my friend's little girl will respond to any question and will pretty much have a full conversation nearly with her Mummy

My girl is an only child with a depressed Mummy that probably should interact with her a little more than I already do! (It's just so hard sometimes )

Please be kind! Thanks

AllPizzas No I mean I have realised today through talking about it that actually if I did interact & play with her more, then she no doubt would have been talking a whole lot more

Blahblah

She doesn't always understand commands. In the bath earlier I asked her to pass me two bottles and she did which blew me away as that is the first time she has done when I've asked her to do something or pass me something. She has gone & got her shoes before, but that's just cos she loves the word Shoes and is always playing with them! And she knows it means we're going out! Anything else I ask her to do or get she just ignores me.
I'll keep a close eye on her though and try to increase my interaction with her

Thanks for your help guys, appreciate it xxx

Thanks MOstly

Thanks Purple. Out of curiosity, are you a GP by any chance? You sound incredibly knowledgable! X

Definitely speak to your hv. In our area they do a 2 year check but they're so backed up that ds didn't have his until nearer 2.5 so might be worth a call. You could also see if your SALT team have a drop in clinic you could go to? Have you seen the M CHAT test on line?

No Tracy I am a Teacher of the Deaf so know a fair bit about audiology and all sorts of hearing losses.

sorry OP but I would not keep an eye on. her but get her seen. the lack of interaction and understanding of language would worry me.

It may be nothing, it may be hearing issues (glue ear), or it may be more (my DD very much presented like that at 2 and now has a DX of autism and learning diffs). I am not suggesting your DD has autism but nobody on here care confirm or rule this out but with the issues you describe, I would want her to be seen by a professional (Salt, paed).

I agree with coffee ☝🏼

As others have said I would look up "joint attention" or "shared attention" and see how much you recognise in terms of social attention your DD is exhibiting.

For what it is worth my 30mo DS has only started getting really "conversational" in his language use in the last couple of months and he is ahead of many of his peers. So you might be comparing against a friend's DC who is particularly advanced. We also had a lot of 'selective hearing' at around 2 (e.g. might completely ignore you if engrossed in another task - still does this a bit)

On the other hand basic verbal (and non-verbal) interactions have been established for much longer (naming an object in a book when asked what is, using words to signify they have seen something interesting and want to bring it your attention - "Dog!" etc).

My DS is 25 months too. I certainly can't have a conversation with him, he is only using single words and they are often badly garbled. However, he definitely responds to questions, for example asking him where something is in a picture book. He also responds to requests, for example I could ask him to go and her my shoes, or his daddy's shoes and he would come back with the correct one's.

He was 18 months when we saw the SALT and one of the things she got him to do was to e.g. give me the cow; so responding to questions is something he's been doing for at least 6 months now.

Get her hearing tested.

Sorry, posted too soon!

If your gut instinct is that something might be not quite right, I'd get it checked out - that's what health visitors are there for.

My DS is very similar to your DD but he is 3 now.

I would advise a hearing test first of all and if this is ok then a referral to a speech and language therapist.

My DS passed his hearing test but he has receptive language delay. That means he struggles to understand what people are saying to him. Although he is verbal he has little functional language (this is useful language like the ability to ask for things).

It was quite hard to get my health visitor to take my concerns seriously because she was only interested in how many words he could say. Not whether he could use them in any useful way. But the speech and language therapist got it straight away.