My 2 year old knows only a handful of words and still does not communicate effectively. only recently started speaking a word resembling food. he has had a lot of throat infections and screams many times during the night for attention?

Needs an evaluation: The description you provide suggests a kid with a speech & language deficit for age. You should contact his doc & arrange an evaluation by a speech & language specialist. In the US this is usually done by contracted centers & by school systems if the kid is over 3 yr. Poor communication leads to frustration & aggressive behavior.