JeanneA Report post Posted August 29, 2009 My son Glen who is 15 and is severely autistic, is and always has been very repetitive, are there many autistic kids that are similar? Sometimes Glen is less repetitive than others, at the moment it has increased again. It's always the same things that he says, food items as Glen is obsessed with food. Glen will continually repeat the food items he thinks he is getting today or tomorrow, particularly deserts and breakfasts. Glen is also more repetitive in anxious situations, i.e. School. It would be interesting to hear back from parents with their experiences of their kids being repetitive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sally44 Report post Posted August 29, 2009 My own son repeats things when he is anxious. He can recite the dialogue from TV or DVDs. He only has to hear them once to 'record' it and repeat it. But the understanding is not always there. My son also does not understand the passage of time, and therefore he will keep asking questions about what is happening next, or in the morning, or afternoon etc because he has no idea 'when' that will be. He also has short term memory problems as well as auditory processing disorder and sequencing difficulties. These all mean that repeating things is a way of keeping them in his mind, or reminding him of what he has done or what he has to do. My son is also echolalic and sometimes will use TV or DVD dialogue to strike up a conversation or to take his turn in conversations. So your son might use words or phrases he knows to interact because he does not know what else to say or do, but he recognises that it is 'his turn' to say something. If he has sensory issues as well then his pre-occupation with hunger might also be down to feeling hungry all the time. I have been told that those with ASDs can range from never feeling hungry right to the other extreme of always feeling hungry. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluefish Report post Posted August 29, 2009 Hi, my son too is repetetive in his speach and asks the same question over and over again regardless of the answer.He also quotes tv adverts in an attempt to make conversation.... some of my sons speach/language is "normal" but very stilted with learnt responses to questions.he likes to repeat the same thing over and over, it seems to make him feel safe. He talks non stop but needs to reasure himself of what is going to happen. He has no concept of time and tommorow is a word he uses for never! xxxx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dana Report post Posted August 29, 2009 Hi, my son too is repetetive in his speach and asks the same question over and over again regardless of the answer.He also quotes tv adverts in an attempt to make conversation.... some of my sons speach/language is "normal" but very stilted with learnt responses to questions.he likes to repeat the same thing over and over, it seems to make him feel safe. He talks non stop but needs to reasure himself of what is going to happen. He has no concept of time and tommorow is a word he uses for never! xxxx As if you are describing my son, Bluefish! He also repeats dialogs from his favorite films , even the body movements of the caracters. I also think repetition gives him some sence of security. Danaxxx Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NickyB Report post Posted August 29, 2009 My son repeats phrases from TV and films over and over, more so when he is anxious .He tends to repeat the dialogue from adverts a lot - always word-perfect and with any sound effects included !! He also uses film dialogue in conversation, usually in the correct context, such as 'absolutely not' (in an american accent ) when he could just say no. That's come from his favourite film of the moment. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bid Report post Posted August 29, 2009 I used to notice an increase in repetitive behaviour in my son was very often linked to anxiety, and I can be the same. Speaking for myself, I know that my repetitive routines make me feel more secure and calm when I'm feeling very overwhelmed. Bid Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thomastank Report post Posted August 30, 2009 My son Glen who is 15 and is severely autistic, is and always has been very repetitive, are there many autistic kids that are similar? Sometimes Glen is less repetitive than others, at the moment it has increased again. It's always the same things that he says, food items as Glen is obsessed with food. Glen will continually repeat the food items he thinks he is getting today or tomorrow, particularly deserts and breakfasts. Glen is also more repetitive in anxious situations, i.e. School. It would be interesting to hear back from parents with their experiences of their kids being repetitive. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sally44 Report post Posted August 30, 2009 Made me laugh the mention of copying the sounds. My son is like a living sound recorder and most movements are accompanied by a sound. He can mimick most things. Like others have mentioned, when repeating something from TV or a movie, he will also do the 'moves' that accompany the words. He also 'fast forwards' to the place he really likes and he may talk very fast or move very fast to 'fast forward' to the place he wants. I think that he uses this sometimes because it fills the space that spontaneous imagination might fill in. But his imagination has and is developing and whereas he always had to re-enact and copy, he can now put unrelated things together ie. spiderman with king kong and make up a game - whereas before that would have been impossible. He is also starting to make up his own stories which have not been copied from anywhere else. But repeating things is very important to him. And once something has been seen and learnt a certain way it takes him along time to accept doing something a different way because he will think it is being done wrong, or in the wrong way or in the wrong sequence to what he has learnt. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sally44 Report post Posted August 30, 2009 And my son has an American accent. Everyone thinks he is from the USA. And I did have an email conversation with another mother in the USA whose son spoke with an english accent because he was obsessed with Harry Potter films. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyX Report post Posted August 31, 2009 LOL, I think thats all funny. I am autisutic and I use lines from adverts or films sometimes when I talk to people. I think its very funny to do it. My family know I do it because I think its funny, so when I say something out of place or just get it wrong they pretend I am copying a line from TV even though it doesn`t fit. Thats funny too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thomastank Report post Posted September 2, 2009 Hello, sorry I tried to post yesterday and then my computer crashed I didn't have a chance to come back!!! My son says the same things in certain situations, ie when he sees a baby, he says "ahhh isn't he gorgeous" and strokes them! I think at some point we taught him that and so he will say it without fail. The parents are always gushing and saying how lovely it is to say that so it just carries on for the next baby!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sams_mum Report post Posted October 9, 2009 Jeanne, the repitition is called perseveration and it can take on many forms. Verbal perseveration is one of the main ones and it can serve a purpose in that it can bring order into a persons life but it can also cause great distress. I know that with my son his verbal perseveration can be attributed to stress and raised levels of anxiety. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JeanneA Report post Posted October 9, 2009 (edited) Thanks very much Sam's Mum for your comments they make a lot of sense! Edited October 9, 2009 by JeanneA Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trekster Report post Posted October 9, 2009 My son Glen who is 15 and is severely autistic, is and always has been very repetitive, are there many autistic kids that are similar? Sometimes Glen is less repetitive than others, at the moment it has increased again. It's always the same things that he says, food items as Glen is obsessed with food. Glen will continually repeat the food items he thinks he is getting today or tomorrow, particularly deserts and breakfasts. Glen is also more repetitive in anxious situations, i.e. School. It would be interesting to hear back from parents with their experiences of their kids being repetitive. Sorry not a parent but i can describe the repetition issue in my aspergers. Yes we like repetition because spontaneity is something that's easier for us to remember. As for selectively eating he might need the gluten and dairy free diet if that is mainly what he's having. Have you tried supplements for anxiety? b6 and magnesium can help, gaba, taurine and b12 (if he frequently forgets whats happening or has language recall problems). Alexis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
trekster Report post Posted October 9, 2009 As if you are describing my son, Bluefish! He also repeats dialogues from his favourite films , even the body movements of the characters. I also think repetition gives him some sense of security. Danaxxx Or it could be that he cant remember who he's told what? i used to be like that but when my memory improved due to milk withdrawal i was much better. Many of my autistic friends also have poor memories and ive noticed a correlation between poor memory and repetition. Alexis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
