What is Echolalia?

The above infographic gives you information about echolalia.

Echolalia is a repetition (echoing) of words and phrases said by others. It is a natural part of the language development process up to the age of three. Echolalia beyond the age of three may be a sign of another condition such as developmental delay, language delay, autism, Tourette syndrome, intellectual disability, etc.

Echolalia is common among children with autism and serves many functions. It may occur as a way of communication, a form of self-stimulation, a calming mechanism or a means of enjoyment.

Echolalia can be interactive and non-interactive. In interactive echolalia, the child is trying to communicate with another person by repeating memorized words and phrases. In non-interactive echolalia, the child isn’t trying to speak to anyone else. They might be repeating words or phrases to themselves to practice an idea or as a form of self-stimulation or calming mechanism.

Echolalia can be immediate, where it occurs immediately after hearing a person speak, or delayed, where it occurs hours, days or weeks after hearing someone speak.

Echolalia can be used to build functional communication in a child with the help of speech therapy, occupational therapy and behavioral therapy.

Echolalia should not be suppressed in children with autism as it is a primary means of communication for many children with autism and can be used to teach them more advanced communication skills.

The infographic gives you tips to build communication in a child with echolalia. This includes using limited vocabulary, limiting ‘wh’ questions and asking choice questions instead, using visual cues and modelling conversation.

If you have questions about Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, or other intellectual disabilities, or have concerns about developmental delays in a child, the Nayi Disha team is here to help. For any questions or queries, please contact our FREE Helpline at 844-844-8996. You can call or WhatsApp us.

DISCLAIMER: Please note that this infographic is for information purposes only and should not in any way deemed as medical advice.