What could be my kid's problem...?

Question

I have a 12 year old that when doing chores talks to himself under his breath, and when Watching a movie cartoon etc, he alway's repeats everything they say...what's the deal with this kid?

Answer 1

It sounds like Echolalia, an autistic symptom in higher-functioning children.

Some children repeat what they hear, either as an automatic response to hearing language or as an unusual form of communication. This repeating is called "echolalia." Children with echolalia may repeat what they hear immediately (immediate echolalia) or some time after they have heard it (delayed echolalia). An example of immediate echolalia is:

Adult: "Hello, what is your name?"
Child: "your name?"

An example of delayed echolalia is repeating television commercials verbatim, repeating phrases that parents use or repeating the dialogue from a video or TV program.

Sometimes, phrases are repeated but have no meaning to the child or to the listener. They are repeating just to hear the sounds. Sometimes, the echolalic phrases are used to communicate something?a child will say "ready, set, go" when he wants to go outside.

Here is a website which reviews autism and related symptoms. Echolalia is near the middle of the page.

Hope this helps answer your question.

Answer 2

There may be no problem. You may just be blessed with a creative imaginative kid who likes to role play that he is a cartoon character and stimulate his imagination by making up stories while doing something mundane like chores. Try talking to him then he won't have to talk to himself. Find out what he is saying and run with it. Give him paper and a pencil and suggest he write some of his stories down. Embrace his personality, I think he sounds great.

Answer 3

Alot of kids do it mummbling under their breath helps them vent anger without really hurting anyone and as far as TV maybe they are learning new words or what is being said didnt make since to them so they have to repeat it or just hear it again to sink in

Answer 4

I would ask him what he is saying while doing his chores. As for repeating every thing they say on the T.V my kids do that too. They like to memorise everything word for word.

Answer 5

It's totally, normal, I used to do it at that age too. He is just probably, having a conversation to gimself about whatever comes to mind. About the cartoon thing, I don't know, why I did that, I just like how it sounded when they said, it and I wanted to see if I could mimic their funniness.

Answer 6

there are lots of people out there who finish your sentence along with you...they mimic your speech..sometimes they need to do this as apart of comprehension...kinda like "third times a charm" theory...they hear it from you, they see you say it, and then they 'finalize' with their own voice.
Maybe he's bored, and just using his imagination to keep stuff motoring along in his brain. Is he gifted in any particular ways perhaps?
best thing for you to do as a parent though, is to at least for now look upon this as a positive rather than a negative. could be signs of better things to come - not worse.

Answer 7

is he talking to himself under his breath or mimbling under his breath about doing the chores?
he pretty much is uhmmm how do you say... NORMAL!!!

Answer 8

he might have watched that show or movie to many time try to have him watch a variety of different shows or movies and see if he still does it.

Answer 9

actually it sounds normal and I have been around alot of kids..... as long as it is not getting him into trouble at school.... I would let it go. You have to pick your fights .....

Answer 10

Teach that boy some discipline and respect. Put him in hockey or something to get him a way from the screen. I'm sure thre nothing wrong with him.