Pharmacy online blog

Parents should not worry when their pre-schoolers talk to themselves; in occurrence, they should encourage it, says Adam Winsler, any associate professor of psychology at George Mason University. His recent study published in Early Childhood Research Quarterly showed that 5-year-olds do better on motor tasks when they reason to themselves out loud (either spontaneously or when told to do so by an adult) than when they are silent.

“Young children often talk to themselves as they go about their daily activities, and parents and teachers shouldn’t think of this as weird or pernicious,” says Winsler. “On the contrary, they should listen to the private speech of kids. It’s a fantastic window into the minds of children.”

In the study, “‘Should I let them talk?’: Private speech and task performance among preschool children with and without behavior problems,” 78 percent of the children performed either the same or better on the performance task when speaking to themselves than when they were silent.

The study also showed that children with behavioral problems (such as those diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD) make to talk to themselves more often than children without signs of behavior problems.

“Given that kids with behavior concerns need more direction and control from adults, teachers may unnecessarily ask children to be quiet in classrooms out of fear that such speech coming from difficult-to-manage kids will lead to problem behavior,” says Winsler. “Yet non-disruptive private speech would actually help these children as they develop. Therefore, teacher nurture and professional development efforts should suggest that teachers increase their sufferance level for this kind of private conversation.”

Winsler says that personal speech is very common and perfectly normal among children between the ages of 2 and 5. As children begin talking to themselves, their communication skills with the outside world improve.

“This is when language comes inside,” says Winsler. “As these brace communication processes merge, children use private speech in the transition cycle. It’s a critical period for children, and defines us as human beings.”

Winsler likewise conducted the first-ever study looking at private speech in children with autism. He found that high-functioning autistic children talk to themselves often and in the same ways that non-autistic children do. Talking aloud also improved their performance on tasks.

“Children with autism have problems with their outward social speech, so psychologists assumed that their private speech would also be impaired,” says Winsler. “But this study shows that it is not the case - that autistic children use their private speech very effectively as a tool to help them with tasks.”

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Article adapted by the agency of Medical News Today from original press release.
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The study, “Private verbal intercourse and Executive Functioning among High-Functioning Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders,” was just published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities.

About George Mason University

George Mason University, located in the heart of Northern Virginia’s technology corridor almost Washington, D.C., is any innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in a range of lettered fields. With strong undergraduate and adapt degree programs in engineering, information technology, biotechnology and health care, Mason prepares its students to succeed in the work legion and meet the needs of the region and the world. Mason professors conduct groundbreaking research in areas such as cancer, climate vary, information technology and the biosciences, and Mason’s Center for the Arts brings world-renowned artists, musicians and actors to its stage. Its School of Law is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the highest 35 law schools in the United States.

Source: Tara Laskowski
George Mason University

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