language delay

My grandson will be three years old on Feb. 22nd. He has problems with language, although he understands every single thing that is said to him. His development seems normal in all other areas except speech, and he is a bright little boy. He just doesn't seem to want to talk. He is not using sentences at all and has a limited vocabulary. He says mama, dada, yes, no, mamaw, wow, home, and a couple of other words. My son cannot afford speech therapy and it is not covered by his insurance. Could my grandson be autistic, or is he just language delayed? My son was late in talking as well, but not as late as my grandson is. I am very worried about him. He gets very frustrated when he trys to communicate. He seems to want to talk to us very badly, but is unable to for some reason. I could really use some good advice. Thanks

Tina

[Rachel Thompson, Ph.D., BCBA]

I strongly recommend that you seek a developmental screening for your grandson. It might be best to start with his pediatrician. But, be sure that you have his language assessed by a speech pathologist. Because your grandson is showing delays only in language, I would not be particularly concerned about autism. A diagnosis of autism requires delays in language and social development as well as the presence of repetitive behavior. Because your grandson will be 3 shortly, he should qualify for some early intervention services through your public school system, depending on the results of his assessment. Early intervention is very important, so please encourage your son to seek an evaluation soon.

[NickTracy]

A related discussion, Speech Delay in my 3 Yea Old was started.