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What is echolalia?

Echolalia is the immediate or delayed repetition of previously heard speech from songs, TV shows, movies, or communication partners. 

Echolalia is typically produced by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

A person with echolalia does not present the same day to day! The presentation of echolalia can change across environments and communication partners throughout the day. For example, being in new spaces or being with different/unfamiliar people can change what a child’s echolalia sounds like.

Types of echolalia:

Immediate: The echolalic speech immediately follows the speech of another. 

Example: “I want a cookie” - “I want a cookie”

Delayed: This type of echolalia occurs at a later time. 

Example: This could be words or statements provided by the child’s communicative partners, from a favorite TV show, or the repetitive singing of a song.

Mitigated: Mitigated echolalia occurs when the child makes a change in wording of the original speaker. As the child’s receptive (comprehension) language skills improve, an increase in mitigated echolalia may be observed.

Example: “I want a cookie” – “Can I have a chocolate cookie”

How can I help at home?

  1. Echolalic speech is not meaningless! Even if it is a repetition, the person is trying to express themselves. When the person with echolalia speaks, make sure that you respond back just like you would be if you were having a conversation with someone else.
  2. Auditory bombardment – Repeat, repeat, repeat! Make sure you are speaking to your child and exposing them to different questions and language. If your child wants more of something, repeat ‘I want more’ or ‘more’ and number of times to expose them to the word that you are expecting them to say!
  3. Model everything! If your child is doing something, model what it is they should say, exactly how they would say it! This might be something like “I want water”, “I am driving the toy car”, “I am throwing the ball”.

If you have any questions or think your child might have echolalia, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Hanrahan Health for more information.