Repeating of words over and over again

My friend's son will be 2 1/2 years old soon. I am very concerned about him. He does not have much of a vocabulary. The only time I hear him talk is when he repeats words that he has picked out from a conversation. He will pick a word out of a conversation and repeat it numerous times. He also is a very small 2 1/2 year old. It seems as if his growth development has stopped from a year ago. He is not on the charts for weight or height. He weighs 19 lbs. They are raising him as a vegetarian and he does not have any milk products. Do you think the poor nutrition could be causing the speech delay? I am VERY concerned about him. Any advice or thoughts would be helpful. Thank you.

[tiredbuthappy]

research echolalia and see if that describes what he does.

i am very concerned about his height and weight. there is clearly something wrong there. do they take him to the doctor for regular check ups? are they at all concerned? is it possible that he has a medical issue that they haven't told you about which is why he weighs so little?

this is a difficult situation for you. i am a sure you do not want to jeopardize your friendship, but at the same time you have some very valid concerns about his failure to thrive. if you are comfortable approaching them, then ask them about it. if they do not recognize that there is a problem and he is not under a physician's care, then someone may have to report them to family services. (this can be done anonymously- they may pressure you for your name, but you are NOT required to give it). this is a hot topic these days, and the issue has been featured on many primetime dramas. a parent should have a right to make some of these decisions, but if the child's nutritional needs aren't being met, then there is a right to be concerned. perhaps if you approach them with curiosity instead of in an accusing nature you can get more info. For example, you can say that you have heard it is possible to have a healthy vegetarian lifestyle, but you were wondering what supplements a young child needs to get all of the necessary fats and nutrition. Are vegetarian children expected to be on the same growth curve as non-vegetarians, etc...

[luvmyboys15]

Thank you for your input. I know they do not believe in immunizations so I don't believe he sees a regular physician. This is very hard for me because I know this little boy is loved so much by his parents but they are making all the wrong decisions. I will look into the echolalia some more. I did read a little bit about it and know it's linked to autism. I really don't think he is autistic because he does like to cuddle and loves to laugh playing peek a boo or when he is tickled. I could be wrong though b/c I don't know all the different forms of autism. Thanks again for your input and hopefully soon this little guy will be doing much better!