Is This Repetetive Behavior Normal?

Updated on November 17, 2007
S.P. asks from Grand Rapids, MI
4 answers

My son is 22 months and is very repetitive and persistent. I'm just not sure if it's normal. I know that 2 year olds are difficult but anyways- what he does is repeat the word "more" or "uh-oh" over and over and over. I try to explain calmly that whatever he is asking for is all gone, but he is persistent to the extreme. He knows there is no more juice/snack/etc., but repeats it again and again. He will simply not stop saying it on his own until you address whatever his concern is multiple times. Usually he does it in the car-maybe he is just bored or wants to interact? Does this sound like a form of autism? Is he just a persistent child? I don't see other children his age doing this, and just wondered if anyone can relate to this. Thanks so much for any input.

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M.C.

answers from Chicago on

It sounds pretty normal to me. My daughter was extremely verbal at an early age, and they just repeat the words they know over and over again. (while in the car all I heard over and over again was, "mommy, where going?" it was enough to drive me insane! she didn't care about the answer, but just repeated the question.) Its annoying, but really a good thing. He'll be telling you EXACTLY what he wants in no time. Just keep talking to him, so he expands his vocabulary. Two year olds get really frustrated because they know what point they want to get across, but don't know how to do it. Have you though of incorporating a few baby signs?

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K.M.

answers from Chicago on

My daughter does this with a song. Always the same song and ALWAYS and ONLY in the car but some times it's la - la -LAAAAH; la - la - LAAAAH over and over again. Then other times, she'll say, ba - ba - BAAAAH same thing.

I've wondered about the autism with that, but she doesn't seem to demonstrate other autistic type "symptoms" really. So I chalked it up to just being bored and singing the only song she knows. Though, I'm not a Dr either.

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A.W.

answers from Chicago on

My daughter does this too. (She's 2 and a 1/2). Not so much the repeating a single word multiple times anymore (although she did for a while). But she still will ask me the same question over and over and over again. I asked her grandmother and then her Dr. about it and they both said the word repeating is normal. They're learning words and sounds and it's a natural way for them to learn. The repeating requests several times- I think that's boredom or she wants Mommy to focus on her. She mostly does it if we're in the car or I'm cooking.
Signs of autism are language delayed; can't follow directions; has very violent or intense reactions to situations; unresponsive to people; very sensitive to touch; things like that?
Unless he's doing other things of that nature I wouldn't worry about it too much. He'll grow out of it.

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R.

answers from Chicago on

It sounds normal--especially for a child his age with a limited vocabulary. If he's trying to get a point across and only has a few words to use--yes, he'll most certainly repeat them until he's understood or gets what he wants.

As for autism, I would pay closer attention to repetitive behaviors, not so much repetitive speech. Has there been any regression in skills? Can you have an exchange of language with him (back and forth conversation)?

Check out autimsspeaks.org if you want to learn more. Good luck!

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