In this blog on echolalia and autism, we will be looking at the following:
- What is echolalia?
- What are the three types of echolalia?
- How common is echolalia in autism?
- What is the most common cause of echolalia?
- At-home treatment for echolalia
What is Echolalia?
Echolalia is the repetition of another person’s words and phrases, common in autistic children and other developmental disabilities. That said, typically developing children can also exhibit echolalia as they learn to communicate. An example of echolalia is when a child repeats “outside” after being asked, “Do you want to go outside?”
Echolalia is a non-voluntary response and a typical part of speech and language development. This condition is common in children with autism spectrum disorder and may come in several different forms: Immediate or delayed, communicative or semi-communicative, and mitigated or non-mitigated. We’ll look at these in more depth below.
What Are the Three Types of Echolalia?
1. Immediate or Delayed
Immediate echolalia refers to repeating words immediately after they are spoken or after a short delay.
Example: You say, “Are you doing alright?” and they immediately respond, “Alright.”
Delayed echolalia occurs after a significant repetition delay.
Example: Hearing a line read from a storybook and repeating it the following morning at breakfast.
2. Communicative or Semi-Communicative
Communicative echolalia is repeated phrases or words with a purpose, such as communicating a need or want.
Example: A child repeating the word “juice” after being asked if they want to drink some juice.
Semi-communicative echolalia is the repetition of words or phrases with an unclear communicative purpose.
Example: Repeating “Once in a blue moon” at the dinner table after hearing it from another person earlier in the day.
3. Mitigated or Non-Mitigated
Mitigated echolalia refers to the repetition of speech in an altered form.
Example: In response to asking if they like Lightning McQueen, they affirmatively respond, “Kachow,” a common catchphrase from the Pixar character.
Unmitigated echolalia is repeated verbatim or exact repetition of another person’s speech patterns.
Example: You say, “How are you today?” and they respond, “How are you today?”
How Common is Echolalia in Autism?
Echolalia is a common characteristic of autism and occurs in around 75 to 90% of autistic individuals. As a symptom of autism, it typically stops around three years old. It’s important to note that you cannot control or prevent echolalia during the first few years of childhood. Echolalia is normal in children and isn’t something to be concerned about in those younger than three.
What is the Most Common Cause of Echolalia?
When it comes to echolalia as a symptom of autism, there’s no known cause. While unusual, echolalia in adulthood can be due to head injuries or amnesia that require relearning language skills.
In some scenarios, people with and without autism may exhibit echolalia symptoms when stressed, anxious, or under extreme pressure.
While the trigger for echolalia is unknown, it’s normal for an autistic child and is often associated with processing the world around them and developing communication skills.
At-Home Treatment for Echolalia
Echolalia is a normal part of childhood, but children three and older should be fazing out of the symptoms. If your child continues to show the signs of echolalia, you can take steps to help them grow out of it.
- Avoid responding with sentences that encourage echolalia. Rather than asking a question such as “Do you want a snack?” change the wording to the correct response by saying, “I’m hungry,” as you grab a snack.
- Model the correct response to your own question. For example, ask your child, “What is a cat? An animal,” wait for your child to echo the last word, “animal,” and repeat the word to encourage the correct response.
- Use a model approach. Ask another person to model the correct response with you for your child. Ask questions like “Do you want water?” while reaching for the water. Have them respond with “Yes” or another correct response. Provide positive reinforcement for the proper response to encourage your child to model after them.
- Be patient and offer opportunities. Use “starter sentences” with your child often. For example, say to them, “I want some…” and allow your child to respond by filling in the blank. Don’t be discouraged if they fall back into echolalia habits; continue working with them and offering encouragement whenever possible.
Published On: October 4, 2022
Updated On: September 27, 2023
