What counts as a language delay?

[Ben10isthespawnofthedevil]

Am wondering this having read that this is important for differentiating between hfa and as. Ds didn't start saying any words until he was 2. I've checked his nursery eyfs records and he was saying 3 or 4 word sentences by 2.5. He was held back in the baby room due to lack of speech from 18 months to just over 2 because of this. All of his peers moved at 18 months. He is now nearly 6 and has no problems with speech. Quite the opposite in terms of noise and constant chat and singing etc! Would he be counted as having a delay?

That is quite a minor speech delay, ben10. My NT DS1 didn't speak in sentences until he was nearly 4. His speech development was delayed but followed NT development, social communication was normal. Eg he would point out any passing aeroplanes and say his 'aeroplane' word to share with me. I think you could tell the paed your DS was very slightly delayed. TBH it depends what you want from a DX. I have found that HFA has been a really useful DX for DS2 to get support. Maybe like moosemama you could ask for AS/HFA to get the best of both worlds?

I am after whatever DX I can get at the moment EllenJane! Yesterday tried my patience so much and DH got to the stage of screeching at him when the noise, jumping and general rudeness got too much... He spent a lot of time in his room yesterday.

Seriously though a joint one does sound like it would be beneficial.

It doesn't bother me either way anyway whether it was a delay or not as he has clearly caught up. It was more I didn't know whether it was or not. At the time he seemed much later than all of the other kids in the day nursery but good to hear that it was not a substantial delay.

I think you could play it up or down depending on how it's going getting a DX. DS2 was very similar to DS1 in the length of time he was delayed, but had much worse social communication, which I didn't realise at the time. He only came on once we started using PECS and he started to see that communication was useful to him! He has a HFA DX, and even at 11 he's very socially unaware and doesn't care that he's different. I don't really know if it's his DX or his obvious needs that have been the most helpful in getting support, but with no DX he would get much less from advisory teachers.

I'ld just tell the paed what you told us here and let the paed make of it what he wil! I think that's shocking behaviour by the nursery keeping him in the baby room tbh (yeah I know it's a bit late now...

Thanks ladies. He was huge at the time as well as 95th centile but I did agree with it after a trial as he seemed so confused by everything in the tweenie room.

Now just thinking about it, his whole nursery experience makes sense. He went between 18 months to 4.2 fulltime. The problems ranged from taking him in in just a nappy or even completely naked due to refusal to be dressed, difficulty with transition, "behaviour can change" plan with inclusion officer at nursery for spitting and general naughtiness, huge meltdowns at hometime when trying to strap him into the carseat, being kept in the baby room, never wanting to wear a coat, always very sweaty after minimal exercise, sleeping problems until he was nearly 4 etc.

I even bought the "Raising your spirited child" book!! His friend at nursery had immediately obviously severe autism though (violent behaviour etc) and I think that I didn't even think about DS possibly "having" anything due to my comparison of a similarly aged child being DS's friend.

It is amazing how a simple query on here can trigger me to think through everything

Thanks again :)