My 4 year old repeats himself in a whisper when he speaks or asks questions...?

Question

My 4 year old began moving his lips after speaking about a month and a half ago. More recently, it has grown to a whisper and now its almost a loud whisper to soft talking. He repeats verbatim what he says aloud. Anyone else experience this with their child? He has a checkup appointment at the doctor next week, but it is starting to concern me.

Answer 1

I am a speech therapist, but I haven't seen this exactly. I think it would only be concerning if you saw signs of other repetitious behavior. Such as repeating in any way things other people said or repetitively do some type of behavior. If he seems fine in every other way (social, play, language), then he is probably OK. Good idea to check with the doctor next week and good luck!

Answer 2

The first thing I thought of was the old karate movies where the mouth moves first then you hear the words. lol

When you ask your son a question will he answer the question or will he repeat the question back to you? If he's repeating the question, that's called echolalia. Echolalia is one of the symptoms of Autism.

If he's not repeating the question, then he may have seen someone on TV do something simular and may be testing it out.

Other symptoms of Autism are tiptoe walking, knows no fear, laughing or crying an inappropriate times, imitating something over and over again, attachment to odd items...such as picking up a string from the carpet and insisting on carrying it around. My son could sit for hours putting in change into his animated bank. Wore out a lot of batteries that year.

There are other symptoms also, but these will get you started just in case. Autism symptoms vary from child to child and so do the degrees of Autism.

Answer 3

Definitely discuss this with your pediatrician. He'll know best if this is normal 4 year old behavior or something else. Be sure to make a list of anything else that is niggling at you, so you can cover everything with the doctor when you see him. Don't start worrying, yet, as this may be normal behavior. Be sure to note whether your son always does this, or only when certain people talk to him or anything specific. Doctors like specifics.

Good luck!

Answer 4

My best friend used to do this exact thing! I had never heard of it before. She never realized that she was doing it. Her older sister told her what she was doing. She said "No I don't!" and then repeated herself in a whisper. It was when she first realize she was doing it and that was the last time.

You might want to say something, gently, to your son about what he is doing. He may not even realize it. Talk with his doctor if this doesn't work. Good luck!

Answer 5

My sister is 35 and she has always done this, and still does! except maybe a little different. When someone else is talking, she will whisper to herself what they are saying or what they are gonna say(if she knows) she dont do it all the time- but she does often! I don't know why.

Answer 6

my brother is 18 yrs. old he did the same thing when he was little. which we all found cute. especially because he constantly had a pacifier in his mouth. from time to time he still does it now. but he doesn't say it out loud he just moves his lips. i don't know if it's a serious problem though.

Answer 7

i bet hes learning different tones and such, but it might mean he has a hearin defect or hes just being silly or coulda learned it from another kid, every1s kids do weird stuff at times

Answer 8

Does he realize that he's doing it? I think I would ask him, and if he does, ask him why. Sometimes, children have what seems to them a perfectly logical explanation.

Answer 9

He may have OCD, or terets.