Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy mouthing words? Anyone heard of this?

So my DH insists that my DS4 often repeats parts of sentences by mouthing it again after he says things. Like he will say "are we going to the store" and then silently mouth "to the store." I seriously have only caught him doing this a few times...but DH says he does it all the time and insists I must not look at him when he's talking or something. He does talk a lot so I don't stare at him all the time. But we often look at eachother and have conversations. I have never really heard of or seen kids do that. He doesn't seem aware that he is doing it to my knowledge. My mother has seen him do it before too so DH is not insane (although they aren't mutually exlusive). Just curious if anyone has seen this or heard of this. I realize it's a little OT since it doesn't have to do with just gifted children...but not sure even how to search for information on this or what it is all about.

Hi, My DD5 has done this since she started talking, I'm pretty sure she has some form of a photograpic memory and I think by repeating words , it's her way of memorizing.

I've seen DS2.5 do this. I think it was while he was watching Between the Lions during the opening theme song. But now that you mention it, I'm going to see if we observe it at other times too.

JB

I first noticed my son doing this when he had just turned seven. I mentioned it to the doctor, but she didn't think it was anything to worry about.

He occasionally does this even now at age 10, but only when he thinks nobody is looking. I just asked him why he did this and he said it was a compulsion. When I asked if he could control it he said "Hopefully" and then mouthed the word hopefully.

LOL. That totally sounds like something my DS would do. It's great that your DS is able to explain it and is aware of it.

Well I am pleasantly surprised that DS is not the only one at least, even if there aren't answers as to why. However maybe Skylers comment about the memory thing could be related because DS4 does remember everything. Maybe it is his way of recording it all. He doesn't mouth things when he silently reads or anything...or when other people talk he doesn't mouth things. I did have a few friends that would do that though. They would move their mouth when I would talk. It's interesting.

Mr W mouths the words to books I read to him. He also watches my lips closely.

He still does not speak aloud unless its a word he does not know. Then, he will say it aloud when he first hears it.

This weekend we pulled up to a friend's house and they had those large candycanes out front and DW remarked on the large candycanes.

"Candycane!" came from the back seat.

When I carried him out later, he looked at them and I saw him mouth the word candycane.

I really think you are on to something b/c my DD (officially 28 mths today) does it all the time. Sometimes she repeats a loud and sometimes she mouths it but I get the feeling it has to do with memorization. I parallel it to songs for DD b/c for the most part her repeating relates to books and this is probably why she can recite a lot of the books we read to her. Yesterday it was 'The Little Red Hen', a book from my childhood. She picked it up and 'read' the book. The first two pages was verbatim.

I don't even think the mouthing of words is so OT as you would think.

dd2.5 does this, a lot of staring at my mouth moving too. I think she find some pleasure in the shapes or feel of the words in her mouth, too.

lol i do this.... mostly when i read and dont think anyone is watching (i will read something then after wards mouth the sentence to myself) truthfully i never thought twice about it and like the kid said its kinda a compulsion but when i do it its kinda like im reviewing what was just said (in my head) for further thought or understanding and yes it does commit it to memory but that isnt why i do it its more like a recap lol

I know I started this topic almost a year ago, but DS5 seems to be doing it more today....like we were just playing a game and he must have done it 20 times. He would say something like "I got 20 points" and then repeat it again but he does it in a whisper and usually doesn't just mouth it. It's weird how I don't notice it for a while and then I notice it happening a lot. tonight he told me that he does notice that he is doing it, and that he doesn't know why he does it. Any others still doing it or did they grow out if it? I wish I knew what this was and why he does it.