Echolalia is the unsolicited repetition of vocalizations made by another person. In its profound form it is automatic and effortless.
Sometimes echolalia is immediate and the child is echoing the words they hear. 8 For example, a caregiver asks the child, "Do you want a drink?" and the child responds with "You want a drink." The inability to switch pronouns is common. The child might be responding appropriately and may actually want a drink.
Echolalia Meaning: Echolalia is the term used to describe when a child repeats or imitates what someone else has said. Echolalia Examples: Immediate Echolalia: Sometimes a child repeats your question instead of answering it. If you say, “Do you want a cookie?”, the child says “cookie” instead of “yes”.
Echolalia is a normal part of speech and language development. It improves over the first two years of life. Pathological echolalia persists beyond the age of 3 years. Echolalia is a salient speech disturbance characteristically described in children with autism.
Causes of Echolalia
It can happen in children with autism spectrum disorders like Asperger's syndrome. They may need extra time to process the world around them and what people say to them. This causes them to copy or repeat the sounds or words they hear.
Echolalia is the use of repetitive words and phrases in communication. It is a natural phase of language development in toddlers. But kids often outgrow it when they reach their third birthday. However, children with autism often fail to outgrow this condition.
After three years, self-regulation of speech and language typically develops. Echolalia that persists after the age of three may be considered pathological echolalia. Proposed mechanisms of echolalia include dopaminergic dysregulation; a broken mirror neuron system; and a “wealth of stimulus” hypothesis.
Treating Echolalia
The best way to help your child with their echolalia, no matter what type or form they present, is to contact a specialist. With the help of a speech therapist and a high-quality ABA therapy program, your child can learn how to expand their language skills.
Is echolalia a sign of autism? We sometimes see this behavior in little ones that are presenting on the autism spectrum. However, not every child that presents with echolalic behavior is somewhere on the spectrum.
Individuals with ADHD may experience speech and language difficulties. These may include echolalia, or the repeating of words or phrases spoken by others. While echolalia is more common in individuals with ASD, it can also occur in those with ADHD.
Many children show symptoms of autism by 12 months to 18 months of age or earlier. Some early signs of autism include: Problems with eye contact. No response to his or her name.
Gradually fade out repetitive behaviors: If your child engages in repetitive behaviors, try to gradually reduce the frequency and duration of these behaviors. You can do this by providing alternative activities or by gradually increasing the time between repetitions.
While mannerisms such as random humming or screaming are known as vocal stims, echolalia and palilalia are known as verbal stimming. This is because vocal stimming involves the use of sounds other than talking, whereas verbal stimming usually involves speech.
A typical characteristic of ASD, shown in 75–80% of verbal individuals, is so-called 'echolalia', the echo-like repetition of previously heard or spoken speech (Kanner, 1946; Prizant, 1983; Prizant and Rydell, 1984; Neely et al., 2016).
Echolalia occurs in many cases of autism spectrum disorder and Tourette syndrome. It may also occur in several other neurological conditions such as some forms of dementia or stroke-related aphasia.
People with ADHD show symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity, inattention, or a combination of both. Echolalia is usually associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but some people with ADHD also engage in echolalia.
Echolalia may be made much worse when someone is feeling anxious or distressed, although some people can experience it all the time in more severe cases. Adults who have had a head trauma or who have severe amnesia may experience echolalia while they are learning how to speak and communicate again.
The phenomenon of echolalia in autism and Asperger's syndrome1 has been well documented.
Signs of High-Functioning Autism in Children
May appear more mature for their age and have above-average intelligence. A tendency to avoid eye contact. Trouble deviating from a routine or adapting to changes. Trouble making friends and maintaining social relationships or not “fitting in” with peers.
SLPs can support language learning through interaction.
Following a child's lead by using low-constraint language models—like comments, affirmations and reflective questions—can support natural language development in children with ASD who demonstrate echolalia.
Language Development
Most kids use echolalia as a natural way to learn language – to learn words, rhythm, inflection and tone. In typically developing children, echolalia peaks at 30 months and fades by the time the child is 3 years old.
Some people with autism are able to speak, but others are not. There are many possible reasons why someone with autism might not speak, including difficulty processing language, anxiety, or lack of interest in communication. Nonverbal communication can be just as important and effective as verbal communication.