20 month old saying about 12 words

[Wingo22]

Hi all,

I have a 20 month old daughter who says about 20 words. She has been determined
to be a late talker and we are getting help from a SLP. She points and understands things fine.
my question may be an overreaction but just wondering.
Can you be diagnosed as non verbal autism if you speak these words at 20 months?

Do non verbal autistic kids have no speech at all??

sorry I am Just in a rut now worrying because it says she should be saying 20-50 words by now.

My daughter didn't really talk until 2. She definetly said less than 20 words and noone seemed concerned. The month after her 2nd birthday the words just all came and now she talks in sentences at 2 1/2

Sorry not 20, 12 words

Who determined her to be a late talker at 20months? Who has decided she should have 20-50 words by this age?
The last time I took a DC for a check at 2.25years (in 2016) I was told they look for 6 discernible words as the minimum expected!

Autism seems a big leap if just based on her speech at 20months. Why the hurry to label her? All children are different and develop different skills at different times. Milestones are not an exact science by any means. If she has good understanding and some words already, I think you're getting yourself worried unnecessarily.

I didn’t talk one coherent word until I was 2 years 3 months. Same for my sister.

I am fluent in 5 languages now and speak another 2 fairly well, my sister is fluent in 4. Neither one of us is autistic (not saying that’s something good).

Children don’t listen to charts or develop according to an app. Unless there are other signs that suggest additional needs, you don’t need to worry just yet OP.

If she were non verbal autistic mist likely there would be lots of other signs by now too.
My beautiful boy has non verbal autism snd his lack of speech at 20 months was one of many many signs.

Does she look to you to help her with things. Does she react to you saying her name? Does she enjoy different types of interactions? Does she enjoy other people and try to get their attention?
To answer your question it’s unlikely that a child with 12 words at 20 months would go on to get a diagnosis for non verbal autism. Sometimes children regress or completely stop developing but that’s rare.

DS didn't speak till he was nearly 3. He didn't have any words at all at 20 months. Doesn't shut up now. No signs of autism at all at this stage.

20 words is about the 25 percentile line for that age, just as if she were on the 25% line on the growth chart. That is within the normal range and the HV would only worry if your child were below the 5 percentile line, which is zero words.

So don't worry about it - your child is fine.

Who has determined she is a late talker? My now 10yr old had only 3 words on his 2nd birthday/ 2 year check. Within a year he had completely caught up. His HV said just to keep an eye on it. I'm amazed you managed to get a SLP so quickly.

Our eldest had 3 / 4 words at 2 , but at just over 2 1/2 he was speaking in complete sentences , it was as if he couldn’t be bothered until he could say something worthwhile . He was diagnosed with moderate hearing loss at 6 but had learnt to lip read effectively as we didn’t know he had a problem . He’s 29 now and an assistant head teacher .

At 20 months my ds said something like 15 words. Suddenly at just after 2 his speech started growing and growing, new words every day and we quickly lost track of how many he 'had'. Now at 2.5 he's speaking in sentences, asking and answering questions etc.

My now 5 year old wasn't talking by his 2 year check,well he had words etc but I felt he was behind even though my health visitor thought I was overreacting she referred us to speech therapy,we had 1 appointment before the pandemic & then of course nothing for 2 years,we had an appointment after & she signed him off as he is full speed now,he took off at about 2.5 & in hindsight my health visitor wasp right,my now 23 month old is pretty much the same,we talk to him constantly,but he has a few words becoming more vocal I'm not worried as of yet & I'll just keep working with him & give it a few months before I even think of maybe contacting my health visitor for a check

Bit weird to get a diagnosis this young. DC1 had about hardly any words at this stage but got loads more just before 2nd birthday. He's now much, much more talkative than his friends. He doesn't bloody stop.

My first born didn’t talk until closer to two. It was between 21-24 months that he went from a small handful of words to about 200 words. He’s three now and talking the same as anyone else his age .

My second born is 19 months and has a huge vocabulary, can sing and is starting to count . I don’t really see him being more advance than my first though . In a lot of other ways my first born was more advance even though he wasn’t an early talker .

At 20 months I wouldn’t be too worried especially if she understands you and points .

@Wingo22 how is ur daughter s speech now? Me also in same boat. Plz rply