What age should I be concern if child doesn't speak?

[BlueberryPancake]

My DS2 is turning 2 in a couple of weeks and he isn't saying anything. He doesn't say any words at all, and he can sometimes imitate some animal sounds (sometimes-rarely). I am starting to panic a bit - mostly because he had a hearing test earlier this week and his hearing is OK, but the specialist said that his speech 'delay' isn't due to his hearing, implying that it was due to something else.
First, it is the first time that someone actually tells me that my DS has a speech delay. Second, the implication that DS's speech delay was due to a cause (apart from the fact that some kids just speak later than others). The hearing specialist told me that Ds's behaviour doesn't appear to be normal for his age.

I saw the health visitor yesterday and she also gave me the impression that she thought something wasn't right with DS. She is refering me to a team of pediatric development specialists for a full assessment of his mental development.

To be honnest, I am surprised with all this fuss because to me, DS doesn't have a behaviour or development problem. He communicates in many ways, looks at people in the eyes, points, grunts, plays well with other kids, underrstand many many things that I tell him, loves his books, his toys, his brother. He is a very happy little chap and he loves running around like a normal 2 yo. He is cheeky sometimes, and he does have tentrums once in a while, but isn't that normal? He doesn't have any repetitive play (which I think is a sign of autism), he is sensitive to other people's feelings (he will be upset if his brother is upset, for example)...

I have been on a waiting list for an assessment with speech therapists and the appointment is next week, I am looking forward to seeing them but at the same time dreading it. I am scared that they will tell me that something is wrong.

Should I really panic at this stage? There are so many people who tell me that their kid didn't speak before the age of 2...

my lb 28months does not speak much hes got gdd too

My DS1 only had about 3 words at 24 months. The HV told us to come back in 3 months time and if there was no improvement in hsi speech she would refer us to a SALT. Anyway, 3 months later you couldn't bloody shut him up. He was speaking in 10+ word sentences.

There can only be gain in seeing a SALT. They are not there it judge but help.

My ds is 2 on the 18th. He points, grunts, very very rarely will say understandable words : hiya, yeh, mama, ta. He is on the speech therapist waiting list now & we are awaiting a hearing test for him.

I have a 3yo dd also, everyone has said "ah ur dd is speaking for him" but there is only so long I can use that reason, it is better to have it checked out 'just in case' there is a bigger problem there.

Ds makes eye contact, smiles, babbles a bit - more than ever lately but still no real words. When he is praised/encouraged he clams up and won't do anything. He is so unlike dd, although I know I shouldnt compare but its hard not to..

Anyway, Best of Luck with everything.

oh have a giggle at what i have posted here..... I can understand why some of us worry especially when there are people like the woman i mention in the world.......mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/734817-Ok-so-come-on-should-I-worry-or-are-the

I think you are right to point out that the 'worried well' do take up some time in the 'will he talk?' debates but there is a big difference between a child with slightly less language than 'expected' and one who is completely non verbal - at aged 2 this is worrying and needs to be looked at as soon as possible. Waiting lists are long and even when you are seen, you will not get a diagnosis as such. I am sure there are children who as long as they are pointing, gesturing, signing, playing normally do not speak fully in sentences until after 2 years but failure of any speech to emerge by 2 (ish) is not normal. Of course some children do speak well at 11 months, not normal but it does happen. But we get to a point where you have to consider other possibilities. It is not normal for a 6 month old to speak in sentences and it is not normal for a 2.6 year old child to not even have single words.

I think we have driven the OP away....

I agree War and Peace' sentences are not common before 2 but DS2 could chat away in 3-4 phrases by 22 months and he was not ahead of his peers at nursery. But I'm not trying to panic anyone - just to remind everyone that you should never turn down a chance to have an assessment done.

Bookmarking this thread as my DS also not talking much at 22m. Very interactive though, babbles all the time, impressive animal noise repetoire(!), follows detailed instructions, can dress himself and has just started saying a few tentative words and repeating "d-d-d" noises when I make them and similar.

He's suffered with ear infections for the last year and we're under the ENT dept now with a view to grommits if things don't improve, but they told HV about his lack of speech and she called up last week to offer speech therapy. Problem is I know ST round here is rubbish and isn't even aimed at his age group (friend went through it with very similar DS problems) so I told them I would wait six months and talk to them about it then. He has come on in leaps and bounds in last 4 weeks alone, and I was confident of my decision at the time, but now I'm doubting it again. ARGGH!

fantastic resources need to justify their funding.

I thought April 1st was a few days ago.... Over diagnosis may happen in the older age groups but most pre school dxs (if it gets to that stage) are generally indicative of a true disorder - though I agree that wholesale inclusion of children in pre school settings (which did not happen 30 years ago) means that questions are asked at an earlier stage.

Professionals do paint a grim picture at times and you are right to look beyond that, no one has a crystal ball for your DS's future development and 2.4 is certainly very young to be making any real predictions. You are right that funding has to be justified by any means necessary, we do that in my job too but most local authorities do not provide anything other than minimal services for children diagnosed with autism - and the resources that there are, are focussed on older HFA children/adults ( but that's just my experience so far).

There was a thread on SN about a Channel 4 newsreader - his son is autistic but the LEA pressurised the paeditrician to withdraw the dx to save the LEA money for his education. The only thing unusual about the story is that he was able to use his position to highlight the case/phone Ed Balls (Education Minister) to complain.

Regional variations are interesting - I do agree that over diagnosis may happen in older children - I'm not an expert but a recent book by Uta Frith (who is an expert) discusses this issue in her latest book. She feels that there is a tendency for children with other types of problems to be dxd autistic to place them in pre existing resource packages which then puts pressure on resources for autistic children. It does not mean that autism prevalance is increasing only that other pre existing disorders are being re packaged for the modern market. But I still think when real issues are picked up in the pre school age, they are more likely to indicate a spectrum disorder - with no indication of how high or low on the spectrum the child may turn out to be.

If you have any time, you should read Unstrange Minds by Roy Richard Grinker - He discusses all these issues at great length.

Was it just one paed who dxd your son or were other professionals involved ? - I did not get a dx at a CDC so I don't really know but I've got the impression they use multi disciplinary teams. Did she give you a full written report highlighting the areas of concern and why they fit the triad of impairments ? The best way to do a self dx of a child is to compare him/her with typically developing children. Most NT children follow a set path of development and do not vary as much as grannies believe. if you see big differences in what your DS can say/do and what his peers can say/do, it's more likely than not to indicate a development issue.

I love chatting about autism so this is fascinating

'She said his developmental milestones were age appropriate, achieved by being very intelligent rather than social interaction, and that the way I parent masks his condition.'

That sounds unusual - if he is achieving developmental milestones for speech, communication and functional/imaginative play - why does she think he is autistic ? Even a high functioning child will have obvious deficits . Is it not yet a formal dx but just an indication?

Are you happy with his language/social development?

I have four children, none of whom could speak at 2 (well, my last one is 21 months and shows no sign of talking so I guess she'll follow the trend). Yes, they were speech delayed - there is no other way of describing them. Two needed speech therapy. But now, aged 8, 7 and 5 there are no problems. Getting into the system is a good thing, though, because the sooner they're on waiting lists the sooner they can have help.

I'd question her further about what she means by meeting developmental milestones if you get the chance. It's not bad parenting to be tuned into what motivates him - hopefully you can build on that to teach him more as he develops

Wow this thread got interesting.

StarlightMcKenzie, I think I've come across you before on mumsnet?

You sound like you are remaining firmly in the driving seat wrt your little one which is half the battle really.