Is this normal? Parroting

[Miriam101]

DD is nearly 4 and has great language, very expressive and imaginative. Has no issues communicating with us and her preschool say she’s fine there with a nice group of friends and has grown in confidence from being quite reserved at the start. (She still is why but has come on leaps and bounds in past few months.)

But I’ve noticed that she sometimes copies exactly what some of the other kids say and do, almost without thinking- same intonation, accent etc. It doesn’t happen a lot but it really strikes me as unusual. Is it? Is it something to be worried about? I’ve read up on echolalia and am stressing, but she has so much of her own spontaneous language that I don’t know if I should be worrying about just the odd phrase here and there. She’s fine in all other respects. (Disclaimer- I worry a lot, excessively so, so aware this could me my anxiety talking.)

My DD did this....she also had excellent language, expression, understanding etc...great imagination. She's 16 now and we're starting the ball rolling with looking into ASD.

She probably has it.

The other missed red flags were subtle...one of them was sensitive hearing and some sensory issues with certain textures and touch.

She's very sociable though and we missed it.

Thanks @FortunesFave I hope your DD gets the support she needs. How long did she do the imitation for, do you remember? It must seem a long time ago so no worries if not! I was hoping it might just be one of those funny things preschoolers do when they’re sussing out social situations...

Interestingly my mum would say my older sister did this. She knew who she'd been playing with as she'd had picked up they the way they spoke. My sister has never had a diagnosis it she displays a lot of ASD behaviours.

It does sound as though it could be Echolalia. I'd push to have her assessed.

@Miriam101

Thanks *@FortunesFave* I hope your DD gets the support she needs. How long did she do the imitation for, do you remember? It must seem a long time ago so no worries if not! I was hoping it might just be one of those funny things preschoolers do when they’re sussing out social situations...

Thanks...she manages incredibly well and with humour. She's a popular, outgoing kid with a part time job and doing well at college. We're so pleased with her.

The thing is at this age it’s very very VERY normal as they explore friendships and reactions. It may slightly concern me if they were constantly mimicking, and that is all - but if it was sporadic and they had spontaneous language... I wouldn't be remotely worried. Does she repeat entire phrases literally immediately? Or just recall what people said during her day? If the latter, so normal.

My son copies what I and my partner say a lot, but it seems to come and go and when he is particularly going through a bit of a Lang leap. He’s 3, I dong have any concerns in terms of echolia and Asd

@Amanduh

The thing is at this age it’s very very VERY normal as they explore friendships and reactions. It may slightly concern me if they were constantly mimicking, and that is all - but if it was sporadic and they had spontaneous language... I wouldn't be remotely worried. Does she repeat entire phrases literally immediately? Or just recall what people said during her day? If the latter, so normal.

You're not a doctor or an educational psychologist so please don't breezily say "Normal" because you can't diagnose people over the internet when you're not qualified to do so. Some copying is normal but what OP describes is not "very, very VERY" normal as you weirdly stated.

@FortunesFave sorry no one knows and of course the best course of action, as with anything is go to gp.

Amanduh did qualify at the end what she thought was normal. And it’s up to posters to say what they think and up to the op to seek proper medical advice.

In your case if Echolia was such a red flag, why are you only just seeking ASD diagnosis now?

[quote Fatas]@FortunesFave sorry no one knows and of course the best course of action, as with anything is go to gp.

Amanduh did qualify at the end what she thought was normal. And it’s up to posters to say what they think and up to the op to seek proper medical advice.

In your case if Echolia was such a red flag, why are you only just seeking ASD diagnosis now?[/quote]
In your case if Echolia was such a red flag, why are you only just seeking ASD diagnosis now?

As I said, it was a MISSED red flag...not "Such a red flag"

But I am not here to answer rude and pushy questions about my DD. I came to help the OP. Not answer prying questions.

And I think Amanduh came to help too, but you dismissed her comment as weird. I think it can mean different things, for some it may be normal, for others a red flag. Which is why, like anything, op should consult gp. But anyone is entitled to offer an opinion.