Child Abuse Victim with repetive speech problems etc.

My agency supervises a foster home with a 3 yr. old foster boy who was horribly neglected, abused (sexually/physically/emotionally) and was a witness to severe domestic violence.  There is also the possibility of exposure to drugs by mom in utero.  He does not have any obvious physical signs of FAS or FAE.  He is behind with his vocabulary and sentences - we are getting him into speech therapy now - as well as a full developmental work up and screening.  He just started play therapy (one session).     Most of the time he speaks in 4-5 word sentence (although kinda hard to understand).  However, we have noticed (and it is getting worse) that he repeats verbally many sayings and sometimes physically acts out little motions.  Examples: "daddy hit, hit, hit, daddy hit, hit, hit..." and slaps his hand or punches his tummy (one or the other) each time or just verbal: "mommy mean, mommy mean, mommy mean" or "daddy kill puppy, daddy kill puppy, daddy kill puppy" etc......    He will pause - then do and or say it all again in groups of 3 with a pause in between.  The comments and behaviors typically come out of the blue.  Once - he lost his toy for an hour after hitting the cat with it - he says, "You bad, you yuck, yuck, yuck"  then pauses and does it again several times.   We have tried to find 'triggers' - but sometimes I think thoughts just come to him different times through the day.  He does have supervised visits with his bio-parents twice a week.  But there isn't any real pattern to when he does this.  They are not all comments about violence/abuse.  Sometimes it's: "me like you doggies, me like you doggies, me like you doggies" (he has never met my doggies) or "me go you house, me go you house, me go you house" as he points to various houses while in the car.  He does have many signs of RAD - although not diagnosed yet since he is newly in foster care.  It is tough sometimes to re-direct him or try to change the subject.

Any thoughts?

[Ted A Grossbart, Ph.D.]

What a terrible situation.  I'm glad to hear he is in play therapy.  I think the best course is to have staff consult with the therapist so you can coordinate your responses.

tg