After a slow start, I think ds may have closed the language gap a bit...

[AlarmOnSnooze]

Ds is 23 months. He is already in the system, due to having 2 older sisters with ASD, and having absolutely no words at all at 18 months.

On Wednesday I had to leave dd2's school play , as he was giving a (loud ) running commentary on what was happening, and dd2's arrival on stage got him wildly excited.

Today, we popped into town to grab something from the shops. Job done, we returned to the car. As I strapped him into his seat, he protested "hot, hot! Mummy car, hot!" I chatted back, saying I didn't think it was too hot, etc etc (usual toddler flannel, averting meltdown etc)

Ds paused, looked at me, considered a bit, and said 'warm' with total finality.

Made me lots. Don't think there's much wrong with either his language comprehension or production!

love this! he sounds fab!

he is fab, billie. but LOUD.

I'm not sure I thought he was fab on Wednesday when I had to miss dd2's big moment, though. He literally didn't speak until about 2 weeks ago. And then, from 0-60, and enough chat to have me take him out for disrupting the performance

it's nice to hear him chatter, but I am a little ear-weary of 'car. Car! CAR! Tractor! Lorry! CAAAAAAAARRR!' already...

Lovin' this

That's brilliant news! Yay! It must be such a relief to see that.

DS here still behind with his talking but he's trying and wants to. I think our biggest problem is understanding him, not that he isn't speaking. Poor thing must have to be so patient.

He spilled his milk on his top and said 'Mess Mill, Wear why'. I understood that one as 'I've made a mess on me with my milk and I need a wet wipe'.

One worrying thing ds does is gets our hand and takes us to things to get us to do things for him, which is classic ASD stuff. However, he does always say 'HAND!' before he does it so who knows....

That's an impressive sentence from mini-Star!

Ds' articulation is pants too, but then I've been there done that with dd1, so at least I have a head start... And yes, the poor boy is patient. I swear he sighed the other day when I told him I couldn't understand what he was frantically trying to get me to name for him.

Ds had a brief period of taking hands/using us as a tool, but is now more likely to stop us interfering

He came running into the playroom yesterday, jabbering away urgently, pointing at the hallway. I said 'ds, what's up? I'm sorry I don't understand, you'll have to show me' (ever th optimist, me!) and blow me, off he trotted and paused at the door to check I was coming. He led me right to the problem (his sister had put a toy out of reach), pointed and said 'ont uss' (want bus).

And he spontaneously copies. I can't keep up with him, tbh. Typical ( to use that word to describe one of my dc!) toddler explosion of skills seems to have happened.

I don know if it's unique to ASD, zzzzz, but it is considered a red flag. Dd1 did it all the time. We had to backward chain her out of it. Dd2 used it under the guise of 'help me' when she realised we tried to shape her behaviour around it. Ds did it briefly, but it seems more for us to initially show him what to do, rather than use us as a tool to complete the task.

Will have a hunt. It was something we were asked at all dd1's appointments. We didn't have early years appointments for dd2, just knew what things to look for, iyswim. And I was asked again at ds' initial paed appointment earlier this year (answer was no, as he didn't actually play/do much at all at that point).

I'll try to look something out later - am on phone now, so searching tricky.

I have found this on the M-Chat here

In the follow up notes/further questions, one of potential 'fail' answers is 'leads parent by hand' or similar.

"Many children with ASD fail to exhibit social gestures such as showing and pointing things out to others or waving and nodding their head at others. Although some children with ASD “demonstrate basic gestures such as pulling, pushing, or leading others by the hand to get things they want, the use of these gestures typically lacks any social component; the child seems to be using the adult just as a means to an end” (Professional Development in Autism Center, 2004)." www.education.com/reference/article/children-autism-spectrum-disorders/

Well here I'm hoping typically developing children do it. Though Ds verbally asks for my hand and does offer me communication of sorts to assist him.

Ds with ASD never did either.

zzzzz I'm looking for that language builder app you mentioned. Can you tell me who it is by please?

I'm extremely happy for you alarm :) what I relief to hear you baby developing.

How so typically developing children show what they want before they are able to speak?

Thank you zzzzz. I'll put it on my list.

Ds can count

Up to 10, and from 10 down to 1. And he can alternate counting ie I say '1', he says '2', I say '3', he says '4', etc.

Am astounded.

All in good time zzzzz

I found out by accident he knows his colours yesterday too (well, a few of them).

And today he was naming the people on a photo mug we got from Chessingtons a few years ago. Went through everyone, and then looked at me and said 'mummy?' (I am not visible in the picture) so I said, 'oh, I'm over there, behind dsd' and he turned the mug around to look behind dsd

Gosh, this language explosion thing is fun, isn't it?