Jimjams' lovely thread prompted me to post this - it isn't way near as impressive or heartwarming but it is quite funny!

[SixSpotBurnet]

DS3 (aged 4, autistic, not really verbal but...) has started looking at picture books (DS1's old Dorling Kindersley ones) and "pointing" (with his thumb!) at the pictures and saying some of the names - which is fantastic - we are thrilled.

BUT - and I have no idea where this comes from - when he gets to the page with lots of bathroom-related pictures - he points to the picture of the toy duck and states, very confidently and with absolutely no hesitation: "Mummy!"

Brilliant! Do you have a rubber ducky? Maybe it is a mummy duck?

DS4 uses an array of sounds, squawks, signs (both official and invented)babbles and shouts and then every now and again comes out with something really clear. Rather tellingly the words he says best are telly, sweet and me.

LOL at "Mummy" duck! I'd love to know the thought process behind that.

I did wonder if it could be Mummy Duck. We do have a Mummy Duck and two Baby Ducks. But as he is in one of his bath-phobic phrases, he's not spending much time with them at the moment!

You haven't put your photo online though - are you yellow with a rubbery skin?

yes, i think its the mummy duck too

When DS1 (ADHD+) was just 4 (spoke only jargon until this point) me and DH (who was then the 'new BF') took him to the park to feed the ducks... where he labled them "mummy duck, DS1 duck, and duck" - so to my point - DS1 clearly understood the 'family hierachy', which i didnt think he could. So i think its a good possibility that your DS does too.

Incidentally, DS5 (2.3 preDx autism) 'pointed' with his thumb too , doesnt at all now but i know what you mean, its like they use it as the index finger because its on its own

Yes, I remember something very similar with DS1 (verbal, HFA) when he was about 3 - he labelled the ducks as Mummy Duck, DS1 Duck and DS2 Duck (DS2 was only a little tot then) - and the paed at the time being quite impressed with that.

He has done this party trick this morning at nursery so they will all be expecting me to quack .

Are they singing 'Five Little Ducks' to him at nursery - then he would be getting a lot of 'Mummy Duck said quack quack quack quack' - which is where the association may have come from?

I didn't know he was talking! That's fantastic. Con-quack-u-lations!

Arabica, he's still not talking communicatively, iyswim, but it is just so lovely hearing his little voice saying words! And he is really pleased with himself when he does it - you can tell!