Does my 2 year old son have ADD, a mild case of autism or other?...?

Question

My 2 year old son isn't quite speaking the way he should. He can say "Ma", "juice", "I want", "Da" referring to his grandad, and thats about it. He plays with his car toys the majority of the time, or wants to ride his bike, anything moving pretty much. He can't sit and watch a movie, doesn't have the attention span long enough. He responds to his name but sometimes ignores me. I think it is partially my fault, he is the only child and a lot of times if he grunts and points at something I just get it for him... but lately since I've noticed it I"ve tried to work with him on it and he doesn't sound very interested.... I intend to get him checked out but I'm worried and I thought I would try my luck on yahoo answers to see what advice I might get in the meantime. His sleeping habits are normal, he eats well, he has only been sick a couple of times. Once with the flu, and once just a minor cold. He doesn't talk to anyone or with anyone other than immediate family.

Answer 1

At 2 years old, it is almost impossible to diagnose a disorder such as ADD or autism. Children usually don't get labeled "ADD" until about 1st grade. I have a 3 year old son who I had the same concerns about a year ago. His speech/communication seemed delayed compared to other children (mainly girls) his age. I consulted a speech therapist who told me to give it more time. She advised me to repeat labels of things as much as possible (like book, dog, cup, etc.) and engage him conversations. Also, boys develop at a much slower pace than girls. She was very right! Over the past year, my son's vocabulary has exploded. It seemed almost overnight he begin communicating more effectively and using much bigger words. I wondered where in the world he had learned so much so quickly. My 18 month old daughter, on the other hand, is using vocabulary very similar to his. I remember thinking when my son was her age that he would never speak. So, at this point I wouldn't worry too much. Continue to expose him to all kinds of words by reading and talking and try to make time for him to interact with other children his age. I would make my pediatrician aware my concerns. His progress should be documented in case there is an underlying problem. This information will be helpful down the road when he begins school.

Answer 2

maybe he's just normal for him!!  discuss your concerns with the pediatrician.

Answer 3

i dont think  he is autistic  or anything else .. this is just  normal  i guess, some kids are more social than  others some are  not.. if  he makes  eye  contact, and plays with  his  toys intelligently  he should be  fine,, however even then  an assesment will ease your  mind  more than anything else.

Answer 4

He is to young right now to really say for sure.  At 2 they have short attention spans and can be hard to keep occupied with one thing for very long at all.  They can't sit still usually for movies or long books.  Activities need to be fast or full of energy.  They don't really have to say a lot at 2 years old as long as they actually have some words they can use instead of just grunting and pointing so you just encourage him to speak.  From your description it is hard to say if he actually has anything going on with him and most likely you won't be able to find out for atleast another year.  My son is 6 in a few days and just now they are finally figuring out what is going on with him and I have been taking him to Drs for 3 years now.  Until they hit school age it is just to hard to say for sure what it is.

Answer 5

Sounds like a normal two year old honestly. Plus unless a child is SEVERE, you can't diagnose these things at two. My youngest twin didn't talk until she was about 2 1/2. I suppose she just didn't have anything to say. Now she doesn't shut up. Don't rush it! LOL

Answer 6

He sounds like a normal 2 year old to me! All 2 year olds have ADD if thats what you think it is and it is definetely not autism. Some kids just speak a little slower then others, talk to your DR if you are worried.

Answer 7

When in doubt, ask some one that is trained in determining these things. Having your sons hearing checked out is an excellent first step. If you don't know where to find a ear, nose, and throat doctor make an appointment with your child's pediatrician to express your concerns and get a referral. A good place to start with getting your son some basic development testing is with your local school district. Very often they can give you the number to the early childhood special education services department. Although autism is not often diagnosed at this age unless it is severe, there are huge benefits in starting therapy and education with it as early as possible. The difference between an autistic child that received educational intervention at 3 is a completely different child at 6 then a child that is diagnosed and treated at 5. If nothing else, the only thing you will lose by receiving an evaluation for your son is a couple of hours of time and gaining some relief. I would like to mention that many places can be understaffed and overbooked. There can be long waiting lists to even schedule an appointment let alone get into one, so if this is something your gut is telling you to get checked out I would strongly suggest asking for an appointment now. You could be waiting 6 months to a year before you receive any formal testing or diagnosis. If in 5 months time you feel your son has made huge drastic improvements and that your worrying was exactly that, just worries, you can always cancel the appointment.

Answer 8

why dont you take him to a doctor.

he/she could tell you a lot more than anyone on yahoo! answers could.

he/she could probably give you a percise and correct answer to all the questions you may have.

Answer 9

That sounds just perfectly normal to me, for age 2.  Some kids don't talk much until much closer to 3.  You say he doesn't respond when you say his name -- does he respond to other sounds consistently?  If so, then he's just ignoring you.  Does he "relate", show affection? "make sweet eyes" on request? make eye contact?  If so, he's probably fine.  Two year olds do not have the attention span for a movie, and they don't relate to movement on a screen very well, can't follow a story line, or anything like that.  He'll need more time for that.  They are pretty much "in GO mode" from waking up until falling asleep.  It's not unusual to be fascinated with things like wheels at this age.  If you really want his attention, don't call his name from across the room but rather go to him and establish eye contact before telling him something.  Calling from a distance is easier for us, but easier for them to ignore us.  

If he repeatedly does some sort of patterned movement, like rocking or spinning, and you can't get him to stop, note this and mention it to his pediatrician.  I don't mean when he's on a new rocking toy or something, but just sitting on the floor.

Answer 10

I would have him checked by early intervention or a birth to 3 program in your area. I think he has a 12-15 month speech delay at the very minimum. My son was saying 10 words at 27 months old and that is what they said about him. He learned some sign language from DVDs and started speech for 30 minutes 2x a week. within 5 months he started making an effort to speak in sentances.

the obsession with moving things is a little concerning, but I would just bring it up when he gets checked by EI. I know a little guy who obviously stimms at moving things ( i watched him flap his hand in front of his face while watching a fish tank) and he is NOT autistic according to the pros.

Answer 11

did you try having his hearing tested , see a ears nose and throat doctor, he could have fluid in his ears ,sometimes there is no sign he has an ear infection , but it does take a good 3 weeks to hear normally again..that will interfere with his hearing and learning how to say things properly.  also you can have him evaluated by a speach therapist,  the state provides free speach therapy, just ask your doctor

Answer 12

All children are different.  He is still young. He may also just be a shy kid.  It can't hurt to have him tested, but you are probably just worrying about nothing.  

You may also want to try to let him interact with kids his own age.