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22 month old possible speech and language delay?

4 replies

ag12345 · 22/08/2023 19:28

Hi, been toying with the idea of posting but I guess I’m worrying what people will reply.
I have a gorgeous LB aged 22 months who has a handful of words (mostly all labels, animal sounds and counts to 1-10)
He does have joint attention in some area’s I.e shape sorters, reading books, tickling games and we do this thing where he makes a noise out of his mouth and taps his mouth to make it sound funny and laughs about it.
He often takes my hand, making eye contact to take me somewhere and then points to it for me to get it for him, will sometimes push my legs towards wherever it is he wants to go.
responds to name well over half of the time, unless he’s watching a bit of tv or engrossed in a toy)
He loves playing with his brother (6) and says his name now.
he understands some simple commands I.e get your shoes, find your bubbles, do you want a bath (will happily go to the stairs and into the bathroom)
I just don’t feel he’s using language as a form to communicate. If he’s winging I will say, what do you want, do you want juice and he will say ‘juice’ but because I know him so well, I think I pre-empt everything.
I’ve done the worst possible thing and googled the living day lights out of ASD and beginning to wonder if this is the start?

no sensory issues that I can pick up on (I’m a special needs TA) so have experience, not sure if that’s a good thing in this case)
doesn’t seem phased by changes to routine, pretty go with the flow type toddler.
Plays with toys appropriately, has done some pretend play too, holding airplane up and making the sound and holding a toy phone up and said ‘hewwo’

he’s cutting 2 big back teeth and I think he’s been a bit extra grumpy.

my main two issues are, when he sees something he’s interested in, he will point but doesn’t check back to me to see if I’m looking, and lack of speech to communicate.
He’s also started this bloody awful moaning grunt when he’s a bit annoyed and it’s driving me crazy!
thanks

OP posts:
Moglet4 · 22/08/2023 19:35

Sounds to me like he’s absolutely fine. Children just develop certain skills faster than others. I have 4 children, one of them is 22 months and she is exactly the same. They all were and now never shut up! I actually took my first for a hearing test when she was little because I was worried about speech delay but all was fine and within a few more months, she suddenly started talking. Give it 6 months and see if he’s progressed at all it I wouldn’t start worrying too much yet.

ag12345 · 22/08/2023 23:20

@Moglet4
thank you for your reply, when you say your 22 month old is the same, do you mean just in speech or all the other things I mentioned?
im losing sleep over it all. Thanks

OP posts:
Moglet4 · 22/08/2023 23:27

ag12345 · 22/08/2023 23:20

@Moglet4
thank you for your reply, when you say your 22 month old is the same, do you mean just in speech or all the other things I mentioned?
im losing sleep over it all. Thanks

Mostly with the speech. She does look at me if she’s pointing. I really wouldn’t tie yourself in knots over it yet though. Give it some time. My second child didn’t walk until she was 18m and on the day of her sister’s birthday, when all the other kids at a party were running around, she got up and RAN- no wobbling, nothing, just ran. This was the same child who didn’t say a word until she was nearly two then said a complete sentence (she doesn’t like to be wrong- I suspect she was practising both skills in secret so they could be perfect first time lol). Some children concentrate on other skills first, in some cases that’s just taking things in around them. My 3 oldest score well above national averages now. Honestly, do t put pressure on yourself, more than likely it’ll all come soon enough

PL1234 · 22/09/2023 02:43

Wow I felt like I was reading a description of my own child there! I do understand your concerns. I'm only a little bit ahead of you in this journey but I suggest you contact your HV for your two year check review. We also got some advice from a private speech therapist. If you do need extra support for speech the waiting lists are really long. When we spoke to the therapist she said it was a language delay, rather than asd, but we still aren't sure. We've also googled it, which for sure is a mine field! Sending you lots of lovely xx

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