Echolalia

[supersec]

Hi all, have some concerns about my son. He is nearly four (end of this month) and has started repeating everything (and I mean everything) that he hears, I know that this is called echolalia but am not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. Any advice would be greatly received.

 

Caroline

[TylersMum]

Hi Caroline,

 

Tyler did this for about 2 years; drove me mental. It stopped when he grasped what each sentence meant and now we are able to say things to him we know he understands.

 

Echolalis for me was the first step to conversation

[Klou]

Our resident parrot drives me insane.

 

I have n't worked our whether it is because he is echoing us and comprehending what it said or because he thinks everyone must say everything 2 or 3 times as we do in order to get him to do anything.

 

My son is also nearly 4. As well as echoing he talks none stop. My head would just like a quiet place to be sometimes.

[Tylers-mum]

My son did this too, from the ages of 18mths to 3yrs old. Every question I asked him, he asked back without giving an answer so if I asked him 'What is your name?' instead of saying Tyler, he'd say 'What is your name?' He did this for everything that was asked to him. That then progressed onto using the last word only, ie, What is your name?', his reply would be 'Name'.

Thankfully he has now progressed past this and can answer questions with the help of his ST but communicating with him is still hard. It has to be on his terms, If I ask him something that means a conversation, then the answer is usually 'I don't know!'. But if I were to ask him a simple question, he can answer that.

Edited September 6, 2005 by Tylers-mum

[lil_me]

We also have a parrot, he is better now (he's 7 in January) but it was the first start in talking. Personally I was just pleased he was talking as many children on the spectrum don't.

 

With regards to saying everything 2 or 3 times, children and adults on the spectrum are believed to process conversation etc 10-15 seconds later than we do, say something, then wait 15 seconds before saying anything else is a good way to appreciate this.

 

Also they sometimes only particular parts of the sentence, so this in addition to the processing delay can give a reason for lack of immediate response when told something. If he's copying what you say it may be helping him process what you said. Really we'll never get an answer to why they do it.

[supersec]

Thanks for all you responses.

 

I have noticed with Julian that you can say to him something and he will just repeat it but it does not seem to mean anything to him, i.e. if you say to him give mummy the cup he will just look at you and repeat it back but still not give you the cup. I hope that this is the beginning of him speaking but to be honest am at the end of my tether, he also repeats things he hears in the street, if someone yells something or we are walking past someone and he hears them speak he just repeats what they say - get some really odd looks I can tell you!

 

Oh well.

 

Caroline

[helenl53]

Hi Caroline

 

Something just struck me about the cup----

 

We tend to say to our kids "can you give mummy the cup" - of course our kids think - of course I can give mummy the cup - what they are not doing is interpreting your statement as a command - they are interpreting it as the question that you asked them.

 

Sometimes thinking about what and how you have said something can help.

 

Best wishes

 

HelenL

 

PS - Yes we will meet up for a drink with Box of Frogs and 10 Things and a few others that are around our neck of the woods - but I have Tribunal coming up in a few weeks and I am not going to be fit for anything until it is all over.

[mrs q]

T repeats questions but then most people do but no out loud in our head while thinking about the answer.

 

T does say OK alot instead of the word yes

[lisann]

Hi

 

C did this from around the age of 2 1/2 to 3 years old.He sometimes still does age 4 now how ever this is normally when he doesn't understand me ie what I'm asking him to do.

I wouldn't worry too much but I know what you mean it drives you crackers!!!!!

 

 

lisa

 

[Flora]

Hi, my youngest had echolalia for about 2 years. He doesn't 'echo' now but he does tend to repeat phrases that he's found funny (he has a strange soh), not so much things that he's heard on the telly but something he may have heard me say or even strangers say. Perhaps you could get him seen by speech and language if it continues to be a concern. Does your son have a diagnosis of anything?

 

Lauren

[LizK]

My son did this quite a lot as his speech was developing. He used to echo ack the last two or three words of a sentence when it was obvious he dind't understand what I was saying or asking. I found it upsetting as it seemed to confirm his delaye dunderstanding though the ST said it was a stage for him in learning to speak and communicate back to others. She felt it gave him the opportunity to practise speech and to try to make sense of what was being said. As DSs understanding has improved he does it now less and less though when he does it's an immediate alerts to me that he's not understood so I can try and get him to in a different way

 

Lx

[Kathryn]

My daughter does this on and off, and she is 16 and otherwise very articulate. In her case I think it does help with the processing, slowing down the interaction so she can formulate a response. It is usually a direct question that she repeats, although sometimes she repeats something that isn't even addressed to her, I think perhaps she likes the sound of the words.

 

She says she used to do this a lot in the classroom as well, although none of the teachers ever told us this.

[supersec]

Again thanks for your responses,

 

Lauren - yes he had a diagnosis just over a year ago of moderate autism.

 

Fun and games!

 

He has seen the Speech and Language therapist and they are looking at the best way forward, have made up a PECS book but he won't use it! Perservering tho.

 

Caroline