IDEAS FOR ECHOLALIA
By Anne Russell Bramlett, MS, CCC/SLP
Many of our children on the autism spectrum use echolalia, which is the repetition of another’s speech that occurs either immediately, or even later, after the original production. According to Barry Prizant (1987), echolalia is characteristic of at least 85% of children with autism who acquire speech. In the past, it was sometimes suggested that this verbal behavior should be extinguished since it appeared non-meaningful. However, many now think that echolalia does serve a purpose for individuals with autism. It communicates to us certain things about how they may be feeling or what they may be trying to say. Many of us had experienced our children saying, “Do you want a cookie?” when they wanted a cookie. They were echoing our past questions that related to the desired outcome. Instead of ignoring this, we might want to think about how to shape this behavior into a more typical communication.
Some thoughts and ideas were taken from a chapter in Kathleen Ann Quill’s excellent book, Teaching Children with Autism. The chapter, co-authored by Patrick J. Rydell and Barry M. Prizant, is titled, Assessment and Intervention Strategies for Children Who Use Echolalia.
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