Do these count as examples of 'imitation' in toddlers?

[mscongeniality]

My DS is 21 months (5.5 week premature) hasn't started talking yet (no hearing issues), although recently repeated 2-3 words. Loads of babbling though, sometime's he comes up to me or his dad and babbles with facial expression like he's actually telling us something in his own language!

Initially I was quite scared he might be ASD but he doesn't have any telling signs yet, apart from speech delay and he also doesn't point. BUT he is able to follow a point and actively seeks us to play with his ball so his joint attention is okay too. Good eye contact too. Doesn't have any stims or obsessions. Plays with toys fairly normally, loves throwing things around so pretty typical toddler behaviour in that sense.

As for imitation, he copies things like clapping, sticking tongue out, making some sounds, clicking his tongue, stamping feet.

Do those sound like good things?

He is already being seen by Paed and referred to SALT and will be evaluated by SENCO next week at his nursery too.

We're in this 'wait and see' period and it's just so stressful...

Zzzz - well he was on the later end for all his milestones. He crawled at 11 months but didn't walk till 16.5 months. Sat up quite late at 9 months. Also very late teething, first tooth at 16 months!
So he could just be taking his time? His understanding of language is developing but rather slowly. He understands simple commands and certain words.

My DS has always been able to follow a point when it suits him, and can imitate amazingly well - in fact his ability to repeat what you say, and recite tv programmes word for word is one of things that concerned us.

What he can't do is generate his own speech or understand what you say (or what he is repeating). He can get his immediate needs met, but has very limited understanding of the world outside himself for a child of his age. He is very much in his own world.

He is 3 in a couple of weeks but we didn't start to be concerned until he turned 2.

Other things that concerned us is his play which is very repetitive and rigid with no imaginative play whatsoever. But again this didn't become more noticeable until he was 2.

He sleeps like a dream, although it is difficult to tell as he never lets us know if he's awake unless soemthing's wrong.

He is awaiting formal assessment but has been given a diagnosis of "social communication disorder, likely ASD" from the paediatrician in the meantime.

Catwoman what kind of repetitive play? He does understand simple commands and it's getting better weekly but just moving very slowly. With his toys I havnt noticed him doing anything strange he does throw them but after playing with them when he's bored.

We've used a sitter twice and he was absolutely fine with her. Happy and engaged and she gave me notes both times but never mentioned anything that raised any flags. He goes to nursery once a week as well and hasn't had any trouble settling in and the only thing they've raised is he is a little behind in communications that's why the SENCO is coming in Jan.
When we drop him to nursery he gets a bit upset but settles down after cuddles with key worker. And is always very happy to see me when I pick him up.

So taking it back to the real basics, there are two elements to communication. Expressive communication and Receptive communication.

A child can have impairment in expression of communication, receptive communication or both.
Additionally, a child can have a communication delay (everything progressing as normal but slowly) or a disorder (everything is all a bit wonky).

DD1, (now 11, brain malformation, moderate learning difficulties, special school) at this age, had actually quite a wide vocabulary. She was delayed both expressively and Receptively.

Certainly by 3, The disordered parts of her speech and language were seen to be positive attempts at overcoming her delays and difficulties (e.g 'I want bowl eat' = hungry. "It pink and we go weeeeee!" = slide 'chicken and handle' = satay sticks).

I think it's so hard because behaviours get stereotyped. One of DDs most disabling features is her extreme personability. People think it's a wonderful quality when they first meet her, because she's so welcoming. But she has no filter. No warning bells in her head. No danger instinct - she would do anything she was asked to be someone's friend, so she will be an incredibly vulnerable young woman.

He sounds fine to me and I'm struggling to understand how a 21 month (less if adjusted) is described as speech delayed?

DS2 is 3 and was referred to SLT and he is delayed but only in a physical sense (as in struggles to form words clearly). He talks in long sentences and his development is on track. It's just speech which needs to catch up.

SLT said his speech is typical of a thumb sucker or a dummy sucker ...neither of which applies to him.

