My nephew has just turned 4. He doesn't really talk - he points, or gestures, if he wants something; but he doesn't actually volunteer any information or have proper conversations with anyone. If people attempt to talk to him he completely ignores them. It's not that he's shy, or at least he doesn't behave as though he is; no hiding of the face or anything... He'll just look straight past the person talking to him and won't say a word.
He will play very happily on his own but doesn't enjoy the company of other children. He has an older brother and lots of cousins older and younger than him and if they're all together, DN will pick a toy and go somewhere on his own to play with it. I've never actually seen him speak to another child or engage with them in any way.
The only time that he is animated is when he gets distressed, which is usually when his mum isn't with him. He'll sit and rock and shout 'MUM' over and over again for hours. He won't be cuddled and he won't engage with anyone who tries to calm him down. The only way he'll stop is if his mum (my DS) comes back, at which point he'll stop the tantrum abruptly and start playing on his own again.
He can be affectionate with his mum (he'll allow her to cuddle him, though I don't think it's something he'd ever initiate) but not with anyone else.
He has been going to Nursery a couple of days a week since he turned 1. My sister says he 'gets on fine' there. I should also mention that she doesn't appear to think that there is any problem with his behaviour at all. She has said that he is 'like a different child' when it's just the two of them - for example, that he enjoys singing and performing, which is something I just cannot imagine. But the rest of the family are getting increasingly concerned and I just wondered... Have any other MNetters experienced behaviour like this and does it pass? Is he just a bit solitary? Or do you think there are some behavioural/developmental problems?
TIA