16 Month old son needs help

by mahwish
(brockville ontario canada )

Hi i have 16 month old baby boy. He was born full term with out any complications. He had gas and fussiness between 1 to 3 months and then he become ok. Later on, he get severe gag problem when he started on solid food. Now at 15 months his issue is bit resolved but still has occasional gag reflex problems.

He is quiet baby, and smiles and laughs during interaction with us. During his development he started to say dada at 11 months and started walking at 11 months. He began to sit on at 8 months and crawl on 7 months. He had 4 teeth at 7 months (first had upper incisors)now he has 10 teeth. Now he can easily go up and down stairs and he is a happy baby during all his journey.

Now in the last 2 months, i noticed some changes. Before he responded well, and when i told him to say hi, he would move his hand on his head (cant say any thing but shows hi, and he do 1 more act if i told him to do so). He cant say any words (he did that from 12 month age. Now i noticed that he has become less responsive on saying hi. At 15 months he does not point to things, instead he pulls my cloths and throws tantrums (he always comes to me when he wants food and diaper change ,never go to his dad). When i make a bottle he runs to bed with me,and he recognizes me and his dad (when his dad come home he run towards door. even when his dad dress up, he throws his tantrum that he wants to go with dad).

He is showing some abnormal things like when we call his name he wont respond but when i call him from the other room,he follow that command, but some time show no response to his name.

Occasionally he hand flaps, some times with one hand, and some time both. When he is excited he will flap a maximum 2 or 3 times,and no more then that. He often flaps his hands on the table and floor usually just 1 or 2 times at most.

He only says mama, papa, baby and produces noises like uhhh and ahhh(when i told him to say papa he usually responds to me with papa and when i tell him to clap, he usually claps). He toe walks in bare foot (but does not do toe walking in shoes).

I am living alone so he doesn't have much exposure. He watches cartoons alot and watches very consistently. He plays with toys but doesnt have a favorite toy. When i play with him and i show him how to play with toys, he usually follows that. In the kitchen, when i show him how to wash a spoon, he repeats that as well. When i show him how to point to something he tries to make his finger point but not in direction where i want him to point.

When ask him to give me the toy he has in his hand he put this toy in my hand, but he is not ready to leave it and after while he gets it back . When we are out around people,he produces the uhh sound, smiles and maintains eye contact with them, but is unable to play with other kids. He goes close to kids again and again, and doesnt stop there and enjoys parallel play. He does go close to adults and smiles and some times plays peakaboo with them. He plays alot with grass and leaves)and other stuff.

He also understands if i say( no) to him but some times shows no response. My biggest concerns are 1- he is not pointing things (although throws a tantrum to me that he need some thing ). 2- he hand flaps during tantrums (some times in the air and some times on the floor), 3 - keeps walking in social places to see other people and observe them and go close to them. He smiles and maintains eye contact with them, but cant do parallel play with kids) 4-toe walking (20% time in day especially when he is just awakened from sleep)
5-cant call mama or baba when he is alone in his room (he can say mama, papa ,baby (but can,t know who is mama and papa ) 6- cant point to pictures from a book but is more interested in touching it with his foot some times to turn the page. He concentrates on circles and geometrical pictures but still does not point to them ) 7- he plays isolated with his toys, shoes and other stuff and he spreads every thing but some time puts toys back in drawers. If i call him at this time he does not turn his head, however he does turn his head when he is not busy, but needs 2 or 3 times to call his name.