If you live in Montgomery County, call Infants and Toddlers and schedule an evaluation. If he qualifies for services, which it sounds like he will based on your description, he could get weekly speech/language therapy, among other services, in your home.

What county are you in? If Fairfax you can contact Infant and Toddler Connection for a free evaluation. If you qualify they offer speech therapy on a sliding scale based on income.

I would get an evaluation soonest. Early intervention is key. As others have said, get yourself on the wait list with a dev ped or KKI, Children's, etc. In the meantime, contact your county's Early Intervention services. I believe they do a fairly thorough job, and though they cannot diagnose, they can give you an evaluation.

As an aside, my son has autism. He was 3 when he was evaluated by Child Find (it would have been EI if he was under 3 years of age). They were very thorough, and it was a months-long process. The stimmming (i.e. hand flapping, spinning), narrow interests, limited speech, as well as limited social interest were key red flags.

We got him into a PAC (pre-school autism classroom) a week after his evaluation and then a developmental pediatrician as well as a clinical psychologist later provided the diagnosis, which we used for private (ABA) therapy. You want to get the root of any delays as soon as possible so that you can tap in to as many resources and remediation as possible.

Today, one year later, my son is doing very well. He was recommended to move up into a less restrictive, non-cat, classroom. In this time, he's learned to independently go potty, makes more eye contact, stims less, and has more social language. So he has another year before he starts kindergarten, and we're hoping he'll only need limited supports.

I'm not saying your child has autism, but, again, the sooner you can provide him with interventions, the better.

Anonymous wrote:He's 2.5 and only says a few words - "Mommy", "Daddy", and "Ball". That's literally it. We've been working with him for months. I see kids younger than him speaking in full sentences so I know something isn't right.

Early Intervention evaluation ASAP - he will definitely qualify for an IFSP. Did you talk with the pediatrician about this? 3 words at 2.5 is a significant delay. Good luck!

Yes, get an evaluation. Also, write down the stuff that he is/isn't doing. Does he make eye contact? Does he point? What does he do when he wants something from you? Does he nod/shake his head for yes and no?

When we did the evaluation the first time at age 3, there wasn't enough information for a diagnosis. When we went back for an evaluation several years later -- when DC was having problems at school -- I could no longer remember that kind of thing.

I think that getting on the waitlists is a great idea, but I wouldn't wait for an eval to start intervention. I'd also look into a speech eval through early intervention, or private if you can afford it, so he can begin receiving help immediately.

Meant to say see a developmental pediatrician at KKI or Children's.

Anonymous wrote:2 is definitely not too young for an evaluation. Whether or not they can conclusively decide that he is or isn't ASD, they can still recommend strategies and supports to help him grow and develop.

I agree with this. I'd get on a waitlist at Children's or KKI (Kennedy Krieger). In the meantime, have his hearing checked with an ENT. I'd limit screen time to about 20 minutes a day in general at that age if at all.

He's 2.5 and only says a few words - "Mommy", "Daddy", and "Ball". That's literally it. We've been working with him for months. I see kids younger than him speaking in full sentences so I know something isn't right.

2 is definitely not too young for an evaluation. Whether or not they can conclusively decide that he is or isn't ASD, they can still recommend strategies and supports to help him grow and develop.

I'm curious about what you mean by nonverbal except for some words. Could you elaborate? Even having a couple words is a good sign compared to being completely nonverbal.

How early is too early to receive a diagnosis? Son is 2 - is not verbal at all (beyond a few words) but highly energetic. He seems to have some of the signs I've been warned about - flaps arms, gets highly excited, likes to watch the same segment of a tv show over and over again. Should I get a diagnosis now or is it too soon?