Talking out loud to yourself

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Hi, I was wondering how many of you might talk out loud to yourself....
My HFA son Nicco (4) does this very often, and I am trying to figure it out (in a sense).. I think that he does this to remember things- especially when he is stressed out...
ex... when we were trying to teach him to play a game of catch with a ball; he would say " I am going to get it back, I am going to get it back" over and over..
another time when it was father's day and he was trying to buy his dad a present he kept on saying "happy father's day, happy fathers day" over and over...(say 300 times or more) he stopped when I successfully distracted him.
it is like he is in a trance when he does this.
I think that it helps him remember; but I am not sure
He does it often a couple of times a week.
I am just curious as to why he might do it.
I thought it might help with his procesing of information but I am not sure...

Sorry, sometimes I over analyze his behaviors; I am always curious as to the reason of them... (this does not mean I want to change them)
Michele

I can't for the life of me think to myself at all unless I can mouth out the words to what I'm thinking, so most of the time when people see me I'm usually talking to myself. I just don't do the vocalizations to go along with the mouthing, although sometimes I've let my guard down and I'll start talking without realizing it.

All my life.
It took until I started school to realize it wasn't normal and then I still did it, just not in school anymore. It helps me organize my thoughts a bit and keep me focused on the subject at hand.

Not to sound alarmist or anything, but his brain is probably short circuiting, the repeated phrase not being subject to our natural tendencies to avoid those kinds of loops. Like a broken record, his focus maintains it as if he were saying it anew over and over again, and preempts other forms of attention stealing processing power for spending time thinking and saying whatever phrase it is.

These kind of short circuits are common in children, often as part of their acquisition of language. In falling into those kind of repeating patterns they firmly ingrain the phrases in their developing brain. But the way you describe it, 300 times and counting, requiring all of his attention at once, it does sound like a real problem. I'm not sure how to fix it, aside from being understanding, keeping him informed, and being firm about him not doing that sort of thing. Many people, myself included, are creeped out by people who repeat themselves, as this is often an outward indication of a more dangerous insanity like say, stabbing someone 300 times just because it occurred to you.

The repeated phrases without the psychosis isn't anywhere near as serious as that, but I would counsel you to teach him very carefully when it is a good idea to stop repeating himself. You did say "I think that it helps him remember, but I am not sure." Did you ask him if repeating something helps him remember? As I said, self repetition is an important tool for cementing in a memory, but one must learn to control it, not to let it control onesself.

Oh and yes... I talk aloud to myself all the time. But it's usually a running dialog between my personalities, and not a trancelike, repeated phrase. Being an auditory learner though, I can definitely say that it's easier to remember something if I hear it, even if I'm the one saying it.

My mind is always "spinning fast" and I am in deep thoughts constantly (usually on subjects far removed from everyday life, which contributes to my absentmindedness), but I usually think silently. Nevertheless I still talk a lot to myself. I believe that it helps me structure my thought process. I would do it at the beginning of reasoning on some subject (to help concentrating), at the end of reasoning (to anchor gained understanding) and when it is necessary to divert the thought process (e.g. divert thoughts from quantum physics to food expiration dates while doing grocery shopping). It is as though only a command spoken aloud could alter the flow of my thoughts. (I exaggerate a little, I don't do it every time.) I probably talk aloud to myself also in other circumstances. I will add that presenting ideas to another person helps me understand them better, even when I do all the talking.

I do not repeat phrases, but I believe that I was doing it in childhood (though probably not 300 times in a row). I can now recall one such incident. The reason for repeating was that the phrase got "stuck" in my head. This happens to me quite often even now - my mind just repeats some phrase or fragment of music, although I rarely vocalize it (definitely not every time I think it, and - yes - I can easily think it 300 times). As synx13 suggested, this might be some sort of short-circuiting, probably abnormal at my age (as always I wonder, do other people do this?). Nevertheless, it does not usually steal any processing power of my brain, as I repeat the phrase or music in between other thoughts. So this is a sort of background activity that my mind engages into while idle. It has nothing to do with remembering, at least on the conscious level. I do sometimes repeat things to help me remember (e.g. phone numbers), but "stuck thoughts" are clearly different.

Please note that I described my own experiences and memories, which may not be related to Asperger's Syndrome (which I am not sure if I have), nor to your son's behavior. The memories are from times when I was much older than your son.

Last edited by magic on 20 Jul 2004, 4:29 am, edited 2 times in total.

I get something like the description magic gave - anchoring thoughts. I have kind of soother background thoughts, or rhythms, that are kind of meaningless that repeat constantly in the background - it seems to have a calming effect. When I'm stressed, I sometimes concentrate on those words in my head, and it helps organise the other stuff. I was reading a book the other day, which described someone under extreme pressure who had focused on one sentence in his head, and kept repeating it over and over again to prevent himself from thinking genuine thoughts.
Mind you, at four, the process is probably quite different - definitely worth investigating.

When I was about four I use to say, "door, door, door, door....." over and over again when my father came home from work.

Last edited by Tom_FL_MA on 20 Jul 2004, 3:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I don't really talk out loud to myself, but when I'm around others, I do repeat the same words often. Words I shouldn't... like redundant (oh, the irony).

Sometimes it gets compulsive once I get the cycle started. Sometimes I do like to make little sound effects and stuff with my mouth, and then it turns into what I call a "Space Invaders game". Once I manage to stop for awhile, though, I don't have that feeling again for awhile, unless I kick myself into starting it up some more. Oh boy.

Talk out loud to myself- all the time!

I do this more than I talk to myself. I make swishing or clicking sounds, and I like to meow (though only when I'm alone or with people who won't think I'm crazy for it). I always find myself going into a sing-song when I'm with my dog, repeating her name and rhyming phrases over and over again. Once I realize I'm doing it, I'm able to stop, though. For me, I think it may be some sort of self-stimulation thing, rather than a compulsion, since it makes me feel better, and it reminds me of where I am. It's also a good way of releasing anxiety.

I will also get certain names, words, or phrases stuck in my head. Sometimes, this is just random (like when someone gets a song in their head) but often once I've finished talking to someone, the last few things that were said in the conversation run over and over in my head, and it's usually awhile before I notice it.

"I will also get certain names, words, or phrases stuck in my head."

Perseverating.

Just to clarify-
Perseveration
Uncontrollable repetition of a particular response, such as a word, phrase, or gesture, despite the absence or cessation of a stimulus.
The tendency to continue or repeat an act or activity after the cessation of the original stimulus.
The act or an instance of persevering; perseverance.

all of you made some interesting comments;
I do know that sometimes Nicco does verbal perseverations, and verbal stims.... as well, as talks out loud to himself...
and I try really hard to let him know that after 10 plus times it is enough and he should stop..
I wish that I could ask him why he does this; while his language skills are remarkable( I am so please) some things he still can not do and that is one of them..

What I think is funny though, sometimes when he does "things" I am feel like I am the one with OCD or something, sometimes when he repeats something say 300 times I am like please stop it........be cause it can drive me crazy....
Michele

i talk to myself. only way of getting decent conversation

I talk out loud to myself a lot.

I talk to myself all the time. It's usaully when I'm trying to figure something out, like a math problem or where something is. I'll talk out loud as I'm doing the different steps or call for whatever it is I'm looking for. Sometimes if I was distracted while reading, when I go back to what I was reading I'll read a few sentences out loud. I think it's like what magic discribed, and like her I also get bits of songs or conversation, usually a conversation I've read, not heard, stuck in my head.