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Autism Accent

5 replies

Brolly28 · 20/03/2024 15:31

Hi everyone,
Just want people's experiences/opinions on this.
Pulled to the side today by teacher who commented on 5 year olds accent/intonation especially when reading at school. Said it was odd and she had no fluency. I have obviously noticed the accent, I hear it everyday, she doesn't sound like she's from where we are from.
Apart from that she shows no other signs of autism, she's very social with her classmates, loves going to school, no stimming, no missing milestones as a baby, no special interests, very intelligent, good sense of humour, literally just this accent is making me wonder.
If it's not autism causing it, what else could it be? I'm so confused.
I also know girls mask very well but I genuinely can't see any other concerns at the minute. Maybe it'll become clearer as she gets older. Any help would be appreciated.

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Fixerupper77 · 21/03/2024 07:05

Brolly28 · 20/03/2024 15:31

My obvious thought - screen time?

my friends neurotypical kids had a stage where they def had a transatlantic tint to their speaking especially when reading aloud.

It’s also an indicator of ASD or neurodiversity again because of it being common how they learn words etc they are more likely to pick up the accent.

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Tearsofamermaid · 21/03/2024 11:06

Did the teacher hint at/suggest that it could be autism related to you?! If so, I seriously think the world has gone mad. The slightest quirk - in the absence of, according to your post, any other quirks, is a sign of a neurodevelopmental condition. I am the mother of a child who is ND by the way, so no skin in the game but hearing things like this really annoys me.

I agree with @Fixerupper77 that the most likely explanation is screen time/something she has watched. I’d keep an eye on it but certainly wouldn’t be concerned about autism if there are no other indicators to give you cause for concern.

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Brolly28 · 21/03/2024 13:26

Hi @Fixerupper77 thank you for your reply. Totally agree about the screen time, she was just learning to talk during lockdown so the TV was literally on all the time, even just in the background as we played.

Hi @Tearsofamermaid totally understand why these things would annoy you, all honesty they annoy me too! First little sign of a quirk and they are ready to refer a child on. Teacher told me to take her to the GP to see what they say about her accent, I asked what else am I supposed to say, she's social, she's engaged in activities, she bright and doing well in all her work, she's not bound by routine or needs downtime at school or home etc. She replied oh I'm not telling you what to do....not even a sensible answer. Very frustrating! Thank you for your response also. Appreciate it.

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BestZebbie · 22/03/2024 19:04

One of the long menu of 'traits' that autistic people can have is a 'flat affect' to their voice. But it isn't compulsory! If it is just that she doesn't sound local, I'd be thinking more about people she spends time with who might have different accents (inc. on TV/Yoto etc). And maybe she doesn't sound fluent when reading because....she is 5 and not yet a fluent reader?

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Brolly28 · 22/03/2024 21:04

Hi @BestZebbie the end of your comment actually made me laugh. I said these exact words to my mum today, she is 5!! How fluent does she expect her to be! I'm actually very impressed with her reading, i think she's doing amazing. Her dad and myself are from the same place just different counties which means different accents, her grandparents all have different twangs of their accents etc too and I always remember overpronouncing words to her and speaking 'properly' when she was small because I didn't want her having my broad accent, can't help but think I've played a part in it!