Help! How do I encourage my toddler to talk and stop mi.ucking his non verbal ASD brother?

Ingrid75

I have a son who just turned 3 who was very recently diagnosed with autism. He is not verbal. He has a brother who is 14 months younger (he will be 2 in january). He is showing no signs of autism but is also non verbal. We believe he is mimicking his older brother as he makes exactly the same sounds as him which are vowels, syllables and intonation. So how do i get my younger son to copy me and make words rather than copy his older brother? Thanks. Ingrid

Ingrid75

Bad typo in title. Should say mimicking

NicolaLatheySLT

Good morning Ingrid. The best advice I can offer is to have a daily ‘special time’ where you play a game together for at least 10 minutes, and use the ‘say what you see’ strategy - where you put his thought into word as you play, not asking too many questions nor putting pressure on him to talk, and repeat repeat repeat single words and simple sounds as you play. 
Also try offering choices even when you know what he wants e.g. he has has just reached for a car but you pick up a car and a bus and offer him the choice so he has to try and say the word.  
Good luck! 
Nicola x

Ingrid75

Thank you. I will try that. Really appreciate your quick response.
Ingrid

NicolaLatheySLT

No problem at all. Please ask again if you need to x

Steph202

Hi Ingrid just wanted to let you know that we are in the exact same situation. My eldest son is 4 years old,  disabled and non verbal but makes lots of vocalisations. My 22 month old son is also non verbal but makes the same noises as my eldest. We also believe he is copying his older brother. I have spoken to his health visitor but she can't offer much help and has advised we can join a 'let's get talking' group for late talkers when he's 2. I don't feel this is a late talking thing and feel we should be being refered to SALT. I worry about it a lot and it plays in my mind every day.

Webbis

Hi.  I wonder whether both these younger children are behaving as though they were growing up in a bilingual household.  My understanding is that children who do that quite often talk a bit late.  My guess would be that, if you keep talking to, singing nursery rhymes with and reading to them, the problem will sort itself out.

The younger children might well turn out to be really good at understanding what their older siblings mean when they vocalise.