There is the peculiarity that children can speak in the third person. There are parents who observe that their daughter speaks with this peculiarity, using phrases like “Paula is going to play”, instead of using the common phrase “I'm going to play”.
The children begin to speak and to establish a little dialogue from 18 months to 2 years. In most cases it is common to hear children talking about themselves in the third person. However, this modality can be developed up to 3 years and it is from this age that if it continues to be practiced may be a sign of a neurological or speech disorder.
My daughter speaks in the third person
There are many parents who write or consult their concerns through a professional or through networks. In most cases they say that their daughter, since she began to speak at two years of age until now (4 years), continues to increase her good maturational development in speech but with phrases where they are expressed in the third person.
In these cases, parents can be put in the hands of specialists to be able to rule out some psychological problem such as maturity problems. Above all, it tries to analyze if it could become an autism problem
Causes that a child can speak in the third person
If your daughter has already turned 4 years old, it may be a sign of a neurological or speech disorder. You have to go to a specialist doctor to analyze the situation in case there are some problems such as the following:
Your daughter may have autism where from this age the symptoms are more evident. In this case there is an alteration in verbal and non-verbal communication. If your daughter suffers from echolalia (imitation or repetition of sounds, conversations or songs involuntarily and immediately after hearing it), make up words or talk about yourself in the third person, these signs are indicators that you may be suffering from autism.
On the other hand, you may be suffering from some type of psychosis in childhood. Among this type of mental illness can come associated symptoms such as speech disorders, unusual sensory perceptions, problems in social relationships or clumsiness in their movements.
Children who have difficulties in their communication on a social level or in their behavior: They speak in the third person, tend to hesitate to know the rules imposed on them, do not cooperate in classroom activities or do not participate in playing with other children or in groups.
Adults also speak in the third person
Adults can also speak in the third person. Here there is no longer some type of disorder, but it can trigger psychological behaviors that mark a personality.
In this case they can demonstrate different objectives like having a self-control, they know how to lie, they hide something, the search for recognition or even a display of humility. In most cases, adults do not show any symptoms of mental disorder, so there is nothing wrong with speaking in the third person.
There are children who acquire their way of speaking in the third person by imitation of their parents. In this case we can see that we are the parents themselves who speak in this way without having it very present. An example is when we can say: "Hold Daddy's phone while I button your coat", instead of "Hold my phone while I button your coat."
It is about an acquisition of language, where they refer to themselves to reinforce a behavior or a request. In these cases it tends to become a habit and children tend to capture this data and simulate it as an imitation. You can read more related topics where you can learn "how to teach your child to speak" or "everyday activities to improve language in children".