Autism/Self - Talk

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Expert: - 7/9/2006


Question
I support a teenage student with Autism. Lately, he is doing a lot of self-talk where he may just blurt out 'Kelowna'or 'I see what you have in your mind'. I have tried to use this to get into a conversation with him by saying, "What about Kelowna?" But, he just says, "Oh nothing". My questions are what is the function of this behaviour and should I ignore it or should I persist in having him explain to me why he is saying these things?

Answer
Hi Lee,

To some extent, we all do a bit of self-talk though not always out loud. We do it to help ourselves focus on a subject or activate the auditory processing system.

Have you asked him how he wants you to respond to this behavior? He may be totally unaware he does it in which case you can point out that some people find it confusing. On the other hand, he may know it is a tool he uses and be able to tell you to ignore it.

I would suggest you offer to respond to self-talk if he gives you an indication that input is wanted. Work out a cue with him that is comfortable for both of you.

Best wishes,
Catherine

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Catherine Ridenour

Expertise

I can answer your questions about parenting your High Functioning Autisic or Asperger`s Syndrome child. In particular, questions about family life, discipline, siblings, finding resources, and working with (sometimes opposing) the educational system are welcome.

Experience

I am the parent of an Asperger's Syndrome child who is now 22 years old. She went undiagnosed for 14 years of her life, so I have done extensive reading and Internet research into the possible cause of her difficulties. Even a short 8 years ago, A.S. was practically unheard of by the public educational system.

We fumbled our way through her childhood and early adolescence without any effective outside support. In some ways, that may have been a blessing as we were focused on her abilities rather than a label for her disability. However, I can think of many times when knowing WHY would have been comforting.

Had we known very early on, some social skills interventions might have made her life in school easier. At this point, I like her for who she is so I do not regret how things have turned out. More importantly, she likes herself.

Education/Credentials
I have a Bachelor of Science in Education.

I have worked to educate myself about Autism in general and HFA/AS in particular.

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