My son will be going for his 2 1/2 yr old check up end of this week. However, I wanted moms opinion also. He sings about 8 songs on his own and knows about 100 words or so but he still does not connect much of the words, he does say bye mommie or bye __someone's name. Now and then he'll talk "jibberish baby talk". I am praying he does not have an autism spectrum disorder, when do they diagnose something like this? He is also a bit very into "holes" in toys. Whenever a toy is in his hand he'll show me and say "holes", he does this about 10 x a day when he's holding a particular toy with a speaker, the holes (speaker holes on the toy). I always make it constructive and make him count it (he can count from 1 to 10 now). He is also painfully shy around other kids, he's an only child, I take him to public playgrounds almost everyday every chance I get so he's around other kids, he happily plays by himself or with will play tease game with me. I Also, my son loves to play with playdough, sings "happy birthday" all day long (loves that song) and he is able to communicate what he wants and needs, if he wants to go outside he says "outside", if he wants to watch his movie he says "movie". If he's hungry he says "beef" (it stuck somehow, because he loves to eat beef but although I told him about chicken, brocolli and other food, he says "beef" for when he wants food, he ask for milk or juice whichever one he likes. When I try to play catch with him, he catches the ball but then lose interest after a couple of catches and he's off to a new activity, he is very very very active.
have no point of reference as he is my one and only, I am also new in Pittsburgh so have no friends here with children. Would love to hear your experience to a possibly similar experience. Thanks so much for reading this.
He sounds like a perfectly normal 2 1/2 year old to me! Don't fret mama and stay away from Dr. Google.
First and foremost, Autism spectrum disorders are not always such a bad thing. I have 2 kids with Asperger's Syndrome and my son did very much similar things to what you describe. He spoke in perfect pronunciation and sentence format at 18 months and acted out entire musicals to a "T". He fixated on his shoe at 8 months.... sitting in the same spot and dangling it on the lace in his grasp and repeating "shoe" . He could not bear not wearing a hat. I did not notice it so much with my daughter. I know many people treat kids like this as if they are Mentally retarded and they will be very insulted and act out about it when puberty hits. My son is now nineteen and he seems mostly normal. He is an amazing guitar player and makes friends through other friends since he does not mingle easily and probably never will. He seems shy. He to this day thinks he is normal and it was wrong for me to have him assessed and placed with individualized education plans at school which, of course, landed him and his sister in the resource room for about an hour a day, so kids called them retards.
When he was in elementary school I had him on attentional medicine that helped his school performance. His medical plan did not want him to stay on the one that really worked well, so they put him on one that took away his creativity and personality. I took him off the meds and fought with the counselor, teachers and mentors and everything telling them how he can learn and I don't care how long it takes for him to become more "integrated" without meds. You will find literature telling you not to feed him anything with gluten, milk, & red dye. Moderation of these things or completely abstaining from such will help the attentional issues. As for the need to rock back and forth, or twitch, or flap arms is typical for kids in this spectrum, I had them in dance lessons, so at least the movements were less chaotic. Surround him with things to help him grow and flourish with his talents since he will become the best at whatever it is. Before all this assessment and labeling, people like our kids grew up to be Einstein, Monet, Mozart...
Another thing that has been reported typical of these children, that attentional meds for them can bring onset of turrets, and they are likely predisposed to have turrets or twitching anyways...
My son recently had an assessment that says he does not have Asperger's (which of course he really believes) but his lack of eye contact and such confirm to me that it is part of who he is. He had this assessment so that he could join the Army. He leaves for boot camp in September. I am very happy with how he turned out... he is so much more human than he was as a little kid. Do read as much as you can about it. There is also OCD that seems to be part of the package. Good luck, I had a wonderful time watching these kids grow and change... its not easy, but looking back, I am blessed! Ask me anything anytime.
