is this normal behaviour for ASD?

[adrianna22]

Hi, my DS is four, has a severe language delay and been diagnosed with ASD...

I'm just trying to work out what behaviours he does is linked to his ASD or his language delay...

He likes imitating a lot from TV...he doesn't imitate words, just actions. But recently he seems to be imitating every movement a person from his favourite TV shows do..from expressions, body language etc, noises...if a character is shouting. But does not do this out of context.

He also recently has copied an advert from TV..the princess and the frog. SO my sister kissed my DS, but he was then copying what the princess was doing, when the frog tried to kiss her......so my DS expected my sister to shake her head, like the princess did on the TV, but then he shake his head as she did not do it and then blew my sister a kiss, as the princess did..

He does not do this all the time.

is this apart of his ASD? or part of his severe language delay?? Do all kids do this??

anyone

OK, so it has nothing to do with his delayed language?

The key test, I think (I may be wrong) is whether communication serves a function. At the most severe end of ASD on a communication/language level, the child doesn't understand that they can cause a response in another person by communicating. In very early infancy, that's the social smile, eye contact, then giggles, pointing, gestures, then finally words.
Children with isolated severe language delays (not disorders) can communicate intentionally surprisingly well without uttering a sound. They understand what they need to do to get what they want, but may not have the speech or language to communicate verbally.

What you're describing is more to do with ASD, I think. Your DS had watched the film and is expecting that response by rote. It won't have occurred to him that your sister may not have seen it, or that she won't know what he's trying to do. He just wants that scene played out and if she won't, he will.

An example, using DD2 (6.8). She's supposedly 'fine'language wise. I disagree.

She asked a question in the garden. I started to explain, my Mum chipped in and between us we gave a sorry but useful answer.

DD2 didn't look at us as we talked. She didn't look at us afterwards. She didn't smile, nod, thank us, comment or in any way indicate that she had even heard or reply. She just walked away.

I believe it's because she doesn't understand that those things have a function. (We tell her lots, but it hasn't sunk in)

Her sister (5.0) would have looked at us, looked thoughtful, made a comment or two, then say either 'OK' or ask another before moving away. She understands that it all serves a function.

DD1 (8.4) who had a severe S&L delay (functions around 4 yr level) would say 'really??'Then walk away. She can't process to mitch info, but knows she has to show she's listened.

@lougle, even though this is the first time he has done this kind of thing?

He only has 10 words, so is hard to say.. but what about imitating on tv, but does not do it out of context.

It's so weird that I can see in this in kids who are NT, but do not have a diagnosis of autism.

I have a friend who has a son who goes on about numtums, and plays the same scene over and over again from the same episode and lines up all his toys and if anyone touches those toys, he would go ballistic.

...but when DS knew my sister did not know what he was doing..he stopped.....oh I don't know...I guess I just want him to be NT and not have autism...

Adrianna, no one wants their child to have any kind of difficulty, but unfortunately it is what it is :(

If I were you I would get the statement process up and running as of tomorrow( I wish I listened to people when they told me to start the process straight away)
And work on your son, don't think about the diagnosis as that won't help him but look at all his weakenessea and work on those.

Your son has a lot of strengths and you need to work on building that, go on youtube and search in ABA techniques, try to hire a SALt privately.

Are you in or around London? I can lend you a book that's helped me.

It's a horrible feeling and I 100% know how you feel( actually we all do)
HTH

DS has asd and language delay and does this imitation too. He often 'borrows' phrases from books or TV and uses them in context instead of his own sentence. I think that's related to his difficulties with putting language together, it's easier to use something ready made he has learnt from heart. He also acts out scenes exactly as a form of play. Again it's easier and more predictable than copying NT play as it's always the same. He finds the repetition very enjoyable although it's annoying for the rest of us. A book written by a boy with autism 'The reason I jump' explains why he finds language difficult and is interesting reading. Temple Grandin also talks about how words sort of swirled around and made little sense until she was an older child which gives some insight. A lot of adults with autism describe language being difficult until they were much older, but many have gone on to write novels etc Carly Fleischmann blog is an eg of someone who didn't start to use language until much older but ended up going to college. DS has always found singing easier than speaking and now at school writes better than he talks, I suppose this is because he has more time to put the words together writing than speaking and no one is bombarding him with more language while he's trying to think what to say. Singing is of course just rote learning at which he excels.