I am not worried. We'll just get his hearing tested (he has a burst eardrum) and do the exercises they give us, but I am sure he will be fine in the end.

Ask for some oral exercises, encourage things like bubble blowing and whistles. Do the reading and talking things. I think he will get there in his own time and as he is on the radar for speech therapy I would forget about ASD unless you see things other than the speech. His development is within the normal limits so please try not to worry unnecessarily.

Olympiathequeen

The reason he was referred a few months ago was due to a few reasons such as him not always answering to his name, not following a point, not waving as well as no actual speech. The HV referred him for assessment and also for a hearing test to rule that out.
Since then (it's been about 4 months) he has come on a lot socially. Eye contact has gotten so much better, very social with everyone, answers to his name way more, waves to everyone. He's always been very active and sometimes when he's busy with something he ignores everything else, but he's getting better. So now my concern is far less about ASD and I've been doing lots of reading and hadn't realized how much of an impact even being a few weeks premature can have on a child. The only thing he doesn't do now is point but he's starting to copy us when do point so I'm hoping he will figure it out soon.

I am still concerned but only about his communication. He has started saying a few words but they are quite unclear and his understanding is also progressing quite slowly. At the moment we're just waiting and seeing. We are at least assured by the fact that IS developing just at a rather slow rate.

We had an appointment with our GP this week and after observing him for a while she herself said she really doesn't think he's ASD but is going to push for him to get SALT.

My DS pointed (very early Infact ! ) could follow a point, imitate everything (he was superb at it) but is clearly ASD.

DS does have a language disorder/or type? called Verbal dyspraxia. To be honest, it's his verbal dyspraxia that's mainly hindering him. I've met young children with ASD, who don't have an additional speech/language disorder and they speak fantastically- though they still struggle with communication/social stuff.

I think any child who has speech and language difficulties, will impact greatly on their communication and how they interact with people. I used to work with children who just has speech and language difficulties, a few just had speech difficulties but the majority, even though they didn't have ASD, had more than one thing going on. Some had sensory issues as well and as well as speech and language needs, some had learning difficulties etc. You'll be surprised to find ( and I just realised) that learning how to read, write etc is even more difficult for children who have speech and language difficulties (though they are Ofcourse some kids who are excellent at something - reading, writing).

I think it's easy to get caught up on diagnosis. It doesn't matter. I'll defiantly put a referral in. But I would do tons of things with your child to help bring on the communication/speech skill.

Oh this site.

teachmetotalk.com has some sort of post about if you think your child has Autism and explains in great detail about the signs and what to look out for.

OP I hate to be a downer but when DS was younger, he would have fleeting moments of having better eye contact, some advancements in imaginary play skills, better social skills etc. I would of cling onto those moments and thought nah he doesn't have ASD or communication delays. Though, really DS only did this some of the time. The thing with communication is that a child needs to show it consistently and use it the majority of the time. I can't really explain, the site I linked explains it more.

My DS was a prem and your DD could just be delayed.

GP's are not really specialised in Autism or developmental disorders. So whether she thinks your DS has ASD or not is irrelevant as she can't make that call.

notgivingin789 thank you for sharing your experience. It's hard for me to explain it but his changes are more than just 'fleeting' right now, he is definitely progressing and developing, albeit slowly. Socially he's always been very engaging with everyone even when he was a small baby. He used to go out of his way to get people's attention, flying with him was challenging because he wanted to go to everyone on the plane! It was when he was home he would get busy and just ignore me. Now I think it was just because he is always so hyper and when he gets busy doing something it's hard to get his attention. His dad is home these days and he actively seeks out daddy to play with all day. I think he just takes me for granted and that's why I get worried when it's just me and him alone at home. He loves going out and socialising though.

I'm really not basing anything on what the GP has said, what she said is really just an after thought on what we were already thinking. I'm still going to get him referred for SALT and whatever else he requires. But he's only 20 months corrected (21.5 months actual). I had an extensive chat with the local SALT coordinator on the phone this morning and she said they really don't worry until 2. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping he keeps progressing.