Concerned about my 3 year old

[Keytochebakia]

Hi everyone,

My little boy turns 3 next month and he only says 3 words: mama, anana (banana) and just started saying baba.

His understanding also seems quite limited although he taught himself to recognise his letters and numbers at 2 1/2 years old using his leapfrog laptop, but I don't know if that's a milestone to be expected at that age.

He doesn't point to other objects in the room for instance, only to pictures in a book.

He walks on his tiptoes and has some stims.

He doesn't understand yes or no, but if I say for example, "do you want an apple, yes?" And nod, he will nod. If I say the same thing but say no and shake my head, he will shake his head. If I say "do you want a banana?" He will just repeat "anana".

He doesn't understand danger, he will run off, try to run on the road, go to strangers and blow kisses, etc...

Are these signs of autism?

Thank you

Hi OP, I'm not an expert but didn't want to read and run! The problem is that almost everything in the toddler phase can be a sign of autism. It's really a case of evaluating the bigger picture over time. At almost 3, there seems to be a delay in development of some kind but that's not to say you can diagnose purely on that basis.

Have you had his hearing checked?! Have you been in contact with your HV (assuming you're uk)??

my son is 3 in June and he has a speech delay so I really empathise with your worries. He used to run off and walk on his tip toes but he seems to have stopped that now for the most part. He has only just, this last 2 months started to truly understand things that are being said and because he can understand, his language has started to come on no end. I'd recommend the book 'it takes two to talk' to give you some ideas for how to help him. My speech therapist recommended it and it really is great.

also, if you're in the uk, have you got support from Portage? If not, look it up - they are a fabulous free service.

Agree with PP it does sound like he is delayed in some way - what’s causing it is unsure. But that doesn’t sound like enough words for 3 yo. Have you seen a health visitor or GP

Thank you guys! I had never heard of Portage, Ill look into them

My DS is 4 and and has recently been diagnosed with Autism, your little boy does sound very similar but it would be impossible know if he has autism without a proper assessment, it could be that he has a developmental delay rather than autism for example.

It’s great that you’re aware that he does have a delay, that means you can start seeking the right support. If you haven’t already, mention your concerns to your health visitor and they should be able to get the ball rolling with a hearing test & possibly a referral to speech and language therapy for an initial assessment. The process/ next steps can differ between areas so your health visitor should be able to guide you.