Language delay in 22 month old grandson

Pamela, yes there is a genetic influence. One of my grandsons was diagnosed at 8, his father and paternal grandfather are also on the autistic spectrum. That's just personal experience but the research evidence does point to a genetic influence.

My mother told me I started school barely able to talk because she anticipated everything I wanted. I've certainly made up for it since! I was going to say that GS1 was late talking, but realised that being on the spectrum he might not be a good example! On the other hand he could win an Olympic medal for talking now.

You don't mention whether he has any siblings. Children with older siblings are often late with speech development, or so it is said, because their brothers and sisters speak for them (or possibly don't let them get a word in edgeways!)

Iam64,
So did I, after you had posted. He probably was on the autistic spectrum but then so are a lot of extremely gifted and intelligent people.
My sister is married, extremely happily, to one. Even if the OP’s DGS is on the spectrum there is not always a negative outcome.
Their son is also on the spectrum. I don’t know if there is a genetic factor in this. I do know that they were on the case ASAP and got all the help they could. He is a delightful young man now.

Years ago children were mostly all potty trained before the age of two. I recall some babies who couldn’t sit on their own wedged and held over a potty until they did produce. I never went that far but both mine were dry by day at least at 20 months.
Understandable because of the stinky bucket of dirty nappies soaking in the corner of the kitchen.
No one expected them to speak before two but if they went to playgroup at 2 they had to be dry.
It seems it’s the other way round now. Nappies as old as 4 ( massive landfill mountain) but expectations of speech before 2.
Things change. Expectations cause concern if stages s aren’t reached but it all mostly works out in the end. Hope things work out for your grandchild.

I've googled Einstein, which I accept would have been sensible before I posted suggesting he was on the autistic spectrum. I've read two articles, both of which acknowledge the difficulties in diagnosing someone who is dead but - go on to list the personality traits and behaviours that suggest Einstein 'probably' was on the ASD, possibly he would today be diagnosed as having Asperger's syndrome.

Speech delay is very different than elective mutism. Whilst delayed speech is associated with autism, my grandson who was diagnosed at 8, was speaking fluently and confidently when he was 2. On reflection though, he was showing a number of early indicators of autism. As a family, we all know much more now than we did 20 years ago. That's the same but magnified so far as early years and medical professionals are concerned.
Chatterbox is a great place to start as the staff involved will be knowledgable about child development.

Usually if a child is not speaking in 2-word sentences by age 2 we start getting concerned. That said, if your GS has shown signs of other problems it's important to start getting support now, rather than later. The early years, especially the first 3 years, constitute a critical learning period.

My cousin didn't speak until she was four, I rememebr a lot of worrying conversations about it. She grew up and became a doctor. I've noticed a lot on GN think 2 is old to speak. - this is normal as is three years old.
A lot of mothers don't bother much about potty training its the nursery schools who put the pressure on.

I took DD1 to the clinic at 12 months and she didn't crawl, nor walk nor had she any teeth. I was made to feel worried but had the sense to know she was Ok. The district nurse said Well she looks intelligent enough and in this she was spot on!

No idea Iam64, he was quite clever though..

I doubt autism can be diagnosed under 3/4 years of age so I wouldn't worry about it being anything like that. All children are different in everything they do. My firstborn was 18mths before she walked yet there was no medical or psychological reason why she couldn't then one day she just got up and trotted around as though she'd always done so,no wobbles and no gait.
You can't force them. There is something called selective mutism which occurs in some children mainly toddlers to school age but that's not to say that anything specific is wrong as it's something that nobody knows very much about.
I came across this in Australia when my D was doing childcare where a 4 year old girl wasn't speaking----until I read a book to her and I purposely mixed up the characters which she immediately put me right.

Wasn’t Einstein of the autistic spectrum ?

Einstein didn’t talk until he was four.

Just another thought about development. My grandson was 3 and a half and not potty trained (he absolutely refused to go without a nappy, everything was tried) and that was also flagged up by the nursery as cause for concern over many an earnest conversation.

One day he simply walked up to the toilet, pulled up his step and had a wee, and that was it. So he "toilet trained" himself - skipping the potty stage altogether - in the space of 24 hours.

Thanks for the kind words and advice gransnetters, it really does help x

My nephew didn't talk until he was over 2. When he did start talking it was in complete sentences. On holiday, he spotted Lord Nelson's statue in Portsmouth and said to his mum, "I used to be that man". He was 3 at the time.

Its very good that your DD has access to a group that can help with getting him to talk. I certainly wouldn't worry yet, DD2 was well over two when she got going, never stopped since. No help with her then but I did make sure I got her to ask for what she wanted even though it was just one word and pointing.

Lots of good advice here Sielha. Chatterboxes is the first step and I hope it helps. One of ours was late speaking and also showed some hand flapping, screams, big melt downs etc - fast forward 12 months and we have a chatterbox who rarely stops talking. Speech rather indistinct but, wide vocabulary and enjoying life to the full.

My daughter didn't utter a word until she was 3. She is now 42 and teaches secondary English . Sometimes it's a good thing to be patient and let them develop at their own speed.

Lots of sound advice here, Sielha. As GD says, "Chin up and hasten slowly!"
Joining the group, "Chatterboxes", is the first step to receiving support.
There are lots of Gransnetters who will also offer support, reassurance and advice. You know you are not alone here.

My nephew was well over two before he said anything. There is four days difference in age between him and my DS and the language differences were palpable. My nephew now runs his own very successful building company, and you can’t shut him up! Chin up and hasten slowly!

Watchful waiting from the family I think sielha and see how the experience at chatterboxes influences him. The other thing to consider is if he picks up anxiety from his family it may make him hold back for fear of getting it wrong. I do understand the worry, we’re experiencing something similar, we’ve found as the children get older there is a lot of help out there if it’s needed. Try not to worry.

My middle grandson did not speak a word until he was 3. He has autism, he was diagnosed at age 5. He has been helped by speech therapy and sees a therapist weekly. He has speech processing problems, although he hears the words, his brain doesn't process the sounds properly missing certain soft sounds and misses off the ends of his words. He chatters away now and we understand him. I
He's a delightful, stubborn boy with a great interest in anything electrical or mechanical. I believe he has a bright future.
Your grandson is quite probably quite normal, just slow to speak. I've just written this to demonstrate that autism isn't scary, just a different way of processing the world.

My DD - now a European account manager for an international company - did not speak till she was 2 - she then spoke in sentences straight away.

They are all different; and boys do tend to be slower in language development. It is good that everyone is keeping a close eye on it all and he has been referred on to a group.

I worked in a nursery and sometimes saw language delay in children whose loving families anticipated and met their needs all the time. Things like food supplied before the child was hungry, a drink to hand so that they only had to reach for it, amusement on tap. No need to ask, no need to talk!

I saw it myself with my youngest whose siblings danced around her as if she was royalty. In fact her first word was an imperious “Boys!” It was the only one she needed for quite a while.

I’m not dismissing your concerns but it is still early days and the vast majority of children will speak when they feel the need. Perhaps have a look at the amount you all do for him without him having to ask? ?

Hi Sielha my little grandson was very slow on a range of developmental checkpoints at around that age, and as a result his nursery expressed concerns and it was arranged for him to be referred for a battery of tests for autism. (I always thought that some of the things that he was being measured on, such as not being bothered if other children took toys away from him, had more to do with having a placid nature than anything else). Eventually an autism consultant said that he was perfectly normal.

Anyway fast forward to 4 and a half years and he has completely caught up and is outperforming other children in his class on certain things.