2.5 year old still doesn't know her name

megann831 · October 2012

so at 1st I thought this was kind of cute, but its been going on for so long I'm starting to get worried. DD is 2, her birthday is in March, and she's from NJ, when you ask her what her name is she'll usually answer 2, sometimes March or NJ. I was telling the dr this today and he said when she starts preschool at the end of the month she may get it because she may listen better to someone else. She knows her colors can count to 12, 20 or more with assistance, talks well, she seems pretty normal except for this one thing. She does know her name, she refers to herself, but when she plays peek a boo with her brother she'll say "where's mommy" but also "where's her name" "where's his name". How worried would you be about this? What do you think the next step will be if she doesn't get it at preschool?

LadyXaverian · October 2012

Hmm.. when you call her by name, does she respond? If she does that, I guess I would trust my pedi and just keep working with her on actually identifying herself by name.

honeybee111 · October 2012

We do a lot of play-acting with DD to model different conversations. We'll take two of her stuffed animals and make them "talk" to each other. "What's your name?" "My name is Bear!" "How are you?" "I'm fine!" etc. Then, we'll make the stuffed animals "ask" her and show her how to answer. Also, practice and reinforcement from DH and me. It's worked for her name, birthday, age, etc.

MCC1010 · October 2012

DS started saying his name within the last 4 months. I used to do a lot of name playing like asking iquestions about his name. Things like is this (random object) mommy's or Matthew's, Is your name (favorite toy or cartoon or household pet), spelling out his name constantly and so on. He spent a few months where he would point to himself when you said his name but still not say his name. It was frustrating.

sugar212 · October 2012

My LO (almost 2.5) keeps calling herself Anna. I know no one with that name and was very confused about how she decided that was her name. HOWEVER, my daughter had tubes in her ears at 18 months because she could not hear and her speech therapist said she probably thought we were calling her Anna (her name is Shayla). We used to laugh and think it was cute too, but after a few months it was concerning me. Now when she says Anna, I correct her and tell her what her name is. She could say the correct sounds (shhh... a...la) for a long time (even when still calling herself Anna) so I knew she could say her name. she is finally starting to say her real name. maybe your LO associates all that other stuff with herself (which is great) but kids have trouble with questions at this age so you just have to reinforce what her name is and tell her when she answers wrong what that answer really means. Example: you: what is your name? her: 2 you: no, your name is Susie, but Susie is 2 years old! GL!

SimarikSmokin · October 2012

Same here! her name is Zainab and she calls herself Numi! which is really weird she is really smart she can count draws wells speaks wells with occasional babble in her own language at her 2 yr appt the dr wasnt concerned now that u brought i am concerned so I will have them check her ears for more. She comes when we call her and her teachers at her school but still cant say her name

mamainseptember · October 2012

My DS just turned 2 the end of August and from about 18 months to 2 he knew his name and when you asked him it he would respond "I'm Landon." Since he turned 2, if you ask him his name he refers to himself as "mama's baby." We have been working on getting him to say his name again, but so far he is just "mama's baby." I wouldn't be totally concerned yet.