Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some advice or reassurance regarding my 4-year-old son’s speech and imitating a friend with speech delay.
For background, his speech development has been advanced. He was talking in full sentences, with a clear voice, and could hold conversations naturally without any particular effort on my part from a very young age. He's the youngest in his year group (reception) and is moving into Year 1 in September. I'd be more nervous about this transition, but he's expressed that he feels ready and because we can have long, meaningful conversations about his feelings and experiences, we can talk through how to better support him.
Midway through the school year, a new boy joined his class who initially disliked school due to severe speech delays. The boy’s mum mentioned this to me and also said he had been moved from previous schools because he wasn't receiving the support he needed and was unhappy. My son, along with a small group of 3-4 other children, included the new boy, which made a significant difference. The new boy began to enjoy school, his speech started to develop further, and his mum thanked us for our son’s positive impact, even sharing that DS name was the first name he has ever said.
However, over the past several months, DS has started adopting the speech mannerisms and style of his friend. Sometimes he even stutters on purpose or uses a "voice" that is not his own, imitating his friend. I've talked to him about the importance of being himself, explaining that while it’s great to be friends with others, he doesn't need to mirror them in every way. Despite these conversations, it’s become challenging at home during evenings and weekends as we often find ourselves asking him to use his own voice. Sometimes, we struggle to understand what he's saying because he uses this 'baby-like' voice or just shouts out a single words, instead of asking for what he wants.
After a conversation over the weekend, he reverted to his usual self, and everything seemed fine. However, this morning, I dropped him off at school before work and saw his friend approach him. Immediately, my son started mirroring his friend’s speech again. Seeing this switch first-hand made me realize he might be spending his days talking this way, which could explain why he finds it hard to 'break out of it' at home.
I'm not sure how to encourage my son to be himself while also maintaining his friendship. Or do I do nothing? I want to support his social development without compromising his own speech patterns and communication style. Any advice on how to handle this situation would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!