How to get 2.5 y/o to learn

Sounds very much like my autistic son at that age. You'll find lots of information on the internet which will give you an idea as to whether she has autism or not (looking at eye contact, language, gesture, the way she plays with her toys etc) . I would be happy to give you ideas for techniques you can use, for example to get her to copy you, but really it's the parents' job to have their child assessed and seek professional help. Are they focussing on colours and shapes because it is something she can already do and so it makes them feel better about the stuff she can't do? It would be very typical for an autistic child to be good with naming shapes and letters but not say regular things like 'mummy' or 'bye-bye'.