Hi folks wondering if any of you can give some advice.
Firstly, let me say, I'm not a worrier day to day and wouldn't say I'm a paranoid parent at all.
My son will be 2 in March. I am starting to worry very much about his development. I will try my best to explain and hoping some of you may be able to help.
His speech is almost non existent and half of what he does say are phrases which he hears on TV.
Words he does say....
No (if you try and give him some food he doesn't want or brush his teeth for instance - not in answer to a question)
Tower - this was his first word at around one and learned it from building towers with megabloks
Steady - but only if you say ready first (again has said this for about 8 months)
Tree - since we put the Christmas tree up (he doesn't say this in context though he will just randomly say it now and again)
Train and choo choo/toot toot
See you soon (learned from tv and has only ever used it in context once) other than that he just randomly says it
Oh no (again learned from tv and never used in context)
Stir stir stir - learned from a TV programme and he does only do it when he's pretending to stir
He can also count to ten and has been able to do so for about 4 months. He does this a lot throughout the day for no apparent reason.
He only ever answers to his name when there is food involved. If you shout him when in kitchen he will come running but if sitting with him in living room and call him he won't even turn his head. This is also the case when out at toddler groups etc.
He points very very rarely maybe twice a week and only ever to his milk bottle when I'm heating it in the microwave and he's in kitchen with me, doesn't point to anything other than that. When others point to try and show him something he does not follow their finger and/or where they are looking.
He has never waved goodbye or hello apart from once. Once he waved to Mr Tumble on TV. He has never done it before or since.
He doesn't ever mimic anything we say.
However, he gives very good eye contact, smiles at people who smile at him, if he wants you to do something like play his xylophone he will guide your hand to it or fill up his water bottle he will put the water bottle in your hand.
He doesn't seem to understand instructions like bring me your shoes, bring me your cup etc
He still very much struggling with using cutlery but there are no problems with what he eats, he's not fussy at all.
He's also started scrunching up his face quite a lot and turning his head when looking at things.
I took him to health visitor who was not concerned but seemed very hung up on the eye contact tying, she basically said if his eye contact was good she wasn't worried.
I still am worried, I'm hoping it is just me being OTT but I just don't know. I keep reading things about early intervention and don't want to just leave something I'm worried about.
Have any of you got any thoughts or advice?? Also, am I able to go to a private paediatrician to see what they think or does a referral need to be done through NHS? I would love it if he were just a lazy ignorant child but I'm not sure that's the case.
Sorry my post is so long I seem to have gone on a bit!