Patient's question:
26-month-old boy will never answer back or follow instructions, simple ones he might, and he's quite uninterested in getting close to family. He's not afraid of strangers either, but he dislikes movement and wants to touch everything. He might be a child who didn't play much when he was younger. Sometimes he'll stare at other babies, and occasionally, when he sees a younger child, he might provoke them and laugh at them, but he will never answer back. I'm very worried—is he on the autism spectrum?Doctor's answer:
It's normal for some babies to respond later when talking. If they understand what adults say, they can simply make sounds or pronounce words. As long as there are no intellectual issues, everything is fine. Communicate more with the baby and reduce their exposure to TV and computers. Nowadays, children watch too much TV and communicate less, which leads to many delays in speech. The key is to communicate more. If you're still worried, you can take them to the hospital for a check-up.