Echolalia Definition
You may have heard toddlers mimic noises and words when they hear others speak. This repetition or imitation of sounds, phrases, or words is called echolalia. The term comes from the Greek words “echo” and “lalia,” which mean “to repeat speech.”
Echolalia is the repetition or echoing of words or sounds that you hear someone else say. It is an important step for language development in children.
Echolalia can also be a sign of autism or developmental disability in children, as well as neurological problems in adults. These include a stroke or psychiatric disorders such as Tourette's syndrome.
Types of Echolalia
Echolalia can be one of two types.
Immediate echolalia. This is when you repeat something almost right away. It can also happen with a slight delay while talking to someone.
Delayed echolalia. This type involves delayed repetition of words hours or days after hearing them. It is usually seen in people with autism spectrum disorders.
Echolalia is "unmitigated" when you repeat someone’s exact words. It can also be "mitigated" if you change them during repetition.
Echolalia vs. Echopraxia
Echopraxia also involves imitation. But instead of copying another person's words or sounds as in echolalia, those with echopraxia imitate someone else's movements, facial expressions, or gestures.
Imitating movements can be a normal part of childhood development. But it can also be a sign of conditions such as Tourette's syndrome, schizophrenia, epilepsy, or autism spectrum disorders.
Echolalia vs. Palilalia
Palilalia doesn't involve imitation. People with this rare speech disorder repeat a word or phrase two or more times in a row. Their words get faster and quieter with each repeat until they say them silently.
Palilalia is linked to conditions such as:
- Tourette's syndrome
- Schizophrenia
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Parkinson's disease
- Alzheimer's disease
Echolalia Causes
Children often learn to speak by repeating the words that they hear. Echolalia is commonly seen in toddlers during the first 3 years of age. Echolalia can be a problem if it continues in children older than 3.
Echolalia in children
Echolalia is a sign of autism, developmental disability, or communication disability in children over the age of 3.
It can happen in children with autism spectrum disorders such as 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 in adults
You may find yourself repeating the same words you hear in a stressful situation. But you may also have echolalia with neurological or psychiatric problems including:
- Language disorders such as aphasia
- Head injury or trauma
- Neurodegenerative disorders
- Confusion or delirium
- Memory loss or dementia
- Brain tissue inflammation or encephalitis
- Tourette's syndrome
- Learning disability
- Paralysis
- Schizophrenia
- Stroke
- Epilepsy
Echolalia and ADHD
When echolalia is part of a child's normal development, it usually stops by age 3. If it continues after age 3, it could be part of another condition.
Most often echolalia is linked to autism spectrum disorder, but some people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also copy other people's words. More than half of people with autism have ADHD, too.
Echolalia and Autism
Repeating speech is very common in autism spectrum disorder. Echolalia affects up to 80% of people with autism who can speak.
Experts used to believe that echolalia in autism had no real purpose. Now they think imitating speech helps these children communicate and develop language skills when they can't come up with words themselves. Kids with autism use echolalia longer and more often than those without autism.
Symptoms of Echolalia
Repeating phrases, words, or noises that you hear other people say is the main symptom of echolalia. There are different types of repetition:
- Immediate echolalia: You repeat the words right after the other person says them.
- Delayed echolalia: You repeat the words later.
- Unmitigated echolalia: You repeat the words exactly like the person said them.
- Mitigated echolalia: You change the words.
- Ambient echolalia: You repeat words you hear in your environment, such as on the TV.
Other echolalia symptoms are:
Tests for Echolalia
A speech-language pathologist can identify echolalia as they talk to you. These therapists often test children with autism for echolalia through speech lessons.
The test will tell them where you or your child's case falls on a range from slight to severe repetition. Your therapist can identify the stage of echolalia and come up with the best treatment plan for you.
Echolalia Treatment
The treatment of echolalia depends on the cause of the condition. Professionals who treat it include:
- Speech-language pathologists
- Speech therapists
- Neurodevelopmental specialists
- Psychologists/psychiatrists
- Special educators
Speech therapy
Speech therapy is an effective way to treat autism-related echolalia. A team of therapists observes you and identifies the reason for your echolalia. They then try to understand why you keep repeating words. They also listen to you and respond in a way you understand.
A speech-language pathologist plays a major role in treating autism-related echolalia. They use behavioral techniques, speech therapy, verbal and visual cues, learning methods, self-monitoring, and positive reinforcement.
Medication
Your doctor may prescribe medications such as antidepressants or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) if your echolalia is due to stress, anxiety, or a psychiatric disorder. They may also give you a specific medication if your echolalia is triggered by neurological conditions such as stroke or epilepsy.
Check with a speech therapist to improve language and communication skills if you or your child has echolalia. You can also try online self-training programs to learn to talk without repeating words. Reading vocabulary and finding different ways to communicate may help you overcome echolalia over time.
Echolalia Prevention
There's no way to prevent echolalia, but most children will grow out of it by age 3. In kids with autism spectrum disorder or ADHD, echolalia can be a positive tool to help them communicate more effectively.
Though you can't prevent echolalia, you can reduce this behavior by teaching your child how to respond in conversations using their own words. Programs such as speech therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) may also help reduce echolalia.
How to Talk to Someone With Echolalia
Sometimes, children use echolalia as a tool to communicate when they can't find the right words. You can help by learning the reason for echolalia and responding in a way that helps your child learn to speak more effectively.
First, listen to your child and watch their behaviors to figure out what they're trying to say. What are they looking at or pointing to? Do they seem upset or happy?
Once you understand the meaning, say the phrase back to your child in the way they would have said it if they could. For example, if you ask, "Do you want chicken for dinner?" and your child repeats, "chicken, chicken, chicken," you can say, "I want chicken for dinner." You can also start a sentence and see if your child finishes it, like "I want…"
Takeaways
Echolalia is when someone repeats words or phrases that another person has said. It's a normal way that children learn how to communicate, but it can also happen with conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. Treatment for echolalia involves speech therapy, CBT, and other types of therapy.
Echolalia FAQs
What are examples of echolalia?
Repeating the same word or sentence is a sign of echolalia. For example, a child with echolalia might answer the question, "Do you want to go to the park?" with "park, park, park." Or they might repeat the question back to you.
Does having echolalia mean my child has autism?
Most children with autism have echolalia, but kids without autism also repeat words or phrases as they learn to communicate.
Does echolalia go away?
In most children, echolalia goes away by age 3. But in kids with autism, it may continue much longer.
Can echolalia be internal?
Sometimes, children don't repeat the words out loud. Their lips may mouth the words, but no sound comes out.
