DS2 is 2.5 years and I'm getting more and more worried about him. He has only 8 words, and a couple more sounds that I know what he means but no one else does. His pronouciation of words is odd, he says yah and nah and calls his brother plah-plah (for JJ) but the way he says it sounds like the way a deaf person would speak (iyswim?). He never puts 2 words together, except for mama and more or mama and go. Sometimes he gets a new sort-of-word-sound, but this usually means another is either forgotton or dropped. He makes no attempt to even say his own name, when you ask him he says "nah".
He had a hearing test at 18 months which was fine, and he seems to hear me and understand me just fine. He follows direction well, but does not point, preferring to pull at my leg or hand and the a vague gesticulation in the general area. He doesn't seem bothered by the lack of communication and rarely gets frustrated about not being understood. He sometimes does little mimes to get his point across.
On a seperate issue he has had some growth problems, referred to paed consultant for failure to thrive after he plummeted through centiles after finishing breastfeeding at 16 months. He has always had terrible diorrhea and reflux, though this seems to be improving somewhat and he has finally had a growth spurt (though still small for age). The paed seemed to think I was overanxious when the minimal testing they did showed nothing, and he is not back at the hosp until June. They wouldn't talk to me about his speech as he was only referred to check his digestive problem.
He is on the public waiting list for speech therapy, has been for a year but current waits are 2 years average. Public Health Nurses tell me just to watch and wait and give me basic tips on how to speak to him, as if the only problem is me ignoring him (which obviously I don't!) He has recently started this odd habit of banging his head against my legs wherever I am standing and falls over a fair bit, which obviously toddlers do but not usually when standing still!
He is happy, cheerful and very very affectionate. He plays well with his older brother (though not with children his own age) and is not jealous of his baby brother. He is very good at games like misfits and things like that and can point out every one of the millions of characters from his brothers favourite cartoon!
If you read all of that mammoth post, thanks and please tell me if I am being silly for worrying? I am not in the UK so practical advice re the system may not be appropriate, but should I pay privately for a full assessment/SALT? (I can't really afford this but will borrow if necessary).
TIA.