Almost 3 year old repeating himself...

+Jessie+

Hello everyone!

 

I wanted to see if anyone had any experience with a child repeating themselves over and over! My son does this excessively even after being answered or acknowledged.  I know that it can be somewhat typical behavior but I've taught children birth to 5 for 6 years and have a 4 year old son and have never seen it to this extent.  We have tried everything and I feel like I'm going to lose my mind.  It happens constantly with everything he has to say! 

megann831

DD does this often, usually with the same question about where did someone go or what someone is doing.  I don't know the situation or any details, but it sort of sounds like something that would be associated with autism.  I'd call the dr

LoveEeyore

My DS does this often to make sure he is understood, but he is language delayed.  Once I repeat his statement exactly, word for word, he will stop, and tell me "yes, that's it."  My 4.5 yr old DD will sometimes ask questions she knows the answer to and it drives me bonkers, so I sometimes give silly answers. 

When I had kiddos with autism do this, the goal would be to scaffold it into conversation.  So repeat his statement and immediately ask a follow up question or agree that you like, that, too but you prefer____.  Whatever.  Or prompt him to tell you how it makes you feel.  Or if he's repeating something, prompt him to ask you if you see it/like it/know it. 

Does he care if you repond- meaning is he definitely using language to communicate with you?  Or will he just repeat the same phrases over, even in play or at no one in particular? Is he able to have a conversation without repeating on topics of interest?  Does he have any other speech aberrations like difficulty responding to yes/no questions?

My gut response is he is a toddler boy playing with language, but your description is kinda vague.  If this is the case, try repeating back playfully switching out the subject, or make up a rhyme to what he said.  And repond to him in a silly way with the assumption that he is repeating to be silly.  But without knowing his other speech patterns, I couldn't guess if it is abnormal or typical toddlerese. 

 

 

JOEBunny

Do you mean like "Mommy, I want to play with Fred" a 100X a day, or asking a question, like "can I have milk?" 15X before you could possible get it for him.   I think this is normal.  My friend has a son the age of mine with autism.  He does repeat things, but it is parroting, not original thought.  Like If I say, "X, are you playing with trains."  He will say, "play with trains" a few times, with no additional comments. 

+Jessie+

Thanks for all the feedback!! I'm pretty sure that it isn't autism in his case, seems more like OCD? I don't know but it's almost everything he says like "I want a cookie" 10x before I can even answer and he's so busy repeating that he doesn't even realize I'm responding.  Or "where's daddy?" 100x even after I've told him.  He is intelligible and I've tried repeating it back and expanding on it but he can't stop repeating to listen to what I'm saying.  When I engage him in a conversation he does a typical back and forth dialogue but if it is something he's initiating then it is repetitive. Oy! 

 

My 4 year old also asks the same questions even after I've given a response but it is in quite a different manner.