L.,
Autism is a true spectrum from very mild to severe, with distinct disorders within the diagnosis that have specific symptoms that distinguish one from another. All ASD's will have a social, communication, and behavioral componenets, and most will have sensory, attentional, and motor components.
What you describe could be seen in the light of an autistic issue, however, you should be aware that all issues with development will not be autism. There are many different issues that can arise, as not all develpment follows a typical pattern, and there are many things that you can do to interveine early so that the atypical pattern will not seriously effect your son's future. You have cause for concern, but you don't need to be fearful that it is necessarily autism, it may be something else and you do not want to limit your access to appropriate services because a pediatrician writes you off as a reactionary Mom.
I would be most concerned at this point that he is not using two words together to express a simple sentance and that he is using one word to categorize food. From your post, there are other possible issues, but you truly need a professional opinion to be sure, and at the very least, a speech and language evaluation is warrented now. I would focus on your concnerns, and not put a name on it for your pediatrician. If you state what you have said in you post, if you do not get a referal, I would seek a second opinion, unless you are truly exagerating what you see.
A Developmental Pediatrician is the best alternative for a full evaluation to find all the possible issues and the causes. You can find these at children's hospitals. Most insurance will cover this evaluation, it will be very indepth, and will take many hours of evaluation and will involve many professionals and is very comprehensive.
I think you may be putting the cart way ahead of the horse here by thinking autism, but you should never wait and see with developmental issues. You will probably hear a lot of people say that it is because he is a boy, but that is bunk, the milestones are set for a reason, and if he is missing one, you should always get an evaluation. Kids with delays look just like kids who may out grow them, and you never, never want to postpone early intervention if a child needs it.
A Developmental Pediatrician can diagnose Autism at his age, but very high functioning autistic disorders may fool professionals for many years until the child is near school aged. Children with high IQ's can slip by without a proper diagnosis, so be aware that for high functioning kids, the diagnostic road may be a process, and that is very common. You have cause for concern, but not for panic, so my suggestion to you is that you seek professional advice, and not jump to a diagnostic conclusion out of fear just yet.
It may take a while to get in to see a Developmental Pediatrician, and you can seek early intervention for the issues you do see now, even if he is not diagnosed. An evaluation with a speech therapist while you wait would be an excellent idea.
You can also contact ECI for your state, but he is nearly 3, and at age 3 the school district will take over responsiblity. He may qualify for services through your school district, but you will want to be sure that you have an evaluation that you own, and that you know more about your child than any school or public agency. State services are beneficial, but do not depend on them to be everything your child ever needs, supplement what you get from the state with private therapy to be sure that your child reaches his full potential.
M.
He sounds fine to me, as well. I think people always assume something must be wrong if kids are shy b/c so much fear is out there about autism.. At 2 1/2 yrs old, kids pretty much play "parallel" to each other and don't interact too much.
Kids' attention spans are so short, esp. at his age b/c they're exploring so much-everything seems so new!
sounds very normal to me. and probably a little advanced. speech might be just a tad slow cant answer that for sure both of mine were behind on speech. have his ears checked. sounds like there is no ear problems but check anyway. the repeating thing is an age thing.
He sounds fine, I'v taken care of children for years some start talking very early and some barley at all. My own Nephew didn't start speaking at all untill 3. If your son can underst
Almost everything you described sounds normal, except maybe the speech delay, and even that could be in the normal spectrum..
2yos are solitary players. Children really don't start interactive play with others until about 3 or 4 unless they have a lot of siblings. My 2yo (will be 3 in Sept.) has two half brothers older than him and he still plays mostly by himself. The best you can expect from toddlers is that they will play contentedly in each others' vicinity.
If your son is able to communicate what he wants and you understand it, then maybe you're making it too easy for him. Try "not understanding" him and then once he gets frustrated you can say something like "let's use more words so mommy can understand better, say 'I want to go outside'". Keep coaching him like this and see if it helps.
For frame of reference purposes (but again remember that every child is different and the spectrum of "normal" is truly vast) my 2 1/2yo speaks in complete sentences and has a very large and functional vocabulary. But again, he has older sibling he has to keep up with and I also homeschool my oldest around him so he's contaminated with extra learning every day.
For example, yesterday I told him that the DVD's were still in the car and he said "Well then go get them, Mom." Just like that. Simple. Just go get them Mom....duh! :) Every morning he wakes me up with "I'm hungry, it's time for breakfast (pronounced "breaSTfast" which is hilarious)" He also told me a story yesterday about how he got the ouchie on the bridge of his nose, even though I was there and saw the whole thing. He said "Dada swinged around the shovel and I didn't sit down so it hit me accidentally" complete with action hand gestures. What happened is that my husband was working in the yard and told my son to sit down in the camping chair so he could be safe, he didn't and he wandered into my husband's swing with the shovel. I was helping my husband so I didn't catch him in time. He now has a cut and bruise on the bridge of his nose, but he tells a good story about it.
All that being said, you should try to avoid comparisons between your child and others. The influences children have make a huge difference in how they develop. My son has older siblings and is around us when homeschooling etc... Not every child has that. My son has also always been quick to pick up new things. He was walking/running at 9mo, as was my oldest. They're just full-throttle kids that master and move on quickly. It's their personality type. They're always striving for more. Not every kid is like that and I'm sometimes envious of the moms that don't have kids like this because my kids require constant vigilance to keep safe, even my 8yo. And I mean "alive" safe, I'm not a helicopter parent so I hope that they learn something from their bruises, I'm talking about BIG safety here.
If I were you, I would relax about it a little bit, but still talk to his doctor about any concerns you have regarding development. I would only be concerned after trying a million different ways to work with him. Every child has their own learning style and a unique way that they relate to information in this world, so try to figure out your son's. (BTW, this fact is WHY I homeschool.)
Best of luck!
I wouldn't be so quick to think Autism. He sounds perfectly normal to me. My son is 32 months old. He has really started talking and it amazes me at what he is learning every day. At 2 1/2 he wasn't really putting together sentences. Now, just yesterday for the first time he told me "Just a minute". He does use sentences now but it only started a few months ago. My son also does a few signs but has since he was about a year old. He may just be shy, at this age it isn't uncommon. We play ball but something else will always catch his attention after a few minutes.
He sounds a-ok to me! Relax. Don't let him pick up on your anxieties.
Two and a half year olds participate in "parallel play" but their play interactions with other kids aren't very, well, interactive! He likes to sing and he has a favorite song. It may be maddening to you but kids that age love repetition. When he comments on the holes in the speakers he isn't interested in counting them - he wants to know how the music gets out but he doesn't have the language to ask you! ALL KIDS are shy around strangers, and that is, after all, what the other kids at the playground are, even if they happen to be little ones. He seems pretty articulate when it comes to letting you know what he wants, as in I want a burger (beef) Mom, NOT chicken or broccoli. He catches the ball? That is GREAT at his age. Losing interest after a time or two is normal. Very active is normal. Kids learn by exploring their world so they are all over it!
Honestly please do not let paranoia over the constant publicity about autism and ADHD, etc., affect simply enjoying your child. He sounds like a pretty regular two and a half year old.
I think he sounds fine, but your ped will be able to tell you more. My 3 1/2 little boy loves to play with other kids, but at the playground, he will play just as happily by himself. It sounds like he's got a huge vocabulary, just is having issues connecting words together. Totally normal. My son could speak in 2 word sentences for what felt like forever. I think you're on the cusp of a vocabulary explosion though. I hate to say wait, because that's the most frustrating advice I've received, but it's true. I think it's easy to worry about boys and autism, but there are bigger signs to look out for, rather than simply a delay in talking. Isn't there something with the emotions, or lack of showing emotion spontaneously? I can't remember. I would definitely talk to your ped about it though and get their feedback. Good luck!
