Is pronoun reversal exclusive to the autism spectrum?

[QueenOfThePride]

My 19mo is still reversing you and I. What I want to know is, is pronoun reversal a part of normal development, or any other condition besides autism?

My son is undeniably gifted. He is talking like a 2.5 to 3 YEAR old. I can ask him what he did today, and he can tell me accurately. But he still has a habit of reversing you and I. He handed me a teddy bear and said, "I hold it", 'I' meaning me. At the park he didn't like touching the sand and every time he touched the sand he held his hands up and said, "Wash your hands!" There was no one else at the park, but I thought, if there was another parent here who knew about autism, they would surely peg him autistic.

"Wash your hands!" has, in fact, become his favorite phrase. His sensory defensiveness has gotten worse lately. He even held a muffin between his wrists to eat it, because he didn't want to touch it with his hands.

So do non-autistic kids ever reverse pronouns?

[Aridel]

Typical kids can reverse pronouns for awhile. They figure them out eventually. I would just keep up with the positive modeling from his perspective "Oh Mama, YOU hold it!"

Is he in OT at all for the sensory defensiveness?

[riversong]

Dd used to reverse "you" and "I" when she was little, but I honestly can't remember how old she was when she stopped. She used to say, "Mama, hold you!" when she wanted to be picked up. I thought it was very normal because I was always referring to her as "you," so she referred to herself that way, too. She is definitely not autistic at almost 5-years-old. So, my answer is that yes, non-autistic kids reverse pronouns.

[sbgrace]

I agree with the above posters in that typically developing kids can reverse too. Yours is young so this wouldn't indicate spectrum to me. Neither would the sensory defensiveness necessarily. Kids not on the spectrum can have sensory issues too.

[littleteapot]

It's very, very common and a pretty normal stage of language development. Not at all a red flag or indicator that your child has ASD.

[mamafish9]

My very bright, very talkative, probably NT daughter does that occasionally, and she's 5.5...

[Lollybrat]

Pronoun reversal is very common with typical kids. My school district wouldn't put issues with pronouns on my child's IEP until age 5 because until then it is still considered to be in the range of developmentally normal.

[FitMama]

Originally Posted by riversong

Dd used to reverse "you" and "I" when she was little, but I honestly can't remember how old she was when she stopped. She used to say, "Mama, hold you!" when she wanted to be picked up. I thought it was very normal because I was always referring to her as "you," so she referred to herself that way, too. She is definitely not autistic at almost 5-years-old. So, my answer is that yes, non-autistic kids reverse pronouns.

Ahh, this is exactly how my precious peanut used to ask to be held! *tears* Both my kids (one NT, one ASD) said "read it to you" as they'd place a book in my hand.

I don't recall all that much pronoun-reversal at a young age with my spectrum kid, because back then, the little stinker just didn't speak much at all!

[LynnS6]

Pronoun reversal is definitely part of typical development. Most typically developing kids resolve the issues by the time they're 2 or 2 1/2. Giftedness, apparently, has little to do with it.

Pronouns are just plain old confusing because they change. Ever try to explain pronouns? I'm "I" when I talk, but I'm "you" when you talk. You're "I" when you talk, but "you" when I talk. Dizzy yet :?

[QueenOfThePride]

OK, thanks! That was pretty much my only surviving concern with DS, so it seems everything he does is normal.

[AAK]

Took my second dd a LONG time to get it straight. I have no reason to believe she is on the spectrum.

Amy

[logan&jordansmommy]

My son that is on the spectrum reversed them well into his 4's.

[Peg Graham]

My 4 1/2 yr old son, Porter has Autism. He also now has Pronoun reversal.

He likes to say; "Do you want a drink?" when he means that HE wants a drink.

Our speech therapist told us to say "No, I don't want a drink" and to get him to communicate HIS needs by holding up a flash card that reads:

'I WANT A ____.' He is supposed to read it and self correct without any verbal prompts from us.

She says he will continue to read the sentence and correlate it to what HE wants.


HTH...hugs!

[julianito]

My DS has apraxia of speech, and reverses pronouns. He's 3 years 9 months. His teachers said it is a very normal thing seen in kids without any diagnosis at all up til about 3.5.

[readytobedone]

Originally Posted by QueenOfThePride

My 19mo is still reversing you and I. What I want to know is, is pronoun reversal a part of normal development, or any other condition besides autism?

My son is undeniably gifted. He is talking like a 2.5 to 3 YEAR old. I can ask him what he did today, and he can tell me accurately. But he still has a habit of reversing you and I. He handed me a teddy bear and said, "I hold it", 'I' meaning me. At the park he didn't like touching the sand and every time he touched the sand he held his hands up and said, "Wash your hands!" There was no one else at the park, but I thought, if there was another parent here who knew about autism, they would surely peg him autistic.

"Wash your hands!" has, in fact, become his favorite phrase. His sensory defensiveness has gotten worse lately. He even held a muffin between his wrists to eat it, because he didn't want to touch it with his hands.

So do non-autistic kids ever reverse pronouns?

i just happened on this post, but yes, reversing pronouns is completely normal. most 19 month olds don't even use pronouns. my 22 month old barely does. when she sees a picture of herself, she either calls it stella (her name) or "you"

[EviesMom]

I see it's been answered already, but yes, they definitely do this as part of typical development. A friend's NT son who is... I guess 26 months is sometimes getting them right now, but still says "Mama nurse you" when he wants to nurse which is just unbelievably cute.

[Maela]

My Dd also says "hold you!" I love it. dh modeled "hold me" the other day for her, and it made me sad to think she might stop saying it that way. I've heard tons of kids say it that way and I couldn't wait to hear my own kids say that to me someday. So yeah, totally normal.

[2bluefish]

I have 2 gifted kids, and pronouns do seem to be the last thing to correct, even when they talk very very well.

[loraxc]

DD did this till nearly 3 and is not autistic (though she does have SPD). She was a very early talker.