Concerned About 2 Year Old's Behavior

Not to scare you, but I would have to ask is your son speech delayed? If he is and considering the signs that he is showing, it sounds like he could be autistic. I would definitely take him to your pediatrician to rule that out. Since you have his behavior on tape, you could use that as evidence to show your pediatrician. In the meantime, maybe give him some extra attention and assure him that everything is ok. Follow his lead. If he isn't comfortable around people, even people he knows well, let him have his space. I hope everthing works out for you and your son and I hope that you are able to find out some good news from your pediatrician. Keep us posted.

Two of my children have been extremely shy. My youngest (almost 4) clings to me alot (hiding behind me, refuses to speak, etc). She is fine around smaller groups of family and close friends though.
I would definitely speak to your pediatrician first. It wouldn't hurt to have your son evaluated.

I remember that when my son was 2 or maybe 3 he did go through a shy phase. He would just stand there and look at someone he didn't know. He would not answer them and would bury his face in my leg. It was embarassing to me and I thought he was being rude. He did outgrow it pretty quickly. How long has he been doing this?

Has your son gone through any kind of traumatic event?

Taking him to the doctor would probably give you peace of mind so I say go ahead. I would if it was my son. He will probably outgrow this behavior but you can't put a price on peace of mind.

Y.,

I would take him to the doc for sure. It could be nothing...it could just be a phase. But, it could be some sort of sensory disorder where more than a few people, regardless of how well he knows them sends him into hysteria. Or, it could be a social anxiety disorder. Both could be possible, so I would take him to the Pedi and get a good referral of a practice that can properly test/diagnose him. If caught, these things are usually treatable. Good Luck!

I would ask that when people come up to him you let him stay back and ask for a casual 'hi' and then carrying on the conversation with YOU. ALso, with the relatives again have them just say hello calmly and walk in and do whatever the would be doing, and then when he is warmed up they can interact with him slowly. Give him some time, and ensure that he is not bombarded with adults or lots of kids (or kids that move around and talk too loud and fast). He WILL get better as time goes by and he feels more secure that he doesn't feel bombarded.

My kids went through a little shy stage but nothing like that. I use to work in child care and have not seen a child act that way (hiding and screaming) from being shy. Has he been through anything traumatic? Have you talked to him? I have a s 1/2 yr old who talks all the time and tells me what is wrong, what happened, what she wants..ect.. I would talk to him then I would take him to be seen. Good luck and I hope everything gets better!

It sounds like you're a very attentive parent.
This sounds really similar to behavior we saw in a friend's son around the same age. They began the autism evaluation around the time he was 3 1/2 and he was eventually diagnosed with autism by about the time of his 4th birthday. The diagnosis took them by surprise, but when they have looked back at old home videos, like you mentioned, they see things they didn't see before.
Because the evaluation process takes so long, you're wise to seek advice early. When they do the evaluation, the specialists are looking for a broad range of things, not just autism, so you'll get a really good picture of where your son is developmentally, even if no diagnosis comes of it.
It's more difficult to make a diagnosis (difficult, but it can still be done) in a 2-yr-old vs a 3-yr-old, so you may have to drive the process by asking questions, etc. There are a lot of "strange" behaviors that are simply normal developmentally for a 2 yr old, so that's why it's a little harder to separate what should be a concern.
However, another good reason to look into this now is because, if he does have something on the spectrum, there are behavior modification techniques to help him out and they all have the biggest impact when you start them as young as possible.
My son's friend used to really stand out in a crowd because of his behavior (many times because he would be under a table or behind a chair or shelf...). Now that they have learned how to communicate with him in a way he understands, and learned how to teach him to respond appropriately to his environment, he is a different kid. Honestly, I can't tell him apart from other kids in the crowd. In fact, he's actually IN the crowd! Definitely a big change!