Yes, my daughter was a late talker. That was all though! She showed no delays receptively! She was very bright and had found her own ways to express herself. She is as NT as it gets!
I think you have to worry when your child isn't talking, doesn't seem to understand you, and doesn't follow simple directions that a child of that age should (sit down, come here, NO, don't touch....). Then of course the lack of pointing, shaking head yes and no..those kinds of gestures.
Many of us heard the "some kids (boys) talk later" from our docs. I would
Yes, quite a few on other parenting forums (non autism spectrum related) have had late speaking children. A woman I know has a son who was babbling and only saying a few words right up until he was three, then he started to speak more. He's nearly six now and he's not on the spectrum. I'm not sure if he had speech therapy but his language is typical for his age now.
I actually know a girl who did not utter a word until she was 5 years old. She was valedictorian of her high school class and is NT. I also think she is a very unique case. My mother kept bringing her up to me when I would express concern about my youngest not talking. It was annoying.
There are a couple of boys on DH's side of the family who are definately NT, but who started talking late. There were no other concerns, though, and they were caught up by the time they were school aged.
I have known several, many in my family. My sister didn't talk until 4, her son didn't talk until 4, Another nephew was 3 (his was a hearing problem though), another nephew was 4 on DH's side. None of them have ever been diagnosed on the spectrum, although I think the first nephew mentioned would have been diagnosed if he had seen a dr today, not 15 years ago and my sister would probably have been too, not 45 years ago though. They all did grow up fine and the other 2 are as NT as can be. But what concerned me with mine was from what I can remember most of those kids DID communicate in some form, pointing gesturing something to try to communicate with you, even though the words weren't there or the pronunciation wasn't right. I'm not sure about the 1st nephew, I wasn't around him much when he was little, and according to my mother my sister didn't communicate either when she was little. But from I understand from Doctors and experience it isn't so much the delayed or lack of speech, its the delay or lack of communication that's the real concern. I belong to a mother's group and all our babies are the same age, all the girls have been talking since 12-15 months, the babies are a little over 2 now and the boys in that group are just starting to talk. That may be closer to what the doctors are refering to. All those kids did find other ways to communicate though.My brother-in-law (who is close to 50) did not speak until he was 3. Then he spoke in sentences. He does not have autism, but he DOES have other issues! He is very social, the life of the party (when he is home which is close to never) and has a great sense of humor. Very empathetic as well. But again, we see him for very limited amounts of time and he avoids coming home as much as he can and he lives on a Coast and we all live in the Midwest...
I've also known a few other kids who were late talkers who so far are not on the spectrum. I do know one who has not been diagnosed and mom is in serious denial though!
I have at least 3 cousins with dyslexia and they talked lateActually--my kids all talked late. I talked late and my sisters talked late. My dad was 6y when he started talking.
Anyways----#1 talked at 3y. She could talk and did---rarely, but never really wanted to. When she did talk--everyone could understand everything she said. She really started talking at 3y---during a mother's day out program and around other kids more.
#2---started babbling up a storm before 6 mo. AND---never stopped! We could understand her langauge---a few words by 3y. Others couldn't understand her until about 5y. She 11y now and she's my child with all the learning disabilities and receptive langauge delay (just found at 11y).
#3---Jacob---he was the clearest of my kids. But I never noticed at what age. All my kids seemed alittle late. Finally at 3.5y----we found out he had expressive/receptive disorder. Never would I had guessed it. He talked great!!! But it explained a whole lots of his behaviors!!!
#4---by that time, I didn't pay any attention to when. I just knew she talked the best! Very clear and totally surpassed her brother.
All my sisters talked late---they are now: A nurse(like me), a teacher, and a doctor.
My dad who didn't talk until 6y--his parents thought he was mentally retarded(back in the 1920's). He has a masters in math and BS in science. No delays there---but he is quite the "perfectionist" OCD? maybe. Aspie traits???? Nay!!!
When my son was 2 we raised the "not talking issue" at his 2 year checkup. The not talking was our first sign that something was amiss, as his NT twin was chattering away and until then they had met all milestones at the same time. Our pediatrician told as that many kids "talk late" however for some kids it's just a delay, and for other kids the late talking is realted to a disorder. He said that it was difficult to tell whether it was a delay or disorder in our case, but that we should go for a speech and language evaluation and that even if it turned out to be a delay that speech therapy couldn't hurt - it could only help.
Many NT kids go to speech. NT kids who go to speech tend to catch up to their peers rather quickly (within a year or so) and go on to have no other issues.
My twin nieces were late talkers, and when they did talk their intelligibility was low. They went to speech for a year pre-K and then during K. By 1st grade their speech was equivalent to their peers. My nephew didn't talk until after his 3rd birthday (my sister was FREAKING) but when he did start speaking he went from single words to sentences within 3 